Posting autumn fat is a solar term eating custom that is widely spread among Chinese people. It refers to the annual Beginning of Autumn solar term, when people use delicious food to nourish the nutrients consumed in summer. The food used to post autumn fat varies across the country, but most people prefer to eat meat. As the saying goes, "meat is used to post autumn fat." So let us understand the custom of sticking autumn fat in Beijing at the beginning of autumn - eating stewed meat.
In ancient times, at the beginning of autumn, it was popular among the people to weigh people on a hanging scale, and compare their weight with that at the beginning of summer to test whether they were fat or thin. Weight loss was called "bitter summer". At that time, people often only judged health based on fatness and thinness. Of course, if you lose weight, you need to "make up for it." The way to make up for it is to "put on autumn fat" and eat delicious delicacies. On this day, ordinary people eat stewed meat, and more sophisticated people eat white-cut meat, red braised meat, and meat. Stuffed dumplings, stewed chicken, stewed duck, braised fish, etc.
Old Beijingers have always had a saying about "bitter summer". It's too hot in summer and people can't eat anything and feel anorexia. Apart from eating some cold noodles in a variety of ways every day, there is nothing else to eat. This is not only a seasonal reflection, but also a psychological reflection. At the beginning of autumn, although the weather is still very hot, at least people no longer feel wet and uncomfortable. After all, the cool autumn is coming soon.
So people began to have the idea of ??making something delicious to make up for the shortfall since the beginning of summer. What should they eat? The most satisfying thing is stewed meat! Eating stewed meat to make up for the fat lost in the summer is called "meat to put on fat". People in Beijing have a saying of "stewing big meat at the beginning of autumn", and there is also a saying that "it's good to make up for it in autumn and you won't get sick in winter". Every household Beginning of Autumn stew "autumn fat" is indispensable.
The custom of putting autumn fat on children has been around since ancient times, and was most popular during the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China. On the day of the Beginning of Autumn, the best-selling item in the Beijing market is meat. Hui people buy beef and mutton, and Han people buy pork. In short, every household regardless of ethnicity is stewing meat on this day. Beijingers are very particular about eating stewed meat on this day, especially the Han and Manchu ethnic groups. The housewife of the family has to go to the market to buy a large piece of very fresh pork butt meat, wash it at home, and sit on the stove. After the pot is ready, in addition to the meat cut into cubes and water, add onions, ginger, garlic, pepper, aniseed, seasoning packets, miso, salt, and simmer.
The ingredients here are not simple. They are made of cloves, cinnamon, cinnamon, bay leaves, costus, cold ginger, angelica, tangerine peel, cardamom, amomum villosum, longan, cumin, licorice, etc. It is composed of more than 20 kinds of Chinese herbs and spices, and the stewed meat is fragrant. It can be said that on this day, the entire city of Beijing is completely immersed in the aroma of stewed meat.
The meat stewed in this way is both delicious and nutritious. It supplements necessary nutrients, fat, protein, and a variety of trace elements, and also plays a role in enhancing the body's resistance. At the same time, the ingredients in the package The neutralization of various Chinese herbal medicines has the effect of dispelling plague, dehumidification, tonic and diarrhea on the human body.