Move over, regular dumplings – Qingdao’s vibrant fish-shaped flower buns are swimming onto Spring Festival plates! 🎏 Artisan bakers in Jimo District have crafted Instagram-worthy steamed creations shaped like koi fish, dragons, and blooming flowers, all bursting with symbolic meaning.
Made using natural dyes from pumpkin, spinach, and beetroot (no food coloring here! 🌿), these edible artworks represent prosperity, unity, and good fortune – perfect for Lunar New Year feasts. 🧧 Locals say the buns’ red-and-gold hues and intricate designs make them ‘almost too pretty to eat’… almost.
🍊 Fun fact: Fish (鱼 yú) sounds like ‘abundance’ in Chinese, making these buns a viral-worthy combo of taste, tradition, and TikTok-ready aesthetics. 🎥 Will you try making them?
