What are the traditional foods to eat during the Laba Festival 1

It is said that the "Laba Festival" originated from the "Laba Festival" in ancient times. It is said that every year on the Laba Festival, the ancients would hold sacrifices to ancestors and gods. Activity. According to legend in the religious circles, the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month is also the day when the Buddha Sakyamuni attained enlightenment and became a Buddha. It was originally called the "Enlightenment Day". Since the Zhou Dynasty, the twelfth lunar month has been designated as the twelfth lunar month. In the Southern and Northern Dynasties, major sacrificial activities were held in this month to pray for a good harvest, good luck and peace. It is said that there are eight kinds of gods in the "December Festival", so the eighth day of the lunar month was determined as a fixed festival day, which later became a custom.

The old Beijing in my memory already has the atmosphere of the New Year in the twelfth lunar month. During the Laba Festival, market shops begin to collect toys, snacks and other new year goods, and the number of products gradually increases. Women in many families start making small ground tofu, steamed buns and other foods in advance, and also take time to grind some bean noodles, yellow noodles, etc. to prepare fried balls and steamed cakes before the Spring Festival. I remember that after dinner on the sixth day of the twelfth lunar month, my mother would always sort out the rice, millet, glutinous rice, corn, sorghum, red beans, and kidney beans, then peel the walnuts and almonds, and wash the peanuts and red dates for later use. , start to cook porridge in the evening of the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month.

My mother is very experienced in cooking. She puts the beans that are not easy to cook into the pot first. When the beans are soft and the soup turns red, add the stick grits, rice, and nuts to the pot and stir continuously. After about an hour, the thick aroma overflowed from the edge of the lid, making people salivate. When the porridge is cooked until it is sticky and thick, you can take it out of the pot and put it into an earthen basin for later use. In addition, my mother also steamed two drawers of white flour, jujube and gold cake strips. Put green and red silk and melon kernels on top, and use aniseed petals to dot lotus-shaped red dots, symbolizing good luck. In the evening, grandma and sister will peel the garlic and then soak it in a jar filled with vinegar to make Laba garlic.

At noon on the eighth day of the lunar month, my mother warmed the "Laba porridge" and "auspicious cakes" with brown sugar and white sugar, and served them on the kang table. The whole family spent their time happily in the room as warm as spring. "Laba", let's enjoy the warmth and peace of the traditional festival together. After finishing the porridge, they go out in a can and deliver the specially prepared "Laba porridge" and steamed cakes to the homes of relatives and friends. The adults also prepare tea, sweets and candies to receive relatives and friends who come to their homes. That kind of harmonious atmosphere was full of deep friendship, and I still feel warm when I think about it.

For old Beijingers, as soon as the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month arrives, the New Year atmosphere becomes more intense day by day. In most parts of North China, there is a custom of soaking garlic in vinegar on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, which is called "Laba Garlic".

To soak Laba garlic, you need to use purple-skinned garlic and rice vinegar. Peel off the old skin of the garlic cloves, soak them in rice vinegar, put them in a small jar and seal them tightly. Unseal them on New Year's Eve. The garlic cloves will be bright green, and the garlic will be fragrant with spicy acetic acid. Together, it is tangy and is the best condiment for eating dumplings. It can also be used in cold dishes and has a unique taste.

Why do you need to use purple garlic when soaking Laba garlic? The small purple-skinned garlic cloves are soaked thoroughly, the garlic cloves are hard and solid, and the garlic is crispy and fragrant. In recent years, purple-skinned garlic has become rare on the market. Use ordinary garlic and soak it. Although the cloves are large, they are not crispy and turn purple. Why do we need to use rice vinegar to soak Laba garlic? The color of rice vinegar is light, and the color of soaked garlic remains as before, orange and emerald green, the taste is moderately sour and spicy, and the aroma is strong and slightly sweet. The old vinegar-smoked garlic will turn black after soaking in vinegar, the garlic cloves are not green enough, and the taste is poor. Especially the smoked vinegar has a slightly pasty taste. Maybe this is its characteristic. In fact, it is just a habit. It is not as delicious as you love to eat. Well!

In the past, people used to say that the color of the garlic soaked in Laba was not green because of Laba. That's not the case at all. The reaction of soaking garlic in vinegar is that the green garlic cloves are spicy and sour; vinegar is sour and spicy. Nowadays, if you go to an old Beijing-style restaurant to eat noodles with soybean paste, you will be served a small plate of green Laba garlic all year round. What traditional foods are eaten during the Laba Festival 2

What are the benefits of drinking porridge in winter? Traditional Chinese medicine believes that porridge has many functions such as harmonizing the stomach, tonifying the spleen, nourishing the heart, nourishing the kidneys, clearing the lungs, benefiting the liver, quenching thirst, improving eyesight, laxative and calming the nerves. It takes into account almost all the internal organs of the human body. From a nutritional point of view, the first item in the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents" is "mainly cereals, a variety of foods, and a combination of thicknesses", and porridge has been reflected in these three aspects to a certain extent.

First of all, cereals are the main ingredient. Most porridges are mainly rice, noodles, and miscellaneous grains, which reflects the basic principle of "cereals as the main ingredient." Secondly, the food is diverse, and porridge is very tolerant. If you want to eat meat, chicken, duck, and fish can be added to the porridge; if you want to eat something light, you can make porridge with vegetables, fruits, flowers, etc.; if you want to eat something "precious", add some Abalone, sea cucumber, bird's nest; if you want to eat "low-key", sweet potatoes and millet can also be combined.

As for the combination of thickness, the main raw material of porridge is cereals, among which coarse grains, miscellaneous grains and whole grain foods, such as millet, sorghum, corn, buckwheat, oats, barley, red beans, mung beans, kidney beans, etc., are all It can be put together and cooked into "one pot of porridge".

In traditional Laba porridge, glutinous rice and red dates are indispensable ingredients. Glutinous rice and red dates have the same effect. Both are warm foods that can replenish the body's righteousness. Especially after eating glutinous rice, the whole body will heat up, which plays a role in keeping out the cold and nourishing.

The main function of glutinous rice is to warm and nourish the spleen and stomach, while the main function of red dates is to replenish qi, nourish blood and calm the nerves. Both of them are very suitable for people with low spleen and stomach function. For example, people who feel weak in the spleen and stomach, bloating, tiredness, and fatigue in winter can use glutinous rice mixed with red dates, lotus seeds, yam, and other beans to make porridge and eat it to relieve physical discomfort.

What traditional foods to eat during the Laba Festival 3

Introduction to the Laba Festival

The original meaning of the Laba Festival is to offer sacrifices to ancestors and gods, to pray for a good harvest, good fortune, to ward off evil spirits and to drive away epidemics. In China, there is a custom of drinking Laba porridge during the Laba Festival. According to legend in the Han Dynasty, this day is the day when Sakyamuni became enlightened under the Buddha Yabodhi and founded Buddhism. It is also called the "Dharma Treasure Festival" and is one of the grand festivals of Buddhists. The Taoist "Secret Words of the Eight Paths" also mentions that this day is the "Wanghou La" among the five lath days, and it is necessary to practice fasting and sacrifice to ancestors.

In ancient China, "La" was an important sacrificial activity. "Book of Rites" says, "The twelfth lunar month is the day to say goodbye to the old and welcome the new, and grand celebrations are held to repay the ancestors for the harvest of the year; Because the twelfth month of the lunar calendar is held in the twelfth month (the ugly month), the twelfth month of the lunar calendar, which is at the end of winter and the beginning of spring, is called the "twelfth lunar month".

After Buddhism was introduced to China in the 1st century AD, Chinese Buddhism positioned it to commemorate the day when Sakyamuni became enlightened. On this day, all temples would chant sutras and cook porridge to worship the Buddha, which is Laba porridge. In the Qing Dynasty, the Laba Ceremony in the Lama Temple was extremely grand. In the Lama Temple, there is a large bronze pot with a diameter of 2 meters and a depth of 1.5 meters, which weighs about 4 tons and is specially used for cooking Laba porridge. At the beginning of the twelfth lunar month, the Imperial Palace's Ministry of Internal Affairs sent officials to transport porridge and dry firewood to the Lama Temple.

There are many kinds of porridge, including fine butter, diced mutton, whole grains, and various dried fruits. It will be ready by the night of the fifth day of the Lunar New Year. On the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, the emperor will send his ministers together with the minister in charge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and lead officials of third grade or above. The civil servants went to the temple to supervise the weighing of grain and the transportation of firewood.

In the early morning of the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, the porridge supervisor sent by the emperor ordered a fire to be lit and kept watch until the early morning of the eighth day of the lunar month until all the porridge was cooked. At this time, the porridge minister sent by the emperor led the officials to serve porridge in front of the Buddha. The palace lanterns were shining, the smoke was curling, the drums were singing, and the lamas entered the hall to chant sutras. Then the porridge was presented to the palace, sealed in cans, and delivered by fast horses. Go to Chengde Palace and all over the country. The ceremony does not end until after the porridge is laid out after dawn.

According to historical records, each pot of porridge requires 12 kilograms of millet, 50 kilograms of grains and dried fruits, 5,000 kilograms of dry firewood, and 6 pots of rice. The first pot is dedicated to the Buddha, the second pot is dedicated to the emperor and the palace, the third pot is given to the princes, nobles and great lamas, the fourth pot is given to the ministers of civil and military affairs and officials in various provinces, the fifth pot is distributed to the lamas of Yonghe Palace, and the third pot is given to the Lama Lama. Six pots as alms.

What traditional foods are eaten during the Laba Festival?

1. Laba porridge

On Laba day, there is a custom of eating Laba porridge. Laba porridge is also called Qibao and five-flavor porridge. The history of eating Laba porridge in our country has been more than a thousand years.

2. Laba Garlic

On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month in northern China, the New Year atmosphere becomes more intense day by day. In most areas of northern China, there is a custom of pickling garlic with vinegar on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month. , called Laba garlic.

3. Laba noodles

Laba noodles are the seasonal food of Laba Festival. Traditional pasta is popular in the Guanzhong area of ??Shaanxi Province. In the Chengcheng area in the Weibei area of ??Shaanxi Province, porridge is generally not eaten during the Laba Festival. Every year on the morning of the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, every household has a bowl of Laba noodles.

4. Laba Vinegar

Laba Vinegar, a traditional Laba Festival custom. In northern China, there is a custom of soaking garlic in vinegar on Laba Day, which is called "Laba Vinegar".

5. Laba Tofu

Laba Tofu is one of the traditional folk snacks in Yixian County, Anhui Province, and is a festive food custom. On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, on the eve of the Spring Festival, every household will dry tofu. Folks call this sun-dried tofu "Laba Tofu".

6. Mairen Rice

Xining does not drink porridge during the Laba Festival, but eat wheat kernel rice. On the evening of the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, boil the newly ground wheat kernels with beef and mutton, add green salt, ginger peel, pepper, grass fruit, Miaoxiang and other condiments, and simmer over a slow fire overnight.

7. Cook "five beans"

In some places, people cook rice porridge during the Laba Festival. It is not called "Laba porridge" but called "five beans". Some cook it on the day of Laba, and some cook it on the day of Laba. It is cooked on the fifth day of the twelfth lunar month, and some "bird heads" are made with flour and cooked with rice and beans (five kinds of beans).

The story of Laba Festival

Legend 1: Laba Festival is the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month (December). It originated in the late Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty. It is said that Zhu Yuanzhang was in trouble and suffered in prison. At that time, it was a cold day, and Zhu Yuanzhang, who was cold and hungry, dug out some seven or eight kinds of whole grains such as red beans, rice, and red dates from the mouse hole in the prison. Zhu Yuanzhang cooked these things into porridge. Because it was the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, Zhu Yuanzhang nicknamed this pot of multi-grain porridge Laba porridge. Enjoyed a wonderful meal. Later, Zhu Yuanzhang settled the world and became emperor from the north to the south. In order to commemorate that special day in prison, he designated this day as the Laba Festival and officially named the whole grain porridge he ate that day Laba porridge.

Legend 2: Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, was originally the son of King Suddhodana of Kapilavastu in northern India (now in Nepal). He saw all living beings suffering from birth, old age, illness, and death, and was dissatisfied with the Brahmins at that time. The theocratic rule of the country gave up the throne and became a monk to practice Taoism. There was no harvest at first, but after six years of asceticism, on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, he enlightened and became a Buddha under the bodhi tree. During these six years of asceticism, he only ate one hemp and one meter a day. Later generations will not forget his suffering and eat porridge on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month as a commemoration.

"Laba" has become the "Anniversary of Buddha's Enlightenment". "Laba" is a grand Buddhist festival. Before liberation, Buddhist temples in various places held Buddha bathing meetings, chanted sutras, and followed the legend of the shepherdess offering chyle before Sakyamuni attained enlightenment. They used fragrant grains, fruits, etc. to cook porridge for the Buddha, which was called "Laba porridge." He gave Laba porridge to his disciples and faithful men and women, and it became a custom among the people. It is said that before the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, in some temples, monks hold alms bowls and go along the streets to make alms, and cook the collected rice, chestnuts, dates, nuts and other materials into Laba porridge and distribute it to the poor. Legend has it that after eating it, you can get blessings from the Buddha, so the poor call it "Buddha porridge". What traditional foods to eat during the Laba Festival 4

The eighth day of the twelfth lunar month is the "Laba Festival". The north is busy peeling garlic to make vinegar and eating Laba noodles and Laba porridge, but the south seems quiet. Guangzhou people also celebrate many festivals, such as the Winter Solstice and the 28th of the New Year... but Laba is rarely mentioned. There is no habit of celebrating this festival. Laba seems to be a typical northern festival.

There is a saying in the north that "the New Year is after the Laba Festival", just like the saying in the South that "the twenty-third of the twelfth lunar month - offering sacrifices to the stove is the new year." After entering the twelfth lunar month in the north, the weather begins to change significantly, and passing the Laba Festival means entering the new year. In ancient times, "La" was the same as "Hunting", which represented harvests all year round. When entering the new year, one should worship the heaven and earth and pray for harvests in the coming year. The "Twenty-third of the twelfth lunar month" celebrated by Guangdong people is called "Little Year" by Guangzhou people, and a ceremony of "sacrifice to the stove" is held. In fact, it has the same meaning as the "Laba Festival" in the north, but the day is different.

People in Guangdong also eat Laba porridge, but mainly in the Pearl River Delta area. It is a custom brought by the Hakka people from the north. However, the materials used to make Laba porridge are different. For example, millet and red dates are mostly used in the north, while In the south, glutinous rice, lily, lotus seeds, etc. are mostly used.

The history of eating Laba porridge in our country has been more than a thousand years. It first started in the Song Dynasty. On every Laba day, whether it is the court, government, monastery or people's homes, they must make Laba porridge. In the Qing Dynasty, the custom of drinking Laba porridge became even more popular. In the palace, the emperor, empress, prince, etc. would give Laba porridge to the ministers of civil and military affairs and the attendant maids, and distribute rice, fruits, etc. to various temples for the monks to eat. Among the people, every family also makes Laba porridge to worship their ancestors; at the same time, families gather together to eat it and give it to relatives and friends.

Although few people in Guangdong celebrate the Laba Festival, you might as well cook a bowl of Laba porridge during the Laba Festival, which is good for health!