Hui people scattered in rural areas, mountainous areas and pastoral areas are mostly influenced by their place of residence. For example, the Hui people in the southern mountainous area of Ningxia mainly eat potatoes, buckwheat, naked oats, broomcorn millet and peas, while the Hui people in Altai area of Xinjiang eat horse meat and milk food, and rice flour food takes a secondary position. This is obviously influenced by Kazakh dietary customs. The Hui people living in Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and Tibet, like Tibetans, can't eat highland barley, peas and three meals without Baba. The most distinctive feature of Hui nationality's diet in rural areas of northwest China is folk banquet. "Nine bowls and three rows" is the authentic banquet of the Hui nationality. Generally, this kind of banquet is used to entertain many guests and relatives in wedding and funeral ceremonies.
Generally speaking, the daily food of the Hui nationality has the following distinctive features:
First, pasta is more than rice in the staple food. Pasta is the traditional staple food of the Hui people. Its variety, novelty, fragrant taste and exquisite technology are unparalleled, which shows the wisdom of the Hui people. According to statistics, in the Hui people's diet, more than 60% varieties of pasta, while in other varieties, flour is more or less used. Lamian Noodles, Zanzi, Hele, Long Noodles, Mashi, Wonton, Camellia Oleifera, Wonton, etc., after being made by Hui people, will all become delicious food for guests, and even foreigners will eat it as soon as possible, so they will not miss it.
Second, sweets occupy a certain position. This is related to the fact that Arab Muslims like to eat sweets. After giving birth to a baby, Arab Muslim women put honey juice or dates into the baby's mouth before breastfeeding; After the birth of Hui babies in Ningxia, it is also customary to speak with brown sugar. Among the famous dishes of the Hui nationality, many are beets, such as flying like honey, fried sheep's tail, sweet and sour tenderloin and so on. There are more sweets in rice noodles, such as cold cakes, cut cakes, sweet plates with eight treasures, sweet twists, sweet dumplings, glutinous cakes, glutinous rice cakes, persimmon cakes, paste trays, etc. The Hui people in Ningxia also make the traditional Muslim food oily into sweets, and add honey and brown sugar to it when preparing dough.
Third, beef and mutton dishes account for a large proportion in the dishes. Hui people especially like to eat beef and mutton, which is related to Islamic dietary thought. Islam advocates eating meat such as cattle, sheep, chickens, ducks and fish, and forbids the meat of pigs, mules and fierce birds and beasts. Herry Liu said in "Arabian Ritual" that "eating makes you nourish your temperament" and that "those who eat grain from poultry and those who eat straw from animals are good in nature and edible", and that "only camels, cows and sheep are pure in virtue, and they can be used for food". The foods advocated by Islam are all beautiful foods. The so-called "beautiful food", explained by Mr. Ma Jian, is pure, delicious and nutritious food. More specifically, it should have a good appearance, fresh smell and taste and rich nutritional value. Take sheep as an example. They are docile and clean, and their meat is delicious. At the same time, they also have nourishing and dietetic effects on the body. Mutton contains protein, fat, vitamins and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus and iron. Regular consumption of mutton can stimulate appetite, strengthen strength, dispel cold and help yang, benefit kidney and tonify deficiency.