The winter solstice, also known as the short day solstice, has both natural and cultural connotations. It is not only an important solar term among the twenty-four solar terms, but also a traditional Chinese folk festival.

The winter solstice is one of the four seasons and eight festivals, and is regarded as a major festival in winter. In ancient times, there was a saying that "the winter solstice is as big as the new year", so the ancients called the winter solstice "sub-year" or "small year".

Winter Solstice dietary customs vary from region to region, and there are differences in custom content or details.

In some coastal areas of southern China, there is a custom of worshiping ancestors during the Winter Solstice, and there are more varieties of must-eat delicacies during the Winter Solstice than in the north; in northern China, there is a custom of eating dumplings on the Winter Solstice every year.

1. Glutinous rice is one of the traditional delicacies that Hakka people must eat during the Winter Solstice. In autumn, southerners make bacon and sausages from pork belly. After drying and storing them, on the winter solstice, they dice the bacon and sausage and cook them with glutinous rice until they become fragrant.

of sticky rice.

Glutinous rice is soft, glutinous and delicious, warms and nourishes the stomach, and also symbolizes the happy reunion of family members sitting together.

2. Fermented glutinous rice is also called rice wine and fermented glutinous rice. During the winter solstice, some areas in the south have the habit of eating fermented glutinous rice. Fermented fermented glutinous rice is also made by steaming and fermenting glutinous rice. Fermented fermented glutinous rice is also one of the essential foods for postpartum women in the south. Fermented fermented glutinous rice can survive.

It has the functions of promoting qi and blood, promoting blood circulation, regulating complexion and blood, dispelling cold and warming the stomach.

3. Tangyuan means reunion and happiness. There is also a folk saying that "eating glutinous rice balls makes you one year older". Tangyuan is also made of glutinous rice flour. Like rice cakes, it can be sweet or salty. Most of the glutinous rice balls in Suzhou are made with meat fillings.

Most of the glutinous rice balls in Guangdong are sweet, with black sesame, custard, brown sugar, red bean paste, etc. There are more than a dozen flavors of ready-made glutinous rice balls in supermarkets.

4. Nian Gao, also called "Nian Nian Gao", has a homophonic meaning with "Nian Nian Gao".

Having children at home means growing taller and taller every year, and doing business means getting better and better every year.

Rice cakes can be made into strips, blocks, rounds, or rectangles, and there are sweet and salty ways to eat rice cakes. Salty rice cakes are generally made in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and are cooked with vegetables, mushrooms, meat, etc. to make salty ones.

I like to dip the rice cake in sugar and fry it until it is slightly golden. It is salty and sweet, soft and glutinous.

The customs and customs of celebrating the winter solstice are different in different places. Food comes first, and family reunion is naturally the best.