What to eat for the winter solstice: A complete collection of winter solstice foods across the country

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The Winter Solstice, commonly known as the "Winter Festival", is an important solar term in the China lunar calendar. On this day, the northern hemisphere has the shortest day and the longest night. After the winter solstice, the day will become longer day by day and the night will gradually become shorter. In ancient times, Chinese people had a saying that "when the cathode reaches, yang qi begins to grow, the sun reaches south, the day reaches short, and the sun's shadow reaches long, so it is called the Winter Solstice." In "Qing Jialu", there is also "The Winter Solstice is as big as the year" The saying is enough to see that the ancients attached great importance to the Winter Solstice. In the land of China, colorful winter solstice eating customs have been passed down.

1. Dumplings should be eaten during the winter solstice in the north

In northern my country, there is a saying "winter solstice dumplings and summer solstice noodles". Why should we eat dumplings on the winter solstice? The original name of the dumpling is "Jiaoer". It is said that it was invented by Zhang Zhongjing, the medical saint of my country. It has a history of more than 1,800 years.

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, famous doctor Zhang Zhongjing saw that many poor people endured hunger and cold, and their ears were rotten with cold, so he invented the "Cold Qujiao Ear Soup". The method was to use mutton, pepper and some cold-dispelling medicinal materials to boil them in a pot. After cooking, take out these things and chop them up, wrap them into ear-shaped "Jiao Er" with dough. After cooking, they are distributed to the patients. Each person has two Jiao Er and a bowl of soup. After eating Quhan Tang, people get fever all over their bodies, their blood is smooth, and their ears get warmer. After a while, the patient's rotten ears will recover.

Zhang Zhongjing gave up medicine until the 30th of the New Year. On the first day of the New Year, people celebrate the New Year and also celebrate the recovery of rotten ears. They make food in the appearance of delicate ears and call it "dumpling ears" and "dumplings". Since then, the story of "Quhan Jiao Er Tang" has been widely circulated among the people. Every winter solstice and New Year's Day, people eat dumplings and still remember Zhang Zhongjing's kindness in their hearts. Therefore, there is now a saying that "eating dumplings during the winter solstice will not freeze your ears."

2. Suzhou people eat wontons during the winter solstice and remember Xi Shi

Since Suzhou was the capital of the State of Wu 2,500 years ago, and the ancestors of the State of Wu were descendants of King Tai of the Zhou Dynasty. They once inherited the Zhou calendar and regarded the winter solstice as the beginning of the year. Therefore, the ancient city of Suzhou still has a legacy that "the winter solstice is as big as the year".

During the winter solstice, Suzhou people still have the custom of eating wontons. Legend has it that the King of Wu, who was tired of eating delicacies and seafood, had no appetite, so the beautiful beauty Xi Shi entered the imperial kitchen and made a snack for the King of Wu. The King of Wu ate a large bowl in one gulp and repeatedly asked: "What kind of snack is this? It is so delicious?" Xi Shi thought: This stupid king was muddle-headed and confused, so he casually replied,"Chaos." Later, in order to commemorate this delicious food created by Xi Shi, Suzhou people designated wonton as a food for the Winter Solstice Festival.

3. Ningxia needs to eat "brains" during the winter solstice

On the winter solstice, there is a custom in Yinchuan to drink powder soup and eat mutton powder soup dumplings on this day. Yinchuan people also called mutton powder soup a special name-"Mind". Mutton powder soup is made by cooking mushrooms and mutton, and is seasoned with salt, ginger, onions, garlic, peppers, soy sauce and other seasonings. After the soup is rolled, add the cut powder pieces and soaked vermicelli, and then add leeks, garlic sprouts, cilantro. In this way, a pot of colorful mutton powder soup is ready, with an aroma that makes people salivate.

After making the dumplings with powder soup, serve a bowl first, and serve a bowl to your neighbors. Mutton powder soup dumplings are unique in practice, spicy and delicious, and have now become a specialty snack in Yinchuan.

4. Chaoshan area winter solstice sacrifices to ancestors and eating sweet pills

In the Chaoshan area, the Winter Solstice, also known as the "Little New Year", is a major folk festival. On this day, people must prepare enough pork, chicken, fish and other three animals and fruits, go to the ancestral hall to worship their ancestors, and then their families will eat together at the table. In coastal areas, fishermen must worship their ancestors before going out to fishing, pray for the fishermen, and ask the gods and ancestors to bless them and return safely from sea.

There is a saying in Chaoshan that "one year more after eating the Winter Festival". Among them, the "Winter Festival Round" is glutinous rice balls, which are also called sweet balls in Chaoshan areas. The custom of eating sweet balls on the winter solstice is almost universal throughout Chaoshan areas. A long time ago, these sweet pills were not only for eating, but people also posted them on the roof of their homes and on the beams of their houses. First, the sweet pills were round, indicating a bumper harvest next year and the reunion of the whole family. Secondly, they were to thank the mice for sending grain seeds to farmers. Nowadays, people no longer stick sweet balls, but the custom of eating glutinous rice balls on the Winter Solstice is still passed down to this day.

5. Eat red bean glutinous rice during the Winter Solstice Festival in Jiangnan Water Town

In my country's Jiangnan water town, there is a custom for the whole family to gather together to eat red bean glutinous rice on the night of the winter solstice.

Legend has it that Gong Gong was a talented person who committed many evil deeds. He died on the winter solstice. After his death, he became a plague ghost and continued to harm the people. However, this epidemic ghost was most afraid of red beans, so people cooked and ate red bean glutinous rice on the winter solstice to ward off the epidemic ghost and prevent and cure diseases.

6. Every family in Shanghai eats glutinous rice balls during the winter solstice

In the old days of Shanghai, a poem said: "Every family mixes rice to make glutinous rice balls. I know it is the winter solstice of the Ming Dynasty." Shanghai people are accustomed to eating glutinous rice balls on the winter solstice to celebrate the arrival of the winter solstice. The dough is made from glutinous rice flour and wrapped with various fillings. The prepared glutinous rice balls are used to worship ancestors and give each other to relatives and friends.

7. Hangzhou people eat rice cakes three times a day

Hangzhou people like to celebrate by eating rice cakes on the winter solstice. Every winter solstice, cakes will be made to worship ancestors or give gifts to relatives and friends. In terms of diet, rice cakes with different flavors will be made for three meals, including rice cakes with sesame powder mixed with white sugar, fried rice cakes with shredded pork, etc. Hangzhou people eat rice cakes on the winter solstice to show good luck, which means growing taller every year.

Various winter solstice dietary customs on the land of China are still widely circulated today, which is enough to show the important impact this day has on people's farming, work and life and rest. Indeed, the winter solstice is the arrival of the cathode and the beginning of the yang. After that, there are small cold, great cold and the number nine, indicating that the coldest day of the year is coming. Therefore, from the winter solstice after the winter solstice, more attention should be paid to keeping warm, and more warm food should be eaten in terms of diet to enhance the ability to keep warm.

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