Etiquette and food customs

1. Social etiquette and food customs

Tea is used to entertain guests in the south. Tea is not produced in the central and northern regions. Tea is used by urban residents to entertain guests. It was bought from the market

. People in rural areas also talk about drinking tea when entertaining guests, but in fact, what they drink is not tea made from tea leaves. In households where sugar is available, they put some sugar in a bowl and drink it with water, which is called sugar tea. For guests who are more distinguished or who come from afar, the host will rush to beat (boil) poached eggs to eat, which is called egg "tea". This kind of poached eggs cannot

just crack two eggs, because it violates the taboo of "two eggs" and is impolite. Usually, crack three or five eggs, which

shows hospitality. kind. Drinking tea after a meal is also very particular. If the guest wants to continue drinking tea, he should keep the remaining tea in the cup and the host will continue to pour water; if the guest does not want to drink anymore, he should keep the remaining tea in the cup. If the tea is spilled, the master

will stop pouring water. The same is true for drinking boiled water on weekdays. Many foreigners often make themselves unable to drink because they don't know this custom.

People in the Central Plains will entertain relatives and friends whenever they encounter weddings or weddings. Seating is very important at banquets. The upper table (i.e. the first table) should be given to the elders or the most distinguished guests. Generally, the upper seat is in the north, but you should sit slightly to the side, because the north is the seat of God and should be reserved. The east is the second seat, and the rest are the lower seats. Some people look at the table seam. The inside of the horizontal table seam is the upper seat, and the left side is the second seat. You can also look at the direction of seating in the kitchen. The right side of the kitchen door is the upper seat. Also, look at how far the chair is from the wall, the one closest to the wall is up, the one far away is down, etc.

Before entering the table, a wine cup and chopsticks should be placed on the table, and the chopsticks should be placed on the right side of the wine cup. After the guests are seated,

the dishes are served one by one. Each dish must be placed in front of the table first, and then rotate from the table down. Dishes

are usually arranged in a triangular shape, ending in a flower. After each dish is served and the guests use their chopsticks, others can

use their chopsticks. In southern Henan, when guests put down their bowls after finishing their meal, they must hold their chopsticks horizontally with both hands, look around the table and say: "Everyone, please eat slowly." Then put the chopsticks on the left hand side, To show that you are full (now we no longer pay much attention to the position of the chopsticks, but mostly use words instead). The escort must wait until all the guests have eaten before they can

put down their chopsticks.

The abundance of banquets in various places depends on the specific economic conditions. In the central and eastern regions, the seats are divided into two types: "water seats" and "gathering seats". Most of the food and drinks served at the water banquet are meat and vegetables, and there are ten large bowls of food, one after another. The Ten Big Bowls, also known as the "Ten Big Pieces", are generally made of fish, chicken, beef, mutton, pork and other materials.

The banquet with sea cucumbers as the leader is called "ginseng banquet". The food and drinks should include six meat and six vegetables, and the number of meals should be as many as a dozen or

more than twenty. Wedding banquets in southern Henan are often decorated with red vermicelli, and fish must be served as the first course to show good luck

Good luck; colored vermicelli is often a dish at funeral banquets, and chicken must be served as the first dish to express mourning. Regardless of whether there is a red or white banquet, the main dish is meatballs to show that things are completed successfully. The first course of wedding banquets in the central region is fried sugar buns, to show that life is as sweet as honey, and the main dish is chicken soup. Regardless of whether the banquet is good or bad, it is forbidden to eat eight bowls and seven plates or an odd number (in the past, it was said that only those who played the trumpet would eat seven plates and eight bowls). Avoid sweetness when cooking large intestines (because sweetness is homophonic to "stuffing" and contains the meaning of swearing).

At banquets in Kaifeng and other places, if there is fish, the fish head must be facing the elders or guests when serving. Whoever faces the fish

has to drink three glasses of wine, and then everyone can eat the fish with chopsticks. In southern Henan and other places, there is a custom of "the fish will not

give its back" . That is, at a banquet, the back of the fish should not be facing the guests, but the belly of the fish should be facing the guests.

It is etiquette. This is related to a historical story. According to legend, during the Spring and Autumn Period, Ji Liao of the State of Wu stole the throne and was known as King Liao in history. He was always worried that Ji Guang (a close brother of King Liao) would compete with him for the throne, so he always wanted to find an opportunity to get rid of Ji Guang. Ji Guang also saw Wang Liao's sinister intentions and served Wang Liao cautiously at all times. On the surface, he respected Wang Liao very much. Secretly, he wanted to kill King Liao and replace him.

One day, Ji Guang took advantage of the fact that Wang Liao's two younger brothers and sons were fighting in the Chu Kingdom and invited Wang Liao to come over to eat fish. Ji Guang conspired with the brave warrior Zhuanzhu in advance and hid a short sword in the belly of the fish. Zhuan Zhu presented the fish to King Liao. In order to prevent King Liao from seeing the secret in the belly of the fish, he turned the fish's back to King Liao. When Wang Liao picked up the chopsticks to pick up the food, Zhuan Zhu suddenly grabbed the dagger from the belly of the fish and stabbed Wang Liao to death on the spot. From then on, when people treated guests to fish, they would turn the belly of the fish towards the guests to show their sincerity.

“After harvesting the wheat, the young couple goes to see their mother.” In rural areas of Henan, after the wheat harvest every year, married women have to bring snacks and go back to their parents’ home with their husbands. go. Middle-aged couples often do not bring snacks. Instead, they carry snow-white steamed wheat flour buns in baskets back to their parents' homes to honor their parents. The average family will give 14 to 16 gifts to their parents, and the uncle and uncle's families will each have 2 to 4 gifts. This means that his family has had a good harvest and has not forgotten his parents' relatives. . Before returning home, the mother's family will ask the daughter to bring back 2 to 4 steamed buns, which are called "pressed boxes", which means that there will be plenty of time for the return trip, and both families are rich.

In rural areas of northern Henan, there is still a custom of "giving sheep away". There is a folk saying that "after the wheat harvest is over, women bring 6 to 8 baskets to see their mothers, not only to see their mothers, but also to ask for sheep for their children." Here

the daughter goes to visit her mother with 6 or 8 steamed buns, firstly to show her filial piety, and secondly as a signal to send sheep to her mother's family. In May, my daughter visited her mother, and as June entered, it was time for my uncle to "give a sheep" to his nephew. Therefore, as soon as June enters, the country roads become lively again, with men and women delivering sheep, some carrying baskets, some carrying food boxes, and others

Some walked, some drove, and there was constant laughter. When you say "send sheep", you actually mean to send a kind of pasta shaped like a sheep. The first gift of a sheep after marriage is the most solemn. Use white flour to make 24 sheep-shaped pastas (eight each of large, medium and small), and other small birds and animals in varying numbers. It is carried in a food box with flowers placed on it and covered with a red cloth and delivered to the groom's house. The host's family will host three banquets to entertain the person who "sends the sheep". The first meal consists of eggs, peanuts

rice, celery, tofu, wine, etc. (which means auspiciousness, rawness, diligence, blessing, and long-term); the second meal consists of steamed buns and cold rice

Dishes; the third meal was dumplings, eggs and tofu soup.

The origin of the custom of "giving sheep" is also very interesting. Legend has it that a long time ago there was a couple who only had a son when they were over fifty

and they were very pampered and doting. When the son grew up, he still "opened his mouth when it came to food and stretched out his hands when it came to clothes"

He was unfaithful and unfilial, which made the old couple often sad and shed tears. When the child's uncle found out about this, he took an old sheep and two lambs to his house and taught his nephew a lesson by saying "the lamb kneels down to breast". From then on, the child was very filial to his parents. The mother was very grateful to the child's uncle. After harvesting the wheat, she took the child with her, carried a basket full of steamed buns, and bowed to her parents' family. After this incident spread, people followed suit one after another, and the custom of giving sheep was passed down.

At first, people gave away real sheep, but later they gradually replaced them with noodle sheep. Now, in addition to sending noodle sheep, people also added various kinds of noodle products.

Birds and animals, flowers, birds, insects and fish form a special food technology

. The "goat-giving" season is when women show off their skills to see who can make the best lamb noodles for their nephews.

"As long as Jinjin (aunt) doesn't fall, she won't be able to give away the sheep." Over time, many skilled craftsmen who made "sheep" appeared in northern Henan. The dough-made sheep and various dough-made animals they made were in various shapes, cute and cute.

2. Marriage food customs

The wedding banquet is the most solemn banquet and takes three days. On the day of the wedding, the man will host a banquet to entertain the woman's guests and the dowry bearers; on the second day, the matchmaker and gift-bearers will be entertained; on the third day, the bride will be entertained

< p>When she returns home, the woman wants to entertain the groom. At a wedding banquet hosted by the man, the woman's host (usually the bride's brother) should sit at the top of the table, and all the men, young and old, will accompany the guests.

Before the banquet begins, the person carrying the plate takes out the "sealing bags" and places them in front of the crooked-neck guests. Each person has one bag, ranging from three to five yuan. This is regarded as a gift from the man to the dowry bearers.

The reward for the hard work. The woman who is in charge of seeing off guests also takes out "envelopes" and gives them to the person serving the dishes and the cook, which also means

reward, commonly known as "cooking gift" (the groom will also give them to the groom when he returns home on the third day). "Cooking Ceremony"). After the food and wine are served (mostly six meat and six vegetables, plus a fruit plate), those present stand up, pick up the first glass of wine, and the eldest person among the guests dips his middle finger in it. Order the wine three times on the table or pour a little of the wine on the ground to show respect to heaven, earth, and ancestors first, and then drink it all in one gulp. The guests also behave like the host. This is called the host being dishonest and the guest drinking. When banqueting

a matchmaker, an indispensable dish on the table is sweet and sour braised (or steamed) carp, which means carp jumping into the dragon

men. As the saying goes, a matchmaker eats a fish tail and is quick-tongued and diligent. After three rounds of wine during the banquet, the bride and groom were led by the master of ceremonies (the groom held the wine flask, the bride held the wine glass, and the master of ceremonies carried the wine bottle) to "look at the dishes." It's called "Kancai",

Toast with strength. Starting from the elders, everyone drinks three glasses of wine from the bride, and no one can refuse to drink. At wedding banquets in central Henan, the guests usually don't let the dishes finish. When the dishes are served, the guests will refuse to serve them as a sign of politeness. , but also to achieve "abundance and more than enough". If you wait for the egg soup to be served, it means that the dish has been served.

Egg soup is jokingly called "egg soup" or "boring soup". As soon as the egg soup is served, the guests generally don't drink it, that is to say, they can't bring trouble to themselves.

There is another interesting thing about wedding banquets held in Yucheng and other places in eastern Henan: the groom returns home on the third day (also known as "recognizing relatives")

After you are full, steal a pair of chopsticks and a "huazi" (a small flower bun specially prepared by the Yue family for stealing) from the Yue family's banquet table when no one is prepared, and hide it in your sleeve or pocket. Go home. Female

Even if someone in the Fang family noticed it, they turned a blind eye. Chopsticks mean to have a baby soon; Hanako means blessing

Having a baby means giving birth to a child with flowers, both boys and girls. This is just a kind of beautiful wish of the groom or both men and women.

3. Childbirth food customs

Maternal diet and taboos: Giving birth is a big event for women, and their diet is very particular and there are many taboos.

Women who are about to give birth generally need to eat more meat, eggs, etc. to nourish their bodies. Pregnant women are not allowed to eat donkey meat or meat. It is said that eating donkey meat will prolong pregnancy, and children who eat rabbit meat will have a gaping mouth in the future. In some places

fish and chili are also prohibited. Legend has it that if you eat fish, your child will be born with fish scales (python skin); if you eat chili pepper, your child will suffer from "pink eye disease" in the future.

In places such as Yucheng, before giving birth, the mother of a pregnant woman has to bring gifts such as rice and sugar to visit her daughter who is giving birth

, which is called "giving a full meal" Rice", in fact, this is a kind of comfort to pregnant women who have fear. If

if the baby has not been delivered by the due date, the pregnant mother will have to visit again. Be sure to bring some noodles with you this time. Once cooked, pregnant women can eat them. This is called "birth-inducing noodles".

After the baby lands, the mother eats boiled or poached eggs. In rural areas such as Lin County, mothers are required to drink moxa

water and wash their palms with moxa water. It is said that this can avoid wind and cold and strengthen the muscles and bones. People in Nanyang and other places eat popcorn

(popcorn with brown sugar and boiled water before eating). Women in rural areas such as Xiangcheng only eat poached eggs, not boiled eggs.

Poached eggs with brown sugar are the staple food of postpartum women, and they should be eaten five or six times a day. Women who have just given birth generally put some rice wine (fermented with millet and koji) into their poached eggs. It is also called rice wine. It is prepared in the late stages of pregnancy. ), it tastes sweet and sour, with a slight aroma of wine, and can dispel cold and activate blood circulation. Pregnant women should eat porridge, noodles and other easily digestible liquid foods in addition to eggs. Pregnant women in rural areas are forbidden to eat meat and fruits during confinement (anything growing on trees is prohibited), as well as five-spice spices and cooking paste. of porridge. Be sure not to eat glutinous rice, celery and Sichuan peppercorns, as they will cause you to regain breast milk.

In addition, in some areas of northern Henan, if there is a pregnant woman at home, it is forbidden to cook in a dry pot for one month, and cooking with oil is not allowed

Frying and cooking, it is believed that if this is done, the baby There will be blistering on the body. If you must cook in this way, you can put a bowl of cold water on the pot stand, which will count it as "broken".

Eating happy noodles and giving rice noodles as gifts: The custom of eating happy noodles is mainly popular in the central part of Heyu. In the old days, Xi noodles were only eaten by relatives and friends, and they were only eaten after the birth of a boy, but generally not eaten after the birth of a girl. Nowadays, the birth of a boy is regarded as a "great joy", and the custom of "when a family has a son, the whole village eats noodles" has been formed. At noon on the third day after the baby's birth, the baby's family immediately notifies every household in the village (each household sends one to two people, mostly elderly women

and children). Eat hi noodles. The noodles are rolled out, cooked in a large pot, taken out, and then drained with cold water.

Then noodles are poured with sautee (mostly diced radish, tofu, and diced meat). Regardless of adults or children, just like

eating at your own home, you can eat as much as you want. People eating Xi Noodles come and go in an endless stream, and the number of people can reach hundreds of people. When you go to eat Xi Noodles, don't leave your hands empty. You usually bring some brown sugar or eggs. Some also give children clothes, hats, fabrics and money.

On the day of eating happy noodles, the family of the child will send someone to the home of the child’s mother (grandma) to announce the good news. When going,

bring some steamed buns and snacks, etc., in person. Agree on a date for delivering rice and noodles. Generally, on the 9th day for boys and on the 12th day for girls, relatives and friends of grandma’s family will use millet, white flour, eggs, brown sugar, dried noodles, clothes, fabrics, toys, etc. The food boxes are carried or put in baskets and pushed on carts, and rice and noodles are delivered in a lively manner. Dezi's home

will host a banquet to entertain guests who come to deliver wooden noodles.

In order to show the "power" of their natal family, some families often take the opportunity of sending rice and noodles to bring many people with them.

There is a saying among the people that "if you can afford a wife, you cannot afford to treat a rice noodle customer".

People who have babies in Kaifeng do not eat Xi noodles. Sending rice and noodles (or other congratulatory gifts) is always on the 9th day,

commonly known as "making the ninth day". There is no time limit for neighbors and friends to give gifts to pregnant women, as long as they are within one month. The host should offer hard-boiled eggs in return for relatives and friends who have given gifts. Eggs are painted red to represent relatives

Giving 6 to 10 eggs to express happiness, the gifts are thick and thin. They are commonly known as "red happy eggs". The good news is

On the day of delivery, for example, 6 to 8 boiled eggs (must be an even number) for a boy, dyed red and painted with black dots on one end

to mean " "Great joy"; if you get a girl, the eggs will only be dyed red, 5 to 7 (must be an odd number), which means "little joy", and will be sent to the father-in-law's house by the son-in-law in person. During "Make Nine", the raw chickens

eggs given by the in-laws have black dots on them for boys but none for girls. The remaining rice, noodles and other gifts must be wrapped in red paper. Dezi's house

There will be a big banquet for guests and a lively atmosphere.

4. Birthday food customs

On a child’s birthday, eggs are boiled and the whole family eats noodles, which is commonly known as "chewing disaster".

Sixty-six, the mother eats a piece of meat from her daughter. Birthday wishes are a way for children to express their filial piety to their elders. There are also many ways to wish birthdays and birthday gifts to the elderly. In rural areas of Henan, celebrating birthdays is mostly called "giving birth to a child". Since ancient times, regardless of whether the family is rich or poor, the birthday of the elderly has been celebrated. There is a folk saying that birthdays cannot be celebrated until the age of 60, that is, birthdays can only be celebrated after the age of 60. Every time a birthday is celebrated, in addition to all members of the family getting together to celebrate the birthday, the daughters and sons-in-law also use white flour to make birthday peaches and fish to celebrate. It was almost noon, and my daughter and daughters-in-law began to busy making noodles. People try to make their noodles as chewy as possible. Cut the noodles into thin and long pieces, cook them, take them out, add a spoonful of fragrant and soft sauce, and hand them to the elders from the younger generation. This wrist surface is called "longevity noodles". Then there was a toast, and the children and grandchildren laughed and laughed. It was very lively.

Usually I eat Changchun noodles to celebrate my birthday, but when my parents are 66, 73 or 84 years old, they celebrate their birthdays with Changchun noodles. Birthday wishes are special. "Sixteen years old, my mother eats a piece of her daughter's flesh."

On my mother's 66th birthday, the birthday gift given to her by her married daughter was a piece of meat. This piece of meat symbolizes that the daughter is a piece of meat that fell from her mother's body. Taking advantage of the prosperous year of June 6, the daughter came to repay her mother's kindness in raising her and repay her mother with a piece of meat. When buying this piece of meat, firstly, you can't bargain with the meat seller

but secondly, you have to cut it down in one go, as much as there is, and you can't take away without adding more, and you can't care about the weight.

Show sincerity to honor your mother. Meat sellers also know the local customs. Whenever they hear that they are cutting longevity meat for their mothers, they will take the initiative to choose the best piece, cut off a large piece with one knife, put it on the scale and weigh it, and laugh out loud. Put it in

your basket, no matter how much you have, you can’t say you don’t want it. How did this custom come about? According to legend, once upon a time there was a filial girl who married far away and had not seen her mother for many years. On my mother's 66th birthday, the girl specially cut off a piece of meat and rushed back to her parents' home. When everyone saw that she was so far away, they brought a piece of meat to celebrate her mother's birthday.

They all praised her as the meat that fell from my mother's body, and they knew they felt sorry for her. The girls who were married near and far from the village knew about this, and they all learned to do it. "If you eat a piece of your daughter's meat, you can live to be a hundred years old and celebrate your birthday." Mothers also feel honored to be able to eat a piece of their daughter's meat.

"Seventy-three and eighty-four, the king of hell will not ask him to go." It is said that when the old man reaches these two ages, he has reached a "hard time" and is an ominous year. Therefore, many elderly people in Henan are taboo when they reach the age of 73 or 84, and deliberately refer to 73 as 74; they refer to 84 as 85, which means they have overcome difficulties.

Children should help the elderly to tide over difficulties. On their parents’ birthday, buy a carp and let the elderly eat it. Carp

Carp are good at "jumping". With this jump, the old man will be able to overcome the difficulty and be at peace. Other birthday wishes, "noodles

fish" also have this meaning.

No matter what kind of birthday celebration it is, buns and dumplings are not eaten at the birthday banquet, for fear of becoming a "gaspuff", so we usually eat them at home.

< p>5. Funeral food customs

There is a folk saying in Henan that "the old man is buried in peace", so it is also called "happiness". After a person dies,

the bereaved family pays great attention to the diet of the person who dug the grave. In rural areas, there is a rule of "a small drink after a while, and a spoon before eating"

In the Lin County area, when the tomb passage is dug, the daughter and daughter-in-law will wear heavy mourning and carry cooking utensils to the tomb to cook pancakes for the earthworkers to eat. On the day of burial, relatives and friends go to attend the funeral, and neighbors also attend funerals.

At noon, the bereaved family will hold a funeral banquet to entertain guests and people who come to help. Funeral banquets are generally not as sumptuous as wedding banquets, and the atmosphere is solemn. Although there is also wine, it is usually "drinking" and never giving orders. Most people, except for the four meat and four vegetarian dishes that go with wine, put meat, cabbage, vermicelli, etc. together and cook them in a big pot,

one bowl per bowl. The bowls are served, one for each person. As long as there is enough room for eight people at a table, they will serve the food and leave after eating. This is called "flowing water banquet". The steamed buns are usually baked or steamed, and there are also steamed flower cakes. During the meal, the filial son is led by an elder and kowtows to everyone one by one to express gratitude. At this time, the guests should put down their chopsticks and lift the filial son up with both hands.

The flowing water seats in the old days were specially designed by wealthy families to show off their wealth and decorate their facades. During the funeral, whether they knew each other or not, as long as there were enough seats for eight people, wine and food would be served, and the flow would never stop.

When an old person dies, the third and tenth anniversaries are the days of great sacrifice. At that time, the bereaved family usually holds a relatively sumptuous banquet

to entertain the guests, and arranges offerings in front of the deceased's shrine or portrait. A table (generally offering flower buns, fruits, snacks, cigarettes, wine, etc.), burning incense and paper money for sacrifice.