What do you want to eat on the solstice of winter in Japan?

In a few days, it will be the winter solstice solar term in China. When people all over the country are preparing food for the winter solstice, neighboring Japan is also welcoming the arrival of the winter solstice. Yes, although the solar terms used in Japan have evolved, they were first influenced by China and introduced from China in the Tang Dynasty. Then let Lao Huang Li tell you how the Japanese spend the winter in solstice and what they eat in solstice winter.

In Japan, when it comes to winter solstice, people think of pumpkin bath and grapefruit bath. On the solstice of winter, Japanese usually eat pumpkins for good luck and take a grapefruit bath to strengthen their physique and eliminate disasters. This is the tradition of winter solstice.

There is a folk saying in Japan that eating something ending in "ん" during the winter solstice will bring good luck. Carrot, white radish, lotus root, oolong noodles, ginkgo, kumquat, etc. All foods ending in "ん" are auspicious foods related to omens. Auspicious food not only has a beautiful meaning, but also contains folk wisdom of storing nutrition to spend the cold winter.

pumpkin

Then why do you specialize in eating pumpkins? It turns out that although the Japanese call pumpkin "かぼちゃ(kabocha), it used to be called" なんきんんんんん "(Nankin), which includes" んんん ".

Moreover, pumpkin is rich in vitamin A and carotene, which can effectively prevent colds and strokes (cerebrovascular diseases). Originally, the harvest season of pumpkin is summer, but it can be preserved for a long time and can absorb the nutrition in winter. This is the wisdom of the ancients.

Winter solstice porridge

In addition to auspicious food like pumpkin, the traditional diet from Sunday to winter also includes winter to Sunday porridge cooked with red beans. Since ancient times, people think that the red color of red beans can dispel evil spirits, but it is said that eating winter solstice porridge can dispel evil spirits and bring good luck the next day.

Shancai

In some places, red beans and pumpkins are cooked into mountain dishes and enjoyed in winter solstice. It turns out that the Japanese pronunciation of "ぉぃぉぃ" is the same as "nephew, nephew", and "めぃめぃ (respectively)" is the same as "nephew".

konjac

In some places, people eat konjac on the solstice in winter, which is called "removing sand". It is said that eating konjac can remove the accumulated sand in the body. The ancients called konjac "the broom of the stomach" and "the desander of the intestines". They would eat konjac on New Year's Eve, festivals and after cleaning. This custom has been preserved to this day.

Soak in a grapefruit bath

In Japanese, grapefruit is homophonic with "Rongtong", and the solstice in winter is "Tang Zhi/Hot Spring". The world was led by homophones to take a grapefruit bath, which was originally a cleaning ceremony to drive away bad luck before summoning good luck. In ancient times, people didn't bathe every day, so it was reasonable to wash their bodies in order to restore sunshine. In modern times, bathing on the eve of New Year and important ceremonies has become a custom.

The grapefruit in the winter peak season has a strong aroma, and the origin of which is that it does not attract evil spirits. This is the same as soaking calamus in the Dragon Boat Festival.

In addition, it takes several years for grapefruit to grow and mature, which also contains a good wish to finally harvest the fruit through hard work. Of course, taking a bath with grapefruit can not only promote blood circulation, relieve cold symptoms, but also warm the body to prevent colds. Citric acid and vitamin C contained in the peel also have skin beautifying effects. Because of its fragrance and relaxing effect, grapefruit can effectively help everyone spend the winter healthily.