My hometown is Xi 'an in the northwest. In my hometown, there is a custom of eating zongzi every summer. The following are specific customs:
The northwest of China will eat zongzi from summer solstice, and will eat chrysanthemums and use ashes to prevent wheat from being damaged by pests. When the summer solstice comes, the yang will shrink day by day and the yin will grow day by day. At this time, Lao Yang should be sent away. From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, glutinous rice and red dates in zongzi are symbols of yang. People wrap them up and eat them, which means saying goodbye to the spring season. "Eating zongzi was originally a ritual way to eat." ?
Zongzi has a unique shape, like a "croissant", which is an alternative to the traditional food shape in China, but it has many advantages. The predecessor of Zongzi is called Zongzi, and its appearance can be traced back to the Zhou Dynasty. During the Western Zhou Dynasty, China entered the ritual and music civilization, and various sacrificial activities were graded. At that time, the earliest first-class sacrifice was called "Tai Prison", which was mainly used to worship the land god and the valley god, hoping for a bumper harvest in agriculture. The sacrificial offerings used are cattle, sheep and tapirs.
According to records, people began to eat zongzi as early as the Spring and Autumn Period. The trumpet-shaped millet is wrapped with water bamboo leaves (water bamboo leaves), which is called "trumpet millet"; Rice packed in bamboo tubes is sealed and baked, which is called "barrel millet". Its raw material is mainly millet. In addition, at first, people were not limited to the Dragon Boat Festival, but paid equal attention to the Dragon Boat Festival and the summer solstice. The Local Records of the Jin and Zhou Dynasties said: "The custom is the same as the Dragon Boat Festival and the summer solstice." Liang's Chronicle of Jingchu also said that people eat zongzi in summer.
Although zongzi has become a popular food during the Dragon Boat Festival, some places still keep the tradition of eating zongzi from summer to Sunday.
Next, let's look at the food customs of the summer solstice solar terms in other regions:
1, Shandong summer solstice solar terms eating habits: cold noodles?
On the day of summer solstice, all parts of Shandong want to eat cold noodles, that is, cross the water, weave a delicate small fence with wheat straw, and then fish noodles in soup again and again. For children, this is not only a meal, but also a fun game. ?
By the Qing Dynasty, "Summer Solstice Day" had developed into various cold noodles. Pan Rongbi said, "The summer solstice is the grand ceremony of the country. It is Japanese furniture that eats cold noodles, that is, as the saying goes, the water surface is also ... Cold noodles are suitable for refreshing, chinese odyssey. "
Summer solstice noodles are also called "noodles". Most of the noodles or leaves in the pot are handmade noodles, usually rolled from newly collected new wheat noodles. Such noodles or leaves are fragrant and delicious and easy to digest. The practice and eating method of cold noodles from summer solstice are very particular. Not only should you use cold boiled water or mountain spring water to "cool down" the cooked noodles or vegetable leaves, but you should also mix them with various side dishes and seasonings. ?
2, Beijing summer solstice solar terms diet custom: summer solstice noodles.
"Solstice in winter, Solstice noodles in summer in jiaozi. "This proverb is another folk custom in old Beijing. Because it is located in the northern part of the Yellow River Basin, the main crop is wheat. When new wheat is harvested, this is the best way for people to make happy noodles with new noodles. Eating noodles can not only satisfy people's appetite, but also bring a variety of fun to life by eating a variety of noodles made by skillful hands.
Eating hot noodles in hot summer is said to mean "avoiding evil spirits" in addition to hobbies. The ancients thought that the fifth month of the lunar calendar was an evil month. There was a saying that eating hot noodles was to exorcise evil spirits, that is, sweating more to get rid of the moisture and heat trapped in the human body. Some people like to eat cold noodles in summer to cool off. Eating noodles in summer solstice is mainly because new wheat has appeared in summer solstice, so eating noodles in summer solstice also means "tasting new things" Hot and humid weather often leads to loss of appetite. If a bowl of noodles is accompanied by some refreshing side dishes, it will not only arouse people's appetite, but also make people enjoy more coolness and play a role in relieving summer heat. ?
3. Lingnan summer solstice diet custom: dog meat?
Dog meat has always been a good tonic among the people, and Lingnan people have the habit of eating dog meat from summer to Sunday. "Eat dog meat in summer solstice, and the west wind goes around the field", which means that if you eat dog meat in summer solstice, your body will be strong enough to resist the invasion of the west wind and rain, and your body will be healthier. ?
From a medical point of view, dog meat is a hot and dry food. Eating dog meat in the summer of solstice depends on everyone's physical fitness The folk saying is somewhat unscientific. In addition, it is said that because a large number of local dogs were slaughtered, some dogs witnessed similar deaths and suffered great fear and psychological torture, which is not unrelated to the high incidence of rabies in the local area. Bian Xiao reminded that dogs are the most loyal friends of human beings, and eating dog meat should not be respected. ?
4. Eating custom of summer solstice solar terms in Shaoxing, Zhejiang: round paste.
In the past, people, rich or poor, sacrificed their ancestors during the summer solstice, which was often called "building the summer solstice". In addition to some regular tributes, a plate of thin silk cakes was specially added to offer sacrifices to their ancestors. After the summer harvest, new wheat comes on the market, so it is a custom to eat noodles and try new wheat every day. Some people mix them with wheat flour and spread them into pancakes for baking cooked food. ?
"In the summer of solstice, when you eat mariko, you will step on a stone. "In the past, many farmers would put a bamboo stick on the prepared paste, insert it in the gap of the rice field, burn incense as a sacrifice and pray for a bumper harvest. Therefore, Shaoxing, Zhejiang still has the habit of eating round paste until the sun in summer. ?
5. Jiangsu Wuxi Summer Solstice Diet Custom: Wonton?
On the solstice of summer, people in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province eat porridge for breakfast and stewed wonton for lunch, which means "chaos and harmony". There is also a folk custom of weighing children after eating wonton, hoping that their children will gain weight and be healthy. Wonton, called by the ancients as "like a chicken laying eggs, rather like a chaotic image of heaven and earth", and "Wonton" is homophonic with "chaos". Pangu opened the sky, and the chaos began. It is wise to eat wonton. When I was a child, I heard my grandmother say, "Eat wonton on the solstice in summer, and summer will not break out in hot weather." Eating wonton on the summer solstice contains a good wish to pray for peace in summer. ?
According to historical records, in the court of the Song Dynasty, every summer solstice, the chef would pack a kind of summer solstice wonton for the emperor and his concubines. In fact, the court of the Song Dynasty not only ate wonton in the summer solstice season, but also in the other 23 solar terms of the year. Therefore, there was a famous pastry named "Twenty-four solar terms wonton" in the court of the Song Dynasty, and Gaozong in the Southern Song Dynasty especially liked to eat wonton. ?
There are different ways to wrap wonton, and the wrapped wonton looks different, some like gold ingots and some like official hats, which is consistent with the original intention of eating wonton: round and round, happy and happy, expressing the yearning and pursuit for a better life.
In fact, no matter what you eat, everyone's original intention is the same, to welcome the arrival of the summer solstice and celebrate the arrival of a new day.