As for what to eat on the winter solstice, customs vary from place to place.
First, eat tofu. In some areas in the north, the Winter Solstice Festival is called "Tofu Festival". On this festival, every family eats shallots mixed with tofu.
Second, eat red bean rice. In Jiangnan water town, on the night of the winter solstice, the whole family will get together to eat red beans and glutinous rice. Why is there this festival food custom? This stems from a fairy tale. The son of Gong Shi, an ancient god, relied on his father's fame to do evil everywhere. He died of illness on the winter solstice, but it turned into a plague and still harmed the people. The plague is most afraid of red beans, so people eat red bean rice at home on the night of the winter solstice to ward off the plague, get rid of diseases and prevent plague.
Third, eat jiaozi. The traditional food custom of eating jiaozi on the winter solstice is popular in northwest China. This food custom is mainly to commemorate the famous doctor Zhang Zhongjing. It is said that one winter, it was extremely cold, the people were hungry and cold, and their ears were frozen. Zhang Zhongjing led his disciples to set up a cauldron, boiled mutton and drugs for dispelling cold, then fished out and chopped it up, cooked it with ear-shaped "jiao 'er" with flour bags, and distributed it to the people free of charge, which not only cured frostbite, but also relieved hunger. People remember Zhang Zhongjing's kindness and made jiaozi in the shape of "Jiao Er" as the staple food of the Winter Solstice Festival.
Fourth, eat dumplings. "Every family makes glutinous rice balls, knowing that it is the winter solstice of the Ming Dynasty." On the winter solstice, the traditional food custom in some areas in the south of the Yangtze River is to eat glutinous rice balls. Tangyuan is a round dessert made of glutinous rice flour, which is generally called "Yuanxiao" in the north. Eating dumplings on the winter solstice has obvious implications: "round" means "reunion" and "perfection". Because dumplings are eaten on the Winter Solstice Day, Jiangnan also calls them "Winter Solstice Group". Fujian and other places eat "winter solstice pills" similar to glutinous rice balls on the winter solstice. "Winter Solstice Pills", also known as "rice balls", are usually filled with meat, vegetables, sugar, fruits and beans, which means "reunion and good luck".