What food to eat in the north of Xiaoxue What is the meaning of Xiaoxue festival season

Little Snow is the 20th of the 24 solar terms in the lunar calendar, usually occurring on November 22 or 23 in the Gregorian calendar. In the northern part of China, the season of Little Snow has entered the cold winter, and people start to wear heavy clothes to protect themselves from the cold. At the same time, it is also the harvest season in the northern region, when various customary foods start to appear on people's tables.

The first customary food is dumplings. In northern regions, dumplings are one of the traditional foods during the season of light snow. The custom of eating dumplings can be traced back to the ancient winter solstice festival. According to tradition, people eat dumplings on the winter solstice to symbolize saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new, praying for a good harvest and good luck in the coming year. People also continue to eat dumplings during the season of light snow to celebrate the upcoming Winter Solstice. Dumplings are usually filled with pork, leeks, and cabbage, and have a thin but firm outer skin with a delicious flavor. The process of eating dumplings has also become a form of family reunion, with families sitting together to make dumplings and share happiness.

The second customary food is bacon. During the season of light snow, people begin to prepare preserved meat for the New Year. Preserved meat is made by curing pork, which undergoes specific processing methods to give it a unique flavor. The curing process takes time and patience, and usually starts during the season of light snow. The cured bacon is bright red in color, firm in texture and mellow in taste. People will cut the bacon into thin slices or steam it and eat it with other ingredients. Preserved meat is a traditional delicacy on the winter table in the northern region and is also one of the important foods during the Lunar New Year.

The third customary food is pot helmet. Pot helmet is a traditional noodle dish with northern characteristics, which is named after the shape of an ancient soldier's armor. It is made with flour as the main ingredient, and its production process requires a number of procedures, including mixing, kneading, waking, rolling, baking and so on. The taste of pot helmet is unique, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and it is full of aroma. People will make pot helmets during the snowy season for consumption during the New Year or as gifts for friends and relatives.

The fourth customary food is sugar gourd. Sugar gourd is a traditional candy made from pickled fruits and vegetables and shaped like a gourd. During the season of light snow, people start picking various fruits, such as hawthorn, grapes, strawberries, etc., and then string them on bamboo skewers, and then go through the process of dipping them in sugar to form a layer of translucent sugar coating on their surfaces. Sugar gourds are sweet and sour on the outside, rich in nutrients, and are one of the favorite snacks during the winter season. Meanwhile, sugar gourd is also one of the traditional candies during the Lunar New Year, symbolizing sweetness and good luck.

The customary foods in the northern region are rich and varied during the season of light snow, and each of them has a deep cultural heritage and a specific meaning. These foods not only satisfy people's appetites, but also connect people with each other's emotions and memories. Whether it's making dumplings, curing preserved meat, making pots and pans, or tasting sugar gourds, these traditional foods have become people's ****same memories and cultural inheritance during the Snowy season. Let us savor the rich northern flavor in this cold season and feel the warmth and happiness brought by the customary food.