The second folk custom-sharing pork? Hebadao decoction

In my memory, I still clearly remember the eight knives soup in my hometown.

I remember when I was a child, every Hakka family in eastern Guangdong had a kind of land for raising livestock. More than a week before the Spring Festival, that is, from the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month, some families will kill hundreds of kilograms of pigs they raise. First, at the end of the year, pork can be sold well and at a good price. Second, pork will be cooked at home during the Spring Festival. Third, pork will be distributed in the village once or twice a year.

Because all the pigs raised at home eat rice bran leaves (not feed), the texture of pigs is particularly good. Braised pork, braised pork and bacon are particularly fragrant. Of course, the most important thing is to make tofu stuffing. As the most famous home-cooked dish of Hakka people, making tofu is a necessary dish on holidays or when guests come. Almost every household in Hakka can make tofu. There is also the Chinese New Year, where villagers divide pork and eat eight knives of soup.

On the day of killing pigs, parents got up early in the morning and cooked two cauldrons of boiling water first. They used to use that cauldron to burn firewood. Butchers usually arrive after four in the morning. There were not many butchers in the past, so you should make an appointment in advance. Coupled with several strong men nearby, it takes five or six people to raise a pig weighing more than 300 kilograms. I seldom see the process halfway, because my mother won't let us watch it, saying that I am afraid that pigs will run around and beat our children if they are not tied properly.

But the general steps are still known, from killing pigs (leaving pig blood, which is a delicious food) to scalding pigs with boiling water, shaving pig hair, cleaning and cutting different parts of pigs, the whole process takes more than two hours, so it is dawn to kill a whole pig and clean up the place, which is why it has to start at four o'clock, because it is too late and many people are watching, which will affect the process of killing pigs. Of course, some people kill pigs in broad daylight. The scene is much better than watching a big drama and watching the villagers killing pigs around. In this case, a pig killed everyone in the village. Some people want lean meat, some want pork belly, some want ribs, some want keel, some want pig's trotters, some want pig's tail, some want pig's viscera, some want pig's brain, some want to mix and match ... In short, a pig gets all the money. Some people only record the location and weight of the pig and return it in full when it is his turn to kill the pig next year. Some helpers will get some pork for free, which may not be the best piece, but it is also grateful and happy.

After killing pigs, it's time to cook eight knives of soup. The so-called eight-knife soup refers to eight parts of pigs, including pig blood, pig liver, lean meat, vermicelli, ribs, pork belly, keel and pig brain. These clean and fresh pigs were thrown into the pot. When the water boils again, sprinkle a handful of salt and chopped green onion and the soup will be cooked. I clearly remember that when it was our turn to kill pigs, my mother cooked a big pot of soup at eight o'clock every time. My mother scooped up every bowl of pig soup evenly and asked us two brothers to deliver it door to door. Because it was eight o'clock in the morning, it was just breakfast time, and the neighbors would be very happy with one more dish. At that time, a bowl of pork soup was really delicious.

I sent eight knives of soup to my neighbor, and it was my turn to eat. The eight knives soup made by our own pig is really delicious. Every bite of soup and every piece of meat is delicious. Until now, I still have an endless aftertaste.

Similarly, in the twelfth lunar month next year, we will also eat eight knives soup sent by our neighbors, and the ingredients taste similar. This custom has been circulating in our village for decades.

At that time, the material was so scarce, but the villagers tried their best to enjoy the delicious food on earth through this way of sharing, and it was really commendable to let everyone get more material with a simple distribution model.