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

In a few days, it will be the winter solstice solar term in China. While people all over the world 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 introduced from China in the Tang Dynasty under the influence of China. Then let Lao Huang Li tell you how the Japanese spend the solstice winter and what they eat in the solstice winter.

In Japan, when winter solstice is mentioned, people think of pumpkin bath and grapefruit bath. On the solstice of winter, the Japanese usually eat pumpkins to pray for good luck and take a grapefruit bath to keep fit and eliminate disasters. This is the tradition of winter solstice.

There is a folk saying in Japan that eating something ending in "ん" on the solstice in winter can 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

So why do you specialize in eating pumpkins? It turns out that although pumpkin is now "kabocha" in Japanese, it used to be called "nankin", which contains the word "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 was summer, but it can be preserved for a long time and can absorb its nutrition in winter. This is the wisdom of the ancients.

Winter solstice porridge

In addition to auspicious food like pumpkin, the traditional winter solstice diet also includes winter solstice 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 cuisine

In some places, red beans and pumpkins are cooked into mountain vegetables and eaten 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, konjac is eaten from winter to sun, which is called "sand removal". 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", and they would eat it 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 winter solstice = "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 calling for good luck. In ancient times, people didn't bathe every day, so it was reasonable to bathe in the sun. In modern times, bathing on New Year's Eve and important ceremonies has become a custom.

The grapefruit in the winter peak season is rich in aroma, and the origin of rich aroma has the view of not attracting evil spirits. This is the same as soaking calamus in Dragon Boat Festival.

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