I believe many people know the traditional custom of eating noodles during the summer solstice, but in fact, different regions have different customs about what kind of noodles to eat. There is no strict rule on this. Let’s take a look. Why do we eat noodles on the summer solstice?

What kind of noodles are best to eat during the Summer Solstice

Summer Solstice noodles are also called "Ryufu noodles". They are usually the first choice food to adjust the diet in summer. They are also the favorite food in ancient southern and northern China during the Summer Solstice. Same choice. On the summer solstice, noodle restaurants in Beijing are very popular. Regardless of the noodle shop’s Sichuan cold noodles, Dandan noodles, braised pork noodles, fried noodles, etc., all kinds of noodles are very popular. It’s just that the cooking, taste, and types of noodles are different in each region. In the north, braised noodles and fried noodles are the main ones, while in the south, there are many varieties of noodles, such as Yangchun noodles, dry soup noodles, shredded pork noodles, and three delicacies noodles. Noodles, bridge noodles, sesame oil cold noodles, etc.

The meaning of eating noodles at the Summer Solstice

On the day of the Summer Solstice, the day is the longest and the night is the shortest. The longest food is noodles, so the ancients chose to eat noodles during the summer solstice in the hope of "shortening" the day. A folk saying during the Summer Solstice: "If you eat noodles during the Summer Solstice, your day will be shortened by a thread." Therefore, noodles became the staple food of the ancients in midsummer. By the time of the Winter Solstice, the daylight hours are already the shortest, so they eat the "shortest" dumplings or wontons instead, hoping for the best during the day. It became longer, and over time, the custom of "winter solstice dumplings and summer solstice noodles" was formed.

Why eat noodles on the summer solstice

1. The meaning of trying something new

The ancient book "Explanation of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms" says: "When the Yang pole reaches the extreme, Yin energy begins to arise. When the sun reaches the north, the sun is long and the shadow is short, so it is called the summer solstice. " Zhao Zhiheng said that there is a folk saying in my country that "Winter Solstice Wonton Summer Solstice Noodles". Noodles are eaten during the Summer Solstice, generally referring to noodles. There are many varieties of noodles in the South. There are many varieties such as Yangchun noodles, dry soup, vegetable noodles, shredded pork noodles, oil residue noodles, three fresh noodles, Pianerchuan, fried noodles with shredded pork, cross-bridge noodles and sesame oil cold noodles in summer. In the north, braised noodles and fried bean paste noodles are the main dishes. Since the new wheat has appeared in the summer solstice, eating noodles in the summer solstice also means trying something new.

2. The meaning of avoiding evil

The ancestors loved to eat hot noodles in the hot summer. In addition to this hobby, it is also said to have the meaning of "avoiding evil". The ancients believed that in the fifth month of the lunar calendar It is an evil month, and there is a saying that eating hot noodles is to drive away evil spirits, that is, sweating more is used to get rid of the moisture and heat energy retained in the human body. Some people like to eat cold noodles in summer to dispel the heat. Du Fu, the great poet of the Tang Dynasty, loved to eat cold noodles with locust leaves. He also sang in the poem "Leng Tao with locust leaves": "Green and tall locust leaves are harvested and eaten." Cook. New noodles are coming to the market, and they are all juicy and juicy. People don’t want to eat more when they are overcooked. "In the Tang and Song Dynasties, among the various food preparation methods using sophora buds, this sophora leaf noodle was famous for its color. It has become a summer delicacy with good flavor, aroma and taste. It can be seen that various noodles that are quick to make and nutritious have been common people's favorite summer food since ancient times.

3. The meaning of worshiping gods

In the Qing Dynasty, worshiping gods during the Summer Solstice was very popular, and people had to eat pasta to show respect for the gods. It can be seen that on the summer solstice, whether northerners eat noodles or southerners eat wontons, it is a custom to celebrate the festival and worship gods.

4. Health-preserving meaning

Wheat is sweet in taste and cool in nature, and enters the heart, spleen, and kidney meridians; "Supplementary Materials on Materia Medica" says that "wheat noodles can replenish deficiency and strengthen the human skin and body." , thicken the intestines and stomach, and strengthen qi." "Yilin Zhuan Yao" says that it "removes troubles, stops bleeding, facilitates urination, and moistens the lungs." Some people also like to eat hot noodles in the scorching summer and sweat more to get rid of the moisture and heat trapped in the body. In addition, symptoms such as nasal congestion, chills, headaches, and weight loss often occur after catching cold in summer. Boil a bowl of hot noodles, add some green onion and pepper, and taste it while it is hot, which has a certain auxiliary therapeutic effect.

The origin of eating noodles during the summer solstice

According to literature, during the Three Kingdoms period, our country already had the custom of eating noodles during the summer solstice. (Wei's Spring and Autumn Annals) said that He Yan, who was known as "Fu Fenhe Lang" during the Three Kingdoms period, "did not take a towel to wipe his sweat with soup cakes during the solstice eclipse, and his face was bright and clear." Only then did people know that He Yan's jade-white complexion was not caused by powder .

The so-called "soup cakes" in this historical fact are today's hot soup noodle slices, which is what today's Beijing calls "Qiao Pian'er". People in Shandong, Hebei, and Henan not only eat the noodles by thinning them into pieces and making soup noodles, but also cut them into prismatic slices the size of your fingertips with a knife and cook them in mung bean soup. It is called "face chess piece" or "mung bean chess piece".

The soup cakes at that time were the forerunners of later noodles and soup noodles. Eating noodles during the summer solstice is a way to enjoy the kick of nature, which is also related to the seasonal weather at that time. People in the Yellow River City in my country have a proverb: "It takes three days to see wheat flowers after pawns are planted." Around the summer solstice is the season when new wheat is in season, and people first have a material basis for eating noodles. And lifting noodles is relatively simple and easy. It’s convenient to make and easy to eat.

In ancient times, people usually held sacrificial ceremonies during the summer solstice to pray to heaven for protection against disasters and good harvests. "Zhou Li Chun Guan" records: "With the summer solstice, local things will be affected by mandrills." The summer solstice in the Zhou Dynasty offered sacrifices to gods, which meant to eliminate diseases, famine and starvation deaths. At this time, new wheat comes out among the people, and people worship gods with pasta. The custom of eating pasta during the summer solstice has been passed down to this day.