Paederia henryi is a traditional seasonal food on March 3rd in Beihai.

Every year at the end of February in the lunar calendar, the children at home carry baskets and follow their mothers or grandmothers to pick the leaves of chicken excrement.

in the south, at the end of February of the lunar calendar, flowers are flourishing, leaves are dense and everywhere is full of vitality. Crotalaria scandens can be seen everywhere in the fields and at the end of Potou Ridge. The vines are either long or winding. "Guangdong New Language, Grass Language and Vine" contains: "Everything governs vines, which spread among wild trees and walls, growing more than a foot, and leaves are like mud vines.

why does paederia scandens have such a strong name? The adult's explanation is that the leaves of the chicken dung vine exude a special taste, similar to chicken excrement. However, in my opinion, it is strong and fragrant at the same time. Strong because it doesn't taste like mint; Fragrance, because after all, it is the breath of plants, as if smelling sunshine and rain. At first, it seems a little smelly, and then, I feel that the fragrance smells refreshing, and the fusion and contradiction between strong and fragrant makes people want to stop.

after picking paederia scandens, clean it and put it in the sun for a day or two. At this time, when you visit the village, the leaves of Celastrus scandens are dried in the dustpan of every household. The heat of the sun makes the unique taste more intense, indicating that the food on March 3 is about to debut.

On March 3rd, the women in the village set out to cook delicious food. The practice of chicken dung vine cake is also very simple. Mix glutinous rice and japonica rice in proportion, grind into powder, add water and knead into dough. When the water boils, either use water to make a small ball, or cut it into strips with a knife and throw it into boiling water. When cooked for 7 or 8 times, add brown sugar or white sugar, and then boil again. Ready to eat.

It is estimated that the leaves are rich in anthocyanins, and the snacks are dark green, and their appearance is not eye-catching. But the food doesn't depend on the appearance. The unique taste of chicken dung, the delicate fragrance of rice flour and the sweetness of sugar are mixed into delicious cakes.

in my memory, the memory of spring is not flowers, not young leaves, but a bowl of chicken excrement rattan. Every spring, I have to pick it, watch my mother knead the dough, pull the dough into the pot, put sugar in it, and slowly put out two big bowls. Dad carefully and solemnly took the two bowls to the ancestral hall and respectfully worshipped the ancestors with his uncles. We can't eat until the ancestor worship ceremony is over.

Chicken-dung-vine snacks are like spring ceremonies. Only after eating them can the spring of this year be truly experienced, otherwise it will be a fake spring.

Just as all festivals in China are "eating" festivals, March 3rd is also a food festival. The reason why there is a saying about eating chicken dung vines is that it is said that just after the Spring Festival, big fish and big meat have eaten too much, eating green plants and clearing the stomach. In particular, Paederia scandens is a herbaceous plant which can be used as medicine blindly, and it has the effects of expelling wind and promoting diuresis, relieving pain and detoxicating, promoting digestion, promoting blood circulation and reducing swelling.

Of course, these are the reasons that later generations look for. The formation of a custom has its own reasons, but it is only the beginning, and now no one knows it, or even legend it.

As a tradition, Beihai, Zhanjiang, Maoming, Hainan and many other areas have the tradition of eating chicken dung, but the practice is slightly different. For example, in Hainan, shredded ginger will be added. According to the cognitive theory of cannibalism, people in these areas may live very close in the distant time, or even belong to the same tribe.

Later, I went to Shanghai, where eating Qing Tuan was popular around Qingming Festival. Qing Tuan is a cake made by squeezing the leaves of wormwood into green juice and mixing glutinous rice flour. It is also similar to the chicken manure. Later, it was discovered that this traditional food was found in many places in China.

Perhaps the best way to love spring is to eat it. Those memories related to eating, across regions and years, become the best memories. This is also the unique culture of our people!