China Series : Green cakes from Gnaphalium 鼠麴草属

(PHotos from Google)

Gnaphalium affine (also known as Jersey cudweed). In Chinese this plant is known as Shuqucao 鼠麹草 or mouse yeast grass. It is mainly used as a colouring for the dough of a qingming cake.

Colouring the qingming cakes with gnaphalium affine (Sarawakiana)

steamed qingming cakes - look very dark green (Sarawakiana)

The plant is biennial, with stems 15-40 cm long, the surface of the plant is covered with fine wooly hair and the leaves are small and rounded. The flowers appear as small florets with petal around 2 mm long.
It is also used in Traditional Chinese medicine. In Japan it is used to make kusa mochi, a green cake.
Many housewives enjoy grinding up the plant to give their home made noodles and onion pancakes a distinctive green colour and a unique flavour.

Drinking the tea may help to reduce coughing in some cases.