What custom foods are eaten at the beginning of winter?

What custom foods are eaten at the beginning of winter? The beginning of winter represents that we have entered winter. On the day of the beginning of winter, many places will carry out some special activities of the beginning of winter and eat some Traditional custom food. Let’s take a look at the customary foods eaten at the beginning of winter. What custom foods to eat at the beginning of winter 1

1. Mutton hot pot

Winter is suitable for eating some stomach-warming things, and mutton hot pot is one of them. Because mutton hot pot tastes very warm, if you eat mutton hot pot on the Beginning of Winter, some people will say that you will not get cold all winter long. Moreover, you can also add some of your favorite ingredients to the mutton hot pot, such as various vegetables, which will make your mouth full of flavor.

2. Dumplings

Chinese people have a custom of eating dumplings no matter what the festival is, because dumplings have a better meaning and they have It comes with vegetables and is delicious no matter what the fillings are. Our country attaches great importance to the 24 solar terms, and dumplings have become the main theme of entertaining relatives and friends in winter.

3. Red bean and glutinous rice

Eating this kind of food comes from a legend. There is a man named Mr. Gong. His son did many evil things and died on the winter solstice. , but it does not stop after death. In the water towns in the south of the Yangtze River, there is a custom of the whole family gathering together to eat red beans and glutinous rice on the night of the beginning of winter. According to legend, there was a man named Mr. Gong whose son turned into a ghost and harmed the people. However, this man did not like eating red beans, so people ate red beans on the winter solstice to resist the harm of the ghosts. Slowly it became a tradition.

4. Sesame dumplings

Sesame dumplings are a famous snack in the Yangtze River Basin, including white sesame dumplings and green sesame dumplings. It is spherical in shape, which means reunion. It is very similar to the Lantern Festival in the north, and is larger than the Lantern Festival, about the size of an apple. The outer layer of the dough is crispy and crispy, and the various spices inside the dough will be heated along with the dough, making it full of fragrance. What are the customary foods to eat at the beginning of winter 2

Folk customs at the beginning of winter

1. Eating dumplings at the beginning of winter

In rural areas, there are generally many traditional customs, which also reflects the rural Folk culture, when it comes to eating dumplings at the beginning of winter, many people may know it. Of course, some people may now eat dumplings as a daily routine, and they don’t have to wait until the festival to eat them. So why do we eat dumplings at the beginning of winter? Woolen cloth? There is an old saying that goes, "If you don't serve dumplings at the beginning of winter, your ears will freeze and no one will care." In the past, rural areas had poor thermal insulation, and it was difficult to have a hot meal. Many people often get frozen ears or faces in winter. In the past, ancient people thought that eating hot dumplings would warm up the whole body and prevent cold ears. In addition, many people thought that dumplings were more like an ear and thought that eating dumplings could mend their ears. Of course, this is just people. It is a kind of beautiful expectation, so eating dumplings at the beginning of winter has been passed down to this day.

2. Nourishing the body at the beginning of winter is commonly known as "tonifying the winter"

This "toning for the winter" is actually a custom in many places, such as in Fujian , because the local climate is relatively adaptable, and it is not too cold at the beginning of winter, but people also use some delicacies and Chinese herbal medicines to nourish the body. In addition, in some places in the north, there is also a saying of "tonifying the winter," but they all say that eating a lot of food Fish and meat. At the beginning of winter, the weather starts to get colder and food is relatively scarce. In order to spend a good winter, some local people will eat some big fish and meat to nourish themselves and prepare for the cold winter.

3. Welcome the "Winter God"

In ancient times, there was an allusion of "giving winter clothes to ministers and showing pity to orphans and widows." In ancient times, people would hold grand sacrifices. This activity is used to welcome the "Winter God", and it is also to pray for good weather in the coming year, safe crops for the winter, and a bumper harvest of food in the coming year. This is not superstitious. Aren't there many festivals that also have sacrificial activities? This is just everyone’s vision for a better life in the future.

4. Swimming at the beginning of winter

This custom is generally less common in the north, because the weather is colder, and both the river and the Yellow River are cooler. In some places in the south, local people go swimming on the day of Beginning of Winter. It is understood that swimming in winter can increase disease resistance. Of course, this is not suitable for everyone from a scientific point of view, but this was also what people used to do to welcome Beginning of Winter. It’s just an activity. What are the customary foods to eat at the beginning of winter 3

The origin of eating dumplings at the beginning of winter

The beginning of winter has the meaning of harvesting in autumn and storing in winter. Our country used to be a farming society. People who worked for a year used the beginning of winter to eat dumplings. Take a break on this day and reward the family for their hard work over the past year. There is a proverb, "The beginning of winter makes up for the winter, and makes up for the empty mouth" is the best metaphor. In the northern region, people like to use dumplings as a tonic food at the beginning of winter.

Explanation in ancient Chinese medicine: The arrival of this solar term means that Yang Qi is hidden, Yin Qi is at its peak, vegetation withers and insects hide, and the activities of all things tend to stop, hibernating and nourishing essence. Recharge and prepare for the coming spring. Since you want to recharge your batteries, you must take food supplements to increase various types of immunity in winter, so you choose simple and easy-to-get dumplings as food supplement materials.

According to legend, dumplings are said to have originated from the "time of Jiaozi". New Year's Eve is the turn of the old year and the new year, and Beginning of Winter is the turn of autumn and winter. There is a folk custom of "dumplings must be eaten on every occasion". So on the day of the Beginning of Winter, all kinds of dumplings will be very popular.

In addition, the cold climate in winter affects the human body's endocrine system. In daily diet, the human body needs to "supplement" to increase the intake of various nutrients. Dumplings can meet this requirement in terms of production type, nutrition, taste, etc., so they are naturally very popular.

From the perspective of cooking science, steamed dumplings use water (steam) as the medium for cooking, and the temperature is only about 100 degrees Celsius, which can both cook the food and sterilize it, thus avoiding the risk of cooking under the conditions of barbecue and frying. Benzopyrene and other strong carcinogens ensure food safety. Moreover, the nutrients of food will not be lost due to peroxidation or hydrolysis during the cooking process.

From the perspective of dietary structure, the fillings of dumplings are wrapped in the dough, which can achieve a suitable combination of cereals, vegetables, fruits, and meat, making the main and non-staple foods reasonable, nutritious, and acid-base balanced. Meal pagoda-shaped structure.

From a nutritional point of view, steaming and cooking dumplings with water (steam) as the heat transfer medium can fully decompose the starchy polysaccharides in the food and facilitate absorption by the human body.

Suitable for Chinese people’s stomach and eating habits. It complies with the health-preserving principles of "eating and drinking in moderation", "harmonizing the five flavors" and "harmonizing the skills".

Although there are different opinions, the concept of "replenishing winter" is relatively unified. Health experts remind that the diet after the beginning of winter should be mainly warming and tonic. You can eat higher-calorie meals and eat less raw and cold foods. Friends who like meat should eat more fruits and vegetables.