What traditional food do you eat during the winter solstice solar term?

Traditional northern cuisine from winter to day

mutton

Traditional Chinese medicine pays attention to "four seasons and five supplements", among which "nourishing" in winter has become the most popular tonic method at present. From the beginning of the winter solstice, people began to "count nine" on this day. As the saying goes, "Three winters make up one winter, and there will be no disease in the coming year". In northern China, there is a custom of eating mutton from winter solstice, because the weather enters the coldest period from winter to the future, and eating a pot of stewed mutton at this time has the dual effects of keeping out the cold and nourishing.

Mutton is sweet but not greasy, warm but not dry, and has always been considered as a good product for nourishing yang. Proper diet in winter is the best recipe for tonic. For ordinary people, eating mutton is naturally listed as one of the main ways to supplement the cold in winter.

Chinese dumpling

In northern China, there is a custom of eating jiaozi on the solstice in winter. The choice of stuffing in jiaozi from winter solstice is directly related to its meaning. The most common leek stuffing indicates the meaning of "long wealth". The most common Chinese cabbage stuffing means "Baibao". Jiaozi with mushroom meat stuffing means "drum wealth"; Sauerkraut stuffing means "counting money"; Celery stuffing stands for "diligent food" and has auspicious meaning.

The origin of eating jiaozi in winter solstice is said to be that Zhang Zhongjing, a famous doctor in ancient Henan Province, set up a medical shed in the open space of Dongguan, Nanyang, because he missed the cold ears of the villagers in winter solstice, and gave the poor people a "cold-dispelling and charming ear soup" ("charming ears" is now jiaozi), which made people feel warm after eating it. In memory of him, the custom of eating jiaozi on the solstice in winter has been circulated among the people until today.

dog meat

It is said that the custom of eating dog meat on the solstice began in the Han Dynasty. According to legend, Liu Bang, Emperor Gaozu of Han Dynasty, ate dog meat cooked by Fan Kuai on the solstice in winter, which was particularly delicious and full of praise. Since then, the custom of eating dog meat from winter solstice has been formed among the people. Nowadays, people eat dog meat, mutton and all kinds of nutritious food on the solstice of winter, which is a good sign for the coming year. Tofu stew with dog meat, in particular, is one of the so-called "eight stews in Northeast China".

wonton

Northerners have the custom of eating wonton on the solstice in winter. As early as the Southern Song Dynasty, people in Lin 'an ate wonton on the solstice in winter. At first, it was to worship their ancestors, and then it gradually became popular. There is a folk proverb, "Wonton from winter to sun, noodles from summer to sun". I hope to break the "chaos" and become smart when I eat wonton in winter. People often add ginger, salt, monosodium glutamate and other seasonings to the stuffing when making wonton that they eat from winter to day, so that the wonton stuffing made in this way is fragrant but not greasy and very delicious.

Traditional Southern Cuisine from Winter to Japan

Eat a ciba.

According to the tradition in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, the solstice in winter is a feast, and many people participate in it, which is very grand. In Yunnan, there is also the custom of eating Ciba from the winter solstice. And whenever ancestor worship or major festivals, or weddings and funerals, we should make Ciba. So in our hometown, Ciba is called "Big Ciba", and now jiaozi is called "Little Ciba" with a little disdain.

Take sweet pills

According to legend, there was a custom of "drinking and carrying vegetables and paying tribute to the elderly" from the winter solstice in the Han Dynasty. Sweet pills have been popular since the Song and Yuan Dynasties. Sweet pills are not only sweet soup made of glutinous rice flour and water pills, but also the most representative food from winter to Sunday. Before the winter solstice, farmers' housewives made glutinous rice flour (now mostly rolled mechanically), and some exchanged needed items as gifts for relatives and friends.

Eat zongzi; eat rice dumplings; eat glutinous rice balls

Eating glutinous rice balls was established in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. On the solstice of winter, it is necessary to "make dumplings" or "make dumplings". These are also officially recorded in historical materials. The history says that "on the winter solstice, powdered glutinous rice is a pill, which is called' glutinous rice balls'". After jiaozi is wrapped up, it is necessary to offer sacrifices to the gods and ancestors, and then the whole family will eat around. This is called "adding years". Therefore, it is very old to eat glutinous rice balls on the solstice in winter.

Introduction of solar terms in winter solstice

The winter solstice is the shortest and the night is the longest. After the winter solstice, the sun slowly moved to the Tropic of Cancer, and Taiwan Province Province also approached spring from winter. The days in the northern hemisphere gradually became longer and the nights became shorter. Therefore, in ancient times, there was a saying that "winter solstice is sunset", which means that the spirit of the sun gradually picks up from winter solstice. After the winter solstice, the climate everywhere has entered the coldest stage, which is often called "entering the ninth". In China, there is a folk saying that "it's cold in March, and it's dog days".

The winter solstice is a very important solar term, and it is also a traditional festival in China's lunar calendar. Up to now, there are still many places where the winter solstice festival is held. The winter solstice is commonly known as "Winter Festival", "Dragon Solstice Festival" and "Asian New Year Festival". As early as 2500 years ago, during the Spring and Autumn Period, China had determined the winter solstice by observing the sun through the soil return, which was the earliest of the 24 solar terms. The time is between February 22nd and 23rd of Gregorian calendar 12.

People predict the future weather by the weather quality and arrival order from winter solstice. As the saying goes: "the solstice in winter is at the beginning of the month, and it should be cold at the end of the year;" The winter solstice is at the end of the month, and the first month should be cold; The winter solstice is in the middle of the month, without snow or frost "(this is based on the arrival of the winter solstice, and it is speculated that the cold current will reach Taiwan Province Province sooner or later).

As the saying goes: "the winter solstice is dark, and the new year's goods are rare; The winter solstice is sparse, and the New Year is dark "(meaning: if there is no sun on the winter solstice, the New Year will be sunny, on the contrary, if the winter solstice is sunny, the New Year will rain).

Now, some places still celebrate the winter solstice as a festival. The northern region has the custom of slaughtering sheep and eating jiaozi and wonton from winter solstice, while the southern region has the custom of eating glutinous rice balls and long noodles from winter solstice on this day.