Laba porridge

Laba porridge, also known as "seven treasures and five flavors porridge", "Buddha porridge" and "everyone's rice", is a kind of porridge made of various ingredients. The origin of the custom of drinking Laba porridge on Laba day is related to the story of Buddha becoming a Buddha. Therefore, Li Fu, a scholar in Suzhou in the Qing Dynasty, once wrote a poem: "The porridge on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month came from the kingdom of Brahma, and the seven treasures were beautifully blended, and the five flavors were fragrant." The custom of drinking Laba porridge on Laba Festival comes from Buddhism. The eighth day of December is the day when Buddha Sakyamuni became a Buddha. In order not to forget the suffering before Buddha became a Buddha, but also to commemorate the Buddha's enlightenment on the eighth day of December, ancient Indians ate mixed porridge as a commemoration. Since Buddhism was introduced to China from ancient India, temples have made porridge out of fragrant valleys and fruits and presented it to disciples and faithful men and women. On this day, various monasteries held dharma meetings, imitating the story of a herdess offering chyle before the Buddha became a Taoist, and cooking porridge with fragrant grains and fruits for the Buddha, named Laba porridge. Some monasteries held bowls by monks before the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, and almed along the street to cook the collected rice, chestnuts, dates and nuts into Laba porridge and distribute it to the poor. Everyone thinks that eating it can be blessed by the Buddha, so poor people call it "Buddha porridge" Generally speaking, the Buddhist porridge in the temple is delicious and abundant to meet the needs of good men and women who come to the temple to attend the memorial ceremony. Some believers came specially for "porridge", thinking that Laba's porridge for the Buddha was auspicious, not only for their own consumption, but also for their families to enjoy. Year after year, the tradition of making Laba porridge in monasteries has spread widely to the people, thus gradually forming the custom of drinking Laba porridge on Laba Festival in northern China.

Laba vinegar

Laba vinegar is a traditional custom of Laba Festival. The custom of soaking garlic with vinegar on Laba day is called Laba vinegar. Laba vinegar should be soaked in the first day of the Lunar New Year, and you should eat jiaozi on the first day, and you should be a vegetarian in jiaozi. You should take a vegetarian diet for one year and dip it in Laba vinegar, which will give you a unique taste. "Laba vinegar" not only tastes mellow, but also does not go bad for a long time.

Laba garlic

On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the atmosphere of Chinese New Year is getting worse day by day. In most parts of North China, the custom of soaking garlic with vinegar is called Laba garlic. Laba garlic is brewed on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, which is a custom in North China. Its materials are vinegar and garlic cloves.

Eating ice

On the day before Laba, people usually use steel pots to scoop water to freeze, and when it comes to Laba, they will remove the ice and break it into pieces. It is said that the ice on this day is magical, and eating it will not cause a stomachache in the next year.

laba tofu

laba tofu is one of the traditional folk snacks in yi county, Anhui province, and it is a holiday custom. On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, every household has to bake tofu, which is called "Laba tofu" by the people.

laba noodles

laba noodles, the seasonal food of laba festival. Traditional pasta is popular in Guanzhong area, Shaanxi Province. In Chengcheng area around Weibei, Shaanxi Province, porridge is generally not drunk on Laba Festival. Every year on the morning of the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, every household has to eat bowls of Laba noodles.

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Mairen rice

Xining Laba Festival does not drink porridge, but eats Mairen rice. On the night of the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, the newly ground wheat kernels are cooked with beef and mutton, with green salt, ginger skin, pepper, tsaoko, Miao Xiang and other condiments, and boiled overnight with slow fire. According to the legend in Qinghai, the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month is the day when Sakyamuni became a Taoist priest. Before the Taoist priest became a Taoist priest, a shepherdess offered chyle and made porridge with fragrant grains and fruits for the Buddha. That porridge was Mairen porridge, which later became "Laba porridge" in Qinghai. According to this practice, later generations made this kind of diet in Qinghai people's diet It has also become popular in restaurants.