Steaming big dumplings during the Chinese New Year is a customary folk custom in Jiaodong, Shandong. This folk custom has been passed down for thousands of years and is still followed today.
Dumplings are the Jiaodong people's name for steamed buns, but there are big differences between big dumplings and steamed buns. This difference is not only the size of the dumplings, but also reflected in the variety of shapes of the dumplings. They have various characteristics.
They have the appearance of various animals and mascots, and at the same time they have many beautiful meanings. Some large dumplings with gorgeous decorations are just like handicrafts, extremely beautiful.
The 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month is the Little New Year in the north. After the Little New Year, rural areas in Jiaodong area begin to steam rice dumplings one after another. During the New Year, people steam rice dumplings to look forward to the prosperous and prosperous days in the coming year.
fire.
Steaming steamed dumplings is a big project. According to rural customs, no pasta is made in the first month. All the people eat during the entire first month are steamed dumplings before the Chinese New Year.
Steaming large dumplings requires dozens of kilograms of flour, and the preparation time is very long. Some families need to be busy for a day, and some families need two days.
Making dumplings is a technical job, but also a laborious job.
It is made in the same way as steamed buns, but the production process is much more complicated.
The first step is to make the dough.
Add yeast (yeast passed down from ancestors, which is miraculous compared to yeast sold on the market) in warm water, stir to dissolve, then add melted lard, sugar and egg white, stir again to mix.
Next, add flour to it, use chopsticks to stir the flour into a thin paste, then cover it with a quilt and place it on the kang to let it rise.
The second step is to knead the dough.
After the dough rises, it needs to be kneaded repeatedly. The flour becomes more chewy through kneading, so that the steamed pastry will be more delicious.
The third step is styling.
The beauty of the pastry's appearance all depends on this step, so this stage is the most critical time to test the skill of the maker. At this time, the clever wives will come up with their own unique skills and make a big fuss on the dough, "cornucopia",
Pastries with traditional shapes such as "dragon and phoenix present auspiciousness", "pomegranate blossoms", "jade as you wish", "luck, longevity and health" are all presented in their hands. The pastries made by these skillful daughters-in-law often attract continuous praise from everyone.
, it is clear at this time who has high level and who is clever.
The fourth step is the second hair application.
The shaped dumplings are put into the big pot one by one, and they need to be cooked a second time.
The large pot used to make the dough is a large iron pot unique to rural areas. Its diameter is about one meter, which is perfect for steaming the dough.
The purpose of fermentation is to ferment the dough for a second time. When the volume of the dough increases to twice its original size, the next step can be carried out.
The fifth step is to steam the pastry.
This step is the key to the success of the pastry.
Steamed dumplings require very high firepower and control, and inexperienced people would not dare to try it easily.
Steaming the pastry requires a high fire. With the help of the fire, the dough in the large pot will be quickly shaped and then steamed bit by bit from the outside inward.
When steaming dumplings, the firewood burned in the stove is usually firewood. In order to increase the firepower, air is blown into the stove. As the firewood crackles in the stove, white water vapor continues to emerge from the cauldron, and soon the entire kitchen is filled with smoke.
Permeated in the white water vapor, you can't see your fingers. At the same time, the aroma of the big dumplings also floats out. The aroma is refreshing and makes people salivate.
The dumplings will be steamed in half an hour.
After being cooked, the dumplings are white and fat, with the unique aroma of pasta. Rural people look at the dumplings in the pot with joy.
They took the dumplings out of the pot and placed them on grates made of sorghum stalks to cool naturally.
After the dumplings have cooled down, women will use the heads of chopsticks to dip them in red paint and stamp bright red dots on the dumplings. The white dumplings are matched with the red dots, which will make those dumplings even more festive.
The cake became full of energy.
There are big and small dumplings. The largest dumpling can only be steamed in one pot and is called the Big Mac among dumplings. The smallest dumpling is often held in the hands of children and eaten as snacks.
Generally speaking, the dumplings are considered top-quality only when they are steamed in the pot. This evaluation standard is somewhat similar to the barbecued pork buns in Cantonese breakfast.
There is a festive name for "饽饽笑" when people in the countryside call it "饽饽Laugh", which indicates that everyone will laugh often and live a happy life in the coming year.
Commonly made types of dumplings include red date dumplings, fish dumplings, gourd dumplings, holy insect dumplings, etc. These styles of dumplings all have beautiful meanings.
Fish dumplings, gourd dumplings, and holy insect dumplings are not for eating, but for attracting good luck.
Putting fish cakes on the table means having more than enough every year. As the old saying goes: fish cakes weigh on the table, you don’t have to earn the money yourself.
The gourd dumplings are placed on the windowsill with a RMB underneath, which symbolizes abundant wealth.
The holy insect cake is in the shape of a small snake. It is placed in the granary and noodle vat, which means a good harvest in the coming year and a bumper harvest every year.
Red date cake is the most common and is the staple food on the New Year table.
Red date pastry usually weighs two or three kilograms. If there are several people in the family, they will put a few dates on the pastry. Eating red date pastry during the New Year represents a happy reunion.