This may be related to the customs of each place. Most people eat rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival. Zongzi is a custom that has been passed down from the past until now, so it has been developed. This custom of eating rice dumplings should also be a local custom of eating Chinese cuisine.

People eat amaranth during the Dragon Boat Festival for the following reasons:

1. First of all, the traditional custom: it is said that if you eat amaranth, you will not get prickly heat all year round (sha prickly heat, no sha, red amaranth ward off evil spirits).

2. Amaranth - dialect: Han cuisine, Hancai; it is a seasonal dish during the Dragon Boat Festival season and it is indeed delicious and full of fragrance. It’s not surprising that tradition outweighs reality.

Amaranthaceae and Amaranthus are annual herbs with thick stems, green or red, often branched, hairy or hairless when young. Amaranth has a soft and smooth body and a strong flavor. It is sweet and fragrant in the mouth and has the effect of moistening the stomach and clearing away heat.

Extended information:

The leaves, seeds and roots of amaranth can be used medicinally. It is cool in nature and sweet in taste. It enters the large and small intestine meridians and can clear away heat and detoxify, diuresis and dehumidification, and facilitate defecation. . According to the "Dictionary of Chinese Medicine", amaranth "clears away heat and stimulates the orifices, and can treat red and white dysentery and constipation."

Amaranth seeds, also known as amaranth, are sweet and cold in nature, can clear the liver and improve eyesight, and facilitate bowel movements. Amaranth contains up to 20% of protein, contains no cholesterol, and is easy to digest. Therefore, it has recently been used for breakfast or made into children's food abroad, and is called nutritious food.

In addition, amaranth is considered a treasure among vegetables. Folks regard amaranth as a good blood-tonifying vegetable. It is known as "longevity vegetable" and "blood-tonifying vegetable". A variety of nutrients in amaranth are found in vegetables. Among the best, its protein lysine content reaches 2.8; its calcium and iron content are extremely high, more than double the content of jackfruit, and there are no substances such as oxalic acid that interfere with mineral absorption.

An old custom in Huai'an: Eating Chinese food on the first day of May will not harm your eyes

(Eating Chinese food will not harm your eyes? There is no scientific basis)

According to legend, Chu and Han During the war, Liu Bang and Xiang Yu competed in the Central Plains. Liu Bang was once besieged by Xiang Yu's hundreds of thousands of troops in Xing, Henan. It was a scorching summer, and Liu Jun was short of food and water. The hungry sergeants even spared dead cats and rats. Countless people suffered from dysentery, and many fell ill, completely losing their combat effectiveness.

There was nothing to be done in the army, and Liu Bang was anxious. Seeing this, an old cook immediately picked up a large basket of Chinese vegetables and cooked a large pot of soup for the dozen or so soldiers guarding Liu Bang to eat. Not only were their dysentery cured, but they were all in high spirits and supported Liu Bang to fight their way out of the encirclement. And go. Later, Liu Bang said with deep emotion to Han cuisine: "Red amaranth is the dish that has made our Han family popular in the world!" Since then, people have called red amaranth "Han cuisine".

In some areas, Chinese cuisine is called "longevity cuisine". Because Chinese food is rich in calcium that is easily absorbed by the body, it can promote the growth of teeth and bones, maintain normal myocardial activity, and prevent muscle spasms (cramps).

It is rich in iron, calcium and vitamin K, which can promote blood coagulation, increase hemoglobin content and oxygen-carrying capacity, and promote hematopoiesis. Chinese cuisine is also the protagonist on the weight loss table. Regular consumption can help lose weight, promote detoxification, and prevent constipation. What needs special reminder is that the cooking time of Chinese food should not be too long, and those with weak spleen and stomach should also eat less.

Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia-Chinese Cuisine