Wedding banquets in Weishan Lake District have strong lake district characteristics and distinctive regional colors. The author grew up in the lake district and has a good understanding of the wedding banquet customs in the lake area. This article only makes a brief analysis of the wedding banquet customs in the lake district. For readers.
1. From the selection of ingredients, the lake products have distinctive characteristics
Weishan Lake has a vast water area, a mild climate, and rich aquatic product resources. There are nearly 80 species of fish alone. There are 53 species of habitats, 35 species of livestock and poultry, more than 70 species and 200 categories of aquatic plants, and more than 10,000 tons of resources. The rich lake products provide unique raw material resources for wedding banquets in the lake area.
The ingredients for wedding banquet dishes in Weishan Lake District are basically lake products. Fish, livestock and poultry, and aquatic plants are the main ingredients of dishes. In the selection of fish materials, carp, snakehead, crucian carp, mandarin fish, soft-shell turtle, catfish, octopus, etc. are mostly used.
The four-nostril carp is a specialty of Weishan Lake. It became famous in the Qing Dynasty because it was praised by Emperor Qianlong. Therefore, the four-nostril carp is the preferred ingredient in wedding banquets in the lake area and is also used in wedding banquets. a special dish. Steamed carp, braised carp, sweet and sour carp, and lotus-flavored carp have become popular dishes among diners.
Snakehead is a fish with relatively high yield in Weishan Lake. It has strong adaptability and large reproductive capacity. It is a famous "filial piety" fish and is very popular among people in the lake area. Snakehead has a plump body and delicate meat. It can be made into many dishes. It can be used as the main ingredient, as an auxiliary ingredient, and can also be used to make antler. It is a fish raw material that many chefs like to use. There is a saying in the lake area that "it would be better to lose your father and mother than lose your mullet intestines".
Soft-shell turtle and mandarin fish are valuable aquatic products of Weishan Lake. Turtle soup made with soft-shelled turtle is a nourishing and delicious food, suitable for all ages; the "Farewell My Concubine" made with it and farm chicken is not only extremely delicious, but also has a unique meaning; stir-fried soft-shelled turtle is a dish invented by chefs in the Lake District in practice Dishes, these three dishes are specialties of the Lake District and are also famous dishes at wedding banquets in the Lake District.
Mandarin fish is relatively delicate and is relatively rare in fish production. Its meat is tender and nutritious. Its value is about the same as soft-shell turtle. It is an indispensable famous dish in wedding banquets. Du Fu, a great poet of the Tang Dynasty, once said in a poem: "I feel ashamed that I don't have a mandarin fish, and I have no time to unload my saddle." This fully illustrates people’s love for mandarin fish.
Cross carp (grass) carp is the most prolific fish species in the lake area, and its reproductive ability is very strong. Braised crucian carp, milk soup crucian carp, lotus-flavored crucian carp, etc. made with it are all popular in the lake area. One of the dishes in the wedding banquet, especially the fish steaks and tube fish made with it, is a very popular special dish.
In the selection of livestock and poultry raw materials, farm chickens, shelducks, and wild ducks are mostly used. Shelduck is one of the four famous ducks in the country. It is a high-quality livestock and poultry cultivated for a long time in Weishan Lake District, with an annual output of tens of millions. Because shelducks have been kept in the lake for many years and mainly eat fresh fish, shrimps, shellfish and snails, as well as crispy lotus and tender water chestnuts, they are large and tender, and taste delicious. Crispy duck and lotus-flavored young duck made with it have been sold well at home and abroad. Therefore, it is also an essential dish at Lake District wedding banquets. Roast Shelduck, Shelduck in Snow, and Shelduck with Stewed Lotus Root have also become famous dishes at wedding banquets.
Duck eggs produced by shelducks have an egg white as crystal clear as jade, a yolk as red as red, oily but not greasy, and a pleasant fragrance. Dragon vat preserved eggs processed from shelduck eggs are a famous brand product of Weishan Lake. They are exported to more than 20 countries and regions around the world and are also very popular in the domestic market. Therefore, the preserved eggs in the dragon vat are naturally an indispensable dish in wedding banquets in the Lake District.
The wild ducks of Weishan Lake have become famous all over the world in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, especially the roasted wild ducks on Nanyang Island. They are a popular delicacy among merchants and diners along the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal, and many guests come from south to north. I bought Nanyang roasted wild duck as a gift to my relatives and friends, and many dignitaries were also happy to get this delicacy. Wild duck from Weishan Lake has tender meat, high protein, low fat, unique taste and attractive fragrance, so it is also a famous dish at wedding banquets.
In the selection of aquatic plant materials, lotus seeds and lotus roots are used more often, while rhombus rice and gordon rice (chicken head rice) are used less. Lotus seeds are a good nourishing food. Lotus seed soup and lotus seed soup made with them have become high-end dishes and have been included in state banquets. At the same time, they have been absorbed by major cuisines across the country.
The lotus root in Weishan Lake is purely natural and wild. It is an authentic green food. It can be used as a cold dish or a hot dish. There are more than a dozen kinds of dishes. Cold lotus root slices, pickled lotus root melon, and fried lotus root boxes are all commonly used in wedding banquets. The dishes are also specialties of the Lake District.
2. Judging from the overall dishes of the banquet, the auspicious color is strong
Before the 1980s, about one-third of the people in Weishan Lake District were engaged in fishery production on the lake. About one-half of the people are engaged in production activities related to lake products. Due to the influence of traditional thoughts and the particularity of production on the lake, people have a strong desire to worship gods, pray for peace, and yearn for a better life. The custom of worshiping the Water Dragon King and desiring good luck in life has become an important part of the lives of the people in the lake area. These prayers and wishes are fully reflected in the wedding feast. Due to the development of society and the improvement of people's living standards, wedding banquets in the Lake District have evolved and developed greatly. Before the 1980s, wedding banquet dishes mainly consisted of ten bowls, and later gradually developed to three and four bowls. No matter how the banquet format and dishes evolve, the wedding banquet customs remain basically unchanged.
The first is to pray for good luck on the big day. Whether it is the top ten bowls in the past or the three or four dishes now, the first dish in the banquet must be chicken, and the second dish must be fish, which is intended to be auspicious. It should be pointed out in particular that chicken and fish must be fresh. Among the top ten bowls, chicken is made into "jiangmi chicken" or bowl-shaped chicken. Among the three and four major items, the chicken must be a whole chicken. Sometimes the shape of the chicken is vivid. As the first dish in the wedding banquet, it creates a festive atmosphere for the entire banquet after it is served. The fish must be a large carp with four nostrils unique to Weishan Lake, which means not only having more than enough every year in the future life, but also meaning being stable and free from hardship and setbacks.
The second is to wish the bride and groom a happy reunion and a sweet life. Among the ten bowls and three (four) large dishes, there are two dishes with this meaning, one is fish balls, which means that the newlyweds will be reunited and never separated for a lifetime. Another dish is beets. The beets in the ten bowls are sometimes eight-treasure vegetables and sometimes lotus seed soup. Among the three (four) large items, most of them are sweet and sour carp, which means that the newlyweds will have a sweet life. In contemporary wedding banquets, some beets are made into carps jumping through the dragon's gate. The shape is very vivid, which means that the bride jumps into the groom's dragon's gate and becomes rich from then on.
The third is to wish the bride and groom a happy child. There is one dish that is indispensable in new and old wedding banquets, which is lotus seed soup. Adding red dates and peanuts to lotus seed soup means giving birth to a child early.
The fourth is to wish the bride and groom a long life. Among the three (four) big items now, one is turtle soup (also called longevity soup), which means that the newlyweds will live a hundred years and grow old together.
Fifth, taboo dishes cannot be served. Shrimp is not allowed in old and new wedding banquets in the Lake District. The homophony of shrimp is not pleasant, so shrimp dishes are prohibited at wedding banquets. Furthermore, lettuce mixed with steamed buns is also prohibited as a wedding banquet dish. Similarly, the homophonic pronunciation of "sand buns" is not good, and it is feared that the bride and groom will break up after the wedding.
3. Pay attention to the order of serving dishes, and the characteristics of Confucian culture are obvious
Weishan Lake District is close to Qufu and Zoucheng. It is deeply influenced by the thoughts of Confucius and Mencius, and its distinctive characteristics are reflected in the wedding banquets in the Lake District. Confucius and Mencius culture. Whether it is the top ten bowls in the past or the three (four) big ones now, the order and etiquette of serving dishes are very particular.
Let’s talk about etiquette first. At a wedding banquet in the Lake District, after the first big bowl or the first big item is served, the oldest and senior member of the host family, accompanied by the service staff, must go to the banquet to "warm the dishes" (carry them with both hands). Only then can the banquet begin and the guests can use their chopsticks to eat. This is the host's respect for the guests and a unique etiquette for wedding banquets in the Lake District. This kind of etiquette clearly bears the imprint of Confucian culture that puts etiquette first and etiquette first.
Let’s talk about the order of serving. In the ten-bowl banquet, four fruit plates are served before the first bowl is served, followed by four cold dishes. Among the ten large bowls, after the fourth large bowl and the eighth large bowl are served, two lunch dishes (i.e. two fruit plates) are served in the middle. The four fruits and two lunch courses are obviously based on the practices of the Confucian banquet. The order of the top ten bowls is also very particular. One chicken, two fish and three meatballs must be followed in all wedding banquets. Among the three (four) large items, chicken and fish must be the first two large items, and chicken must be the first large item.
The small dishes that follow the big dish are also particular. If the big dish is beet, then the four (or two) small dishes that follow must be sweet. The four (two) small dishes were either all stir-fries or all Wang dishes. Three (four) large banquets also include side dishes. The main dish on the table is the buckle bowl, which has either four (meaning everything goes well), six (meaning six or six, everything goes smoothly), or eight (meaning everything goes well), all of which have obvious holes. The color of the wedding banquet.
Looking at the banquet tableware, the characteristics of Confucian culture are also obvious. The top ten bowls are all blue and white porcelain, the fruit plates are mostly 4-inch blue and white porcelain plates, and the cold dish plates are mostly 6-inch blue and white porcelain plates. The tableware among the three (four) large items are basically blue and white porcelain. These blue and white porcelain tableware are simple and elegant, and have a strong Confucian cultural taste. Many of the tableware are basically the same as the tableware for the Confucian family banquet.
The above is the author's superficial discussion on the wedding banquet customs in Weishan Lake District. Please give me your advice on any inappropriateness and we will conduct research together.