Traditionally prepared by the indigenous people of Taiwan, millet qinafu is a sticky cake or dumpling consisting of millet (usually glutinous foxtail millet) and pork or boar meat, which is typically boiled or steamed in a leaf. Shell ginger leaves have been most commonly used for the wrapping, but other types of leaves can also be used, such as bamboo, talibaw (Macaranga tanarius), taro, banana, liavilu (Nicandra physalodes), or alabolro (Trichodesma khasianum) leaves.

Some variations of the dish call for using a different type of starch instead of millet, such as taro flour, sticky rice, sorghum, or even bananas. In Taiwan, millet qinafu has been traditionally prepared on special occasions such as weddings, naming ceremonies, funerals, and harvest festivals.