As the saying goes, "When you drink jiaozi soup on the solstice in winter, you are not afraid of frostbite". Many "old Nanjing" still have the custom of eating jiaozi on the solstice in winter. Jiaozi was originally a dietotherapy method to prevent and treat chilblain. According to legend, it was invented by Zhang Zhongjing, a "medical sage", to treat human ear frostbite.

Nanjing people start to eat "winter dumplings" from the winter solstice, which is different from what they eat in other seasons. To sum up, it is to highlight with the words "ginger", "spicy", "miscellaneous" and "diligent".

"Ginger" is the dumpling stuffing at this time, which is characterized by a lot of ginger. "Spicy" means that when eating jiaozi, in addition to the vinegar plate, there is also a bowl filled with half pepper and Chili sauce. "Miscellaneous" refers to the jiaozi packed by Nanjing people at this time. In addition to the usual meat, vegetables or soybean sprouts, winter ingredients such as black fungus, tofu, radish and daylily are specially added, which is really "colorful and delicious". "Diligence" refers to what jiaozi often does after Nanjing people enter winter.

2. Chicken soup

In the winter solstice in old Nanjing, there are two things you must eat-drinking chicken soup and eating tofu. According to folklore, drinking chicken soup on the solstice in winter can make up for a year. In the past, people made up for the winter solstice so that they could have the strength to do farm work next spring. Although life is good now, the custom of drinking chicken soup on the solstice in winter has always been preserved.

Drinking ginseng chicken soup in winter is a popular nourishing method in China. Ginseng can enhance human immunity and reduce the chance of catching a cold in winter. Adding red pepper to chicken soup not only increases the freshness and spicy taste, but also is beneficial to health. Capsaicin in pepper has antibacterial effect, which helps to relieve nasal congestion symptoms such as headache. Lemon juice can make the flavor of classic chicken soup more unique, and at the same time increase the intake of extra vitamin C.

However, not everyone can drink chicken soup, and patients with biliary tract diseases should not drink more chicken soup, because the digestion of fat in chicken soup requires bile to participate, and drinking chicken soup will stimulate gallbladder contraction and easily cause cholecystitis; People with hyperacidity should not drink chicken soup because chicken soup can stimulate gastric acid secretion; People with renal insufficiency should not drink chicken soup because it contains some small molecules from protein. Drinking too much chicken soup will cause hyperandrogenism and aggravate the condition.

3. Tofu

In the old folk custom in Nanjing, tofu is also eaten on the solstice in winter, which means happiness. People in Nanjing eat "Fried Tofu with Onions" on the solstice in winter. According to legend, this custom was handed down by Liu Ji in the Ming Dynasty.

After Ming Taizu made Nanjing its capital, he ordered Liu Ji to build an imperial city. Because Liu Ji didn't want to collude with corrupt officials, he was falsely accused by all corrupt officials of embezzling gold and silver. Zhu Yuanzhang was furious and ordered Liu Ji to hand in the books for future reference. Liu Ji is convenient for the solstice of winter. He is holding an account book in his left hand and a crock in his right hand to meet you in the temple. Zhu Yuanzhang curiously opened the crock and saw that it was full of a pot of shallots and tofu; When I looked up at Liu Ji again, I saw his face solemn and upright, and I realized that I had misjudged Zhong Liang. So I laughed at myself: "Boiled chives and bean curd brain are as white as a cucumber."

Since then, every household in Nanjing has to eat onions and make tofu from winter to Sunday. There is also a meaning of "making rich" and "getting rich". Similar to Nanjing, the winter solstice customs in Taizhou, Yangzhou and Nantong are basically the same.

4. Silver carp

Speaking of the solstice in winter, the old Nanjing people certainly can't sacrifice their ancestors. In the past, ancestor worship activities from the winter solstice were as grand as those in the Spring Festival. The most special sacrifice was silver carp, which means to comfort ancestors with fireworks at home. After the ancestor worship, people in Nanjing will worship heaven and earth at the gate, which is called "receiving winter". In addition, glutinous rice and red bean paste balls are used for reunion in the family banquet prepared for the "Winter Solstice" in Nanjing.

Extended data:

Festival custom

1, South

Many places in southern China will celebrate the winter solstice. Winter solstice is a traditional festival to worship the heavens and ancestors, and it is one of the eight major festivals in a year. On this day, people should worship their ancestors to God. There is a saying that "the winter festival is as big as a year, and it will never come back." People who go out must go home to worship their ancestors on the solstice of winter. Due to different local customs and habits, the forms of ancestor worship are also different. After the ancestor worship ceremony, there is usually a big banquet to entertain the people who come to worship their ancestors. Everyone drinks heartily and contacts each other with long-lost feelings. Many places regard the winter solstice as a festival of reunion.

2. North

In many parts of northern China, it is a custom to eat jiaozi every winter solstice. As the saying goes: "On October 1st, when the solstice of winter comes, every family eats jiaozi." North China will eat jiaozi on this day, because jiaozi means "dispelling cold". Up to now, there is a folk proverb that "on the solstice of winter, jiaozi bowls are improper and nobody cares about frozen ears".