6 Seasonal Ingredients at Their Cheapest After Qingming Festival - Miss Them and Wait Another Year

Right after Qingming Festival, my mom called. Her first words weren’t “Have you eaten?” but—“Spring bamboo shoots are at the market, buy them quick, they’ll be old in two weeks.”

She’s right. Spring ingredients have a special characteristic: their window is extremely short. Don’t buy today, and next week they might not taste the same.

I spent a weekend visiting the market twice and summarized 6 seasonal ingredients most worth buying after Qingming. Cheap, delicious, and if you miss them, you’ll wait a whole year.

First: Spring bamboo shoots. Around Qingming is when they’re most tender. When choosing, look at the bottom—white to yellowish means fresh, green means old. Slice a bamboo shoot and stir-fry with cured pork, 8 minutes done. So fragrant you can’t stop eating. Bought too much? No problem—blanch and freeze, lasts two months. Currently 5-8 yuan per pound at markets, will double by month-end.

Second: Shepherd’s purse. This stuff grows wild by roadsides in my hometown, free. But city markets sell it for 3-4 yuan a bunch. The classic preparation is wontons—shepherd’s purse and pork wontons with broth so fresh. Don’t want to make wontons? Shepherd’s purse tofu soup works too, zero skill required.

Third: Chinese toon. This is polarizing—people either love it or run from the smell. If you can handle it, Chinese toon scrambled eggs is the most memorable spring dish. Note: Chinese toon contains nitrites, must blanch for 30+ seconds before eating. Don’t skip this step.

Fourth: Fresh fava beans. Cheapest in April, about 4-5 yuan per pound. Shell and stir-fry or make with scallion oil, 10 minutes done. When the skin is tender you can eat it whole, when it turns dark you have to peel the inner skin. So—buy while tender.

Fifth: Mugwort for Qingtuan (green rice balls). Okay, I know most people won’t make their own Qingtuan. But if you want to try this year—fresh mugwort juice or powder is available at markets and online now. Making your own costs about one-third of store-bought, and you can add any filling you want. I made salted egg yolk and pork floss ones last year, better than trendy shops.

Sixth: Strawberries. Strictly speaking, strawberry season is ending, but early April is “clearance price”—decent quality but nearly half the February price. Perfect for making strawberry jam now—one batch lasts two months on bread. Simple recipe: strawberries + sugar + lemon juice, simmer 45 minutes.

Finally, a money-saving tip: seasonal ingredients at markets are about 30% cheaper than supermarkets. If you have morning markets nearby, prices are even lower. But go early—the good bamboo shoots and shepherd’s purse are usually picked over by 10 AM.

Just do this one thing today: stop by the market after work and see if there are fresh bamboo shoots.