Dumplings

The Beginning of Winter solar term means harvesting in autumn and storing in winter. Our country used to be a farming society. People who worked for a year took advantage of the Beginning of Winter to take a break and reward the whole family. A year of hard work. 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.

Dumplings are a folk food with a long history. Dumplings are also a unique folk tradition of the Chinese people during the Spring Festival. Because it means "Gengsuijiaozi", it is very popular among the people. There is a saying among the people that “dumplings are not as delicious as dumplings”. During the Spring Festival, dumplings have become an indispensable delicacy.

Ginger Duck

On the day of the Beginning of Winter in Taiwan, winter tonic restaurants such as ‘Mutton Stove’ and ‘Ginger Duck’ are packed with customers. Many families also stew sesame oil chicken and Siwu chicken to replenish energy.

Red bean glutinous rice

In the Jiangnan water towns, there is a custom of the whole family gathering together to eat red bean glutinous rice on the night of the beginning of winter. According to legend, there was a man named Mr. Gong whose son was not successful and committed many evil deeds. He died on the winter solstice. After his death, he turned into a plague ghost and continued to harm the people. However, this plague ghost is most afraid of red beans, so people cook and eat red bean rice on the winter solstice to ward off plague ghosts and prevent disasters and diseases.

Dumplings

Dumplings are a famous snack in the Yangtze River Basin. There are two types of dumplings: white dumplings and green dumplings. The dumpling is in the shape of a ball, which means reunion. It is similar to the Lantern Festival in the north, and is larger than the Lantern Festival, about the size of an apple. An adult with a big appetite will feel full after eating three. The outer layer of the dumplings is crispy and crispy, and the various spices inside will also be heated as the dumplings are heated, and the aroma will come out.

Duanzi have the same structure as steamed buns. The outer layer is glutinous rice and the inner layer is filled with various fillings. The fillings of dumplings are rich: meat, dried tofu, mustard, garlic, ginger, chives, lotus root, prunes, and peppers. Chop them into fine dices, season them, stir-fry them in a pot, and season with salt. After cooling, start wrapping the dumplings with the drained glutinous rice paste.

Bacon and vegetable rice

Eating a bowl of bacon and vegetable rice at the beginning of winter is a special custom of old Suzhou people. Using frost-beaten green vegetables, bacon with both fat and lean meat, and rice vinegar as raw materials, using a brick stove and using straw as fuel, the rice cooked is fragrant and glutinous. Although bacon and vegetable rice is not included in Suzhou's famous recipes, it has never lacked diners who love it.

In fact, eating salty meat, vegetables and rice has another meaning, that is, eating salty food can nourish the kidneys. Salty taste has been listed as the first of the five tastes since ancient times. After the beginning of winter, the weather becomes colder, which is most likely to damage the yang energy of the kidneys. Salty food enters the kidneys and can have a kidney-tonifying effect. However, it should be noted that patients with high blood pressure should not eat too much salt.

Sugar cane

In the Chaoshan area, sugar cane and fried rice are eaten at the beginning of winter. Sugarcane can become one of the foods that "supplement the winter" because there is a folk saying that "eating sugarcane at the beginning of winter will relieve toothache", which means that the sugarcane in "beginning of winter" has matured and will not cause internal heat after eating it. At this time, "eating sugarcane" It can not only protect teeth, but also have a nourishing effect.

Caogen Decoction

The beginning of winter, commonly known as "Jiaodong" in Fujian, means the turn of autumn and winter. At the beginning of winter to "replenish the winter", every household should make grass root soup. Chop the roots of Angelica dahuricae, Litsea cubeba root, Litsea cubeba root, Diminus root, etc. into slices, boil them in a pot to make a thick grass root soup, and remove the roots. Blocks, then add chicken, duck, rabbit or pig's trotters, pork belly, etc. to cook.

獍粑

On this day, rural families in Zhangzhou will pound "Jiaodong Ci" to celebrate the good harvest. After the glutinous rice is steamed, pour it into a stone mortar, pound it until it is tough and sticky, cut it into the size of a table tennis ball, and knead it into a ball; fry the peanut until it is fragrant, grind it finely, and mix it with the sugar. . The prepared small glutinous rice cakes are rolled in sugar and peanut powder and placed in a large bowl. When eating, use chopsticks to skewer a few grains at a time, like a rattle, so it is also called "Rattle Ci". To make a good "Jiao Dong Ci", you have to pay respect to the God of the Earth and thank him for his generous giving.

Pockmarked Fruit

At the beginning of winter, every family in Shangrao has the custom of picking Pockmarked Fruit to "supplement the winter" (folks believe that Pockmarked Fruit is a food supplement).

Pockmarked fruit is a Han specialty snack popular in Shangrao and Fuzhou. It means placing the steamed and mashed glutinous rice in a special stone trough (called a "mortar"), first pounding it with a wooden hammer, and then beating it hard, and then use clean hands to squeeze the large balls of pockmarked fruit into about 3cm. A kind of sweet made by wrapping the outside with crushed fried beans, sesame seeds, white sugar, etc.