Artemisia glutinous cake

Artemisia glutinous cake

　　Every year during the first lunar month, groups of people can be seen gathering Artemisia in the fields. In the mountainous regions of Luhe, after the autumn harvest, the fields—touched by the mild warmth of early winter and then baptized by chilly winds and drizzles—begin to sprout clusters and clumps of Artemisia (also known as yellow flower dream) in dry land and yam fields. This is a beloved edible herb among the locals of Luhe. With its slender, tender stems, leaves about the size of bee wings, and fine downy fuzz in a silvery-gray hue, the crushed plant becomes sticky, soft, and fragrant to the taste. It is also known for its health benefits, such as strengthening the spleen and stomach and dispelling rheumatism. Village girls gather the Artemisia, wash and sun-dry it, then rub it with bamboo trays to turn it into Artemisia fluff. This fluff is mixed with glutinous rice flour and brown sugar water to form the cake dough. The filling, made with brown sugar, sesame seeds, peanuts, and flavored with wooden cane sugar, is wrapped inside, and then stamped into patterned cakes before being steamed. The result is the widely renowned sweet and fragrant “Artemisia Glutinous Cake.” This cake is considered a premium delicacy of Luhe.