Taiwan Food Atlas

Yongjing Caoziguo (Mugwort Rice Cake)

A Hakka ancestral offering of mugwort glutinous rice — Qingming season only
📍 Changhua · Yongjing Old Street Market, Yongjing Township🟡 Collectible · Street food🔖 Mugwort / cudweed glutinous rice Hakka food culture Qingming ancestral offerings

Yongjing caoziguo is a Qingming-season rice cake from the Hakka communities of Yongjing Township, Changhua County, made by kneading glutinous rice flour with mugwort or cudweed juice into a deep green skin wrapped around a stir-fried radish or dried radish filling, then steamed. Spring in Yongjing carries the scent of mugwort. Around Qingming, the caoziguo stalls at the old street market start preparations early, with deep green rice skins kneaded and lined up on wooden boards like a row of small jade stones.

Yongjing Township is one of the core Hakka settlement areas in Changhua County: Hakka ancestors began arriving roughly 300 years ago from Raoping County in Guangdong's Chaozhou prefecture and from Zhangzhou and Tingzhou in Fujian, with Hakka migration increasing substantially in the mid-Qianlong era. According to Hakka TV, about 70% of Yongjing's current residents trace their ancestry to Raoping, Guangdong, although the Hakka language has largely been lost. Changhua County's Hakka-descended population totals roughly 400,000, and Yongjing has seven Sanshan Guowang (Three Mountain Kings) temples, an important node in Changhua's Hakka-heritage worship network.

What is caoziguo

Caoziguo is made by kneading glutinous rice flour with the juice of freshly picked cudweed (shu que cao) or mugwort to form a deep green skin, then wrapping it around a filling of stir-fried dried radish (cai pu) or shredded radish. It is hand-shaped into an oval, placed on a sheet of shell ginger leaf, and steamed. The skin has a pronounced herbal fragrance and a soft yet chewy texture. The filling is savory with a balance of salty and subtly sweet that varies by each maker's recipe. It is not available year-round — the period from around Qingming through to late spring (lunar months two through four) is when it is most readily found at markets.

Yongjing and Puxin are the core areas of Hakka migrant communities in Changhua County, where Hakka food traditions are relatively well preserved. In Hakka culture, caoziguo is a ceremonial food for ancestor worship — making caoziguo together as a family before Qingming grave-sweeping is an important custom. The Changhua County Government Hakka Affairs Bureau has related cultural promotion materials and has included Yongjing caoziguo in Hakka food culture educational materials. It regularly holds heritage workshops to help younger generations learn the craft.

How to eat it like a local

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Easiest to find around QingmingLunar month three (around Qingming) is peak season for caoziguo. Longstanding market stalls supply the most, and after Qingming they gradually stop selling — do not miss the window.
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Check the freshness of the skinGood caoziguo has a deep, even green skin with a clear herbal aroma that is not bitter. Skins that appear brownish or yellowed may contain insufficient herbal juice and are of lower quality.
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Pair with light tea to cut through richnessCaoziguo has a natural herbal fragrance of its own. A lightly oxidized bao zhong tea or a refreshing green tea best highlights the skin's aroma. A heavily roasted tea would overpower it.
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The significance of the shell ginger leaf baseTraditional caoziguo is placed on a sheet of shell ginger leaf rather than bamboo leaf. The subtle fragrance of the shell ginger leaf seeps into the skin — one of the details that distinguishes a traditional preparation.

Local knowledge

Verified references

  • The Changhua County Government Hakka Affairs Bureau has included Yongjing caoziguo in Hakka food culture educational materials and regularly holds workshops on passing down the craft.
  • Yongjing and Puxin townships are the core Hakka community areas of Changhua County. Caoziguo preserves the complete mixed Hokkien-Hakka food tradition and holds value for food culture research.
  • The cudweed or mugwort used in caoziguo grows naturally in Changhua County's fields. Around Qingming, farming families throughout the area harvest it for making caoziguo — a genuinely seasonal food.

Visiting tips

  • Visiting Yongjing outside of Qingming season means caoziguo stalls will be greatly reduced or even completely absent. A visit within one month of Qingming is strongly recommended.
  • Yongjing Township is about ten minutes by car from Yuanlin City. Public buses are available but infrequent; driving is more convenient.
  • Some vendors also offer a pre-order service. During peak ancestral worship season, calling ahead with the quantity you need ensures smooth pick-up on the day.

Sources: Changhua County Government Hakka Affairs Bureau cultural promotion materials, Yongjing Township Office local food culture field research. Photos pending Dio's on-site photography.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is caoziguo?

It is a traditional steamed cake with a deep green skin made from glutinous rice flour kneaded with mugwort or cudweed juice, wrapped around a stir-fried shredded radish filling, with a pronounced herbal aroma.

Why is Yongjing associated with Hakka culture?

Yongjing is one of the core Hakka settlement areas in Changhua County; ancestors arrived roughly 300 years ago from Raoping, Guangdong and Zhangzhou/Tingzhou, Fujian, and about 70% of residents today trace their ancestry to Raoping.

When is caoziguo easiest to find in Yongjing?

Around Qingming (lunar months two through four) is peak season, when market stalls supply the most; availability drops off after Qingming passes.

Sources

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