Eat during the Winter Solstice in Shandong: dumplings, mutton soup, steamed winter, hot pot, stews, etc.

1. Dumplings Every year on the winter solstice of the lunar calendar, whether rich or poor, dumplings are an essential holiday meal.

A proverb goes: "On October 1st, when the winter solstice arrives, every household eats dumplings." This custom was left in memory of the "Medical Saint" Zhang Zhongjing who gave up medicine during the winter solstice.

A large part of Shandong Province eats wontons or dumplings on this day, and some also drink alcohol. It is said that drinking is to warm the body, and eating dumplings is to avoid freezing the ears. Dumplings are homophonic to glue ears.

2. Mutton Soup In the area of ??Tengzhou, Shandong Province, the winter solstice is called Shujiu. In order to have a good sign in the coming year, every family will drink mutton soup.

Tengzhou mutton soup with a long history is made by putting mutton bones into a large pot to make soup, and then adding fresh mutton cut into weights and cleaned haggis into the soup pot to cook.

A bowl of steaming, fragrant mutton soup is ready.

3. Steaming in winter Linyi, Zoucheng, Xintai and other places have the custom of steaming in winter.

Linyi uses whole grain flour to steam steamed buns, and Zoucheng steams glutinous rice cakes. Legend has it that steaming in winter is to pray for wind in the coming year.

The folk song says: "Steaming in winter makes the wind blow." In ancient times, steaming in winter was to celebrate the solstice. After the winter solstice, the sun comes into being, just as Du Fu wrote in his poem, "Winter solstice brings about the sun and spring comes again."

People use glutinous rice flour to make rice balls, called Tuanyuanzi or Winter Solstice Balls, to symbolize reunion. Pastry and steamed steamed buns are the evolution of Tuanyuanzi.

4. Hot pot Hot pot is also one of the delicacies that Shandong people like to eat in winter. In the cold weather, it is very pleasant for the family to sit together and enjoy the warmth of hot pot while chatting.

People can invite relatives and friends to sit around the hot pot table, enjoy the food, chat and communicate, and enhance their relationship with each other.

In the cold winter, hot pot has become the best choice for people to gather together to enjoy warmth and happiness.

5. Stew In the cold winter, Shandong people like to stew delicious stews with various ingredients.

For example, pork stewed with vermicelli, tofu stewed with mushrooms, beef stewed with radish, etc.

Not only are these stews delicious, but they also provide the calories and nutrients your body needs.