Laba porridge is the perfect combination of traditional Chinese festivals and delicious food. Every year on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, every household will cook a pot of fragrant Laba porridge to celebrate the arrival of winter. The preparation process of Laba porridge is simple, but it contains rich cultural and food wisdom.

The Origin of Laba Porridge

The origin of Laba Porridge can be traced back to ancient Buddhist traditions. According to legend, before the Buddha became enlightened, he went through six years of asceticism, during which he suffered from hunger. On the morning of the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the Buddha met a villager. The villager gave the Buddha his only food, a bowl of porridge. The Buddha was grateful and added herbs to the bowl of porridge. After drinking it, he regained his strength and eventually achieved Buddhahood. To commemorate this event, Buddhists cook porridge as an offering to the Buddha on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, and call it Laba porridge.

The preparation of Laba porridge

The preparation of Laba porridge is very simple. You only need to prepare the main ingredients: glutinous rice, red beans, peanuts, lotus seeds, dates, etc. First, clean these materials, and then soak the glutinous rice for a period of time to allow it to fully absorb water. Next, put the soaked glutinous rice and other ingredients into the pot, add an appropriate amount of water, and cook slowly over medium-low heat. During the cooking process, stir constantly to prevent the porridge bottom from sticking to the pot. When the glutinous rice is cooked, the ingredients are cooked through, and the porridge soup is thick, you can turn off the heat.

Eating Laba porridge

After the Laba porridge is cooked, you can add an appropriate amount of sugar or honey to increase the sweetness according to your personal taste. Laba porridge is full of fragrance, soft and glutinous, and melts in your mouth. Every bite of porridge carries a strong flavor of the New Year, which makes people have endless aftertaste. It is said that after eating Laba porridge, you can also use its warming properties to warm the stomach and drive away cold, adding a warm feeling. Therefore, eating Laba porridge in winter can not only nourish the body, but also add to the festive atmosphere of the festival.

End

Laba porridge is the perfect combination of traditional Chinese festivals and food. It not only has a long history and cultural connotation, but also brings warmth and beautiful memories to people. In this cold winter, cooking a pot of Laba porridge can not only nourish the body, but also make us feel the warmth and joy of traditional festivals.

Let’s taste this delicacy together and feel the charm of traditional culture!