Hong Kong Winter Solstice eat Poon Choi, Crispy Roast Pork, White Chicken and Snake Soup.

Poon Choi, which originated in the Hakka walled villages in Hong Kong's New Territories. It is a more down-to-earth dish in its own right, but over the past 30 years, it has become increasingly elaborate and sophisticated. Poon Choi represents a family sitting around together, signifying family reunion and auspicious celebrations.

Poon choi has six layers, with the basic ingredients starting at the top with seafood, such as abalone and sauteed shrimp, followed by deep-fried door eel and pangolin balls, followed by bamboo sticks, squid and mushrooms, and at the bottom by radish and pork rinds. From the seafood at the beginning to the radish and pork rind at the end, the soup and the essence of each ingredient are fully utilized. The more you eat, the more flavorful it becomes, which is unique to Poon Choi, and the ingredients in Poon Choi also have a happy meaning.

Crispy roast pork has the meaning of red skin and red strong, because of its bright and crispy skin color, it has the meaning of good health, no taboo, is the favorite of the elderly. However, one of the most obvious differences between the Hong Kong and Macau practices is that in Hong Kong, people will use the whole pig to handle it, and there will be different parts such as pork ribs to choose from.

Introduction to the Winter Solstice

The Winter Solstice, also known as the Day of the South Solstice, the Winter Festival, the Year of Asia, and so on, combines two major connotations of nature and humanities, and is both an important festival among the twenty-four seasons, as well as a traditional festival of ancestor worship for the Chinese folk. The winter solstice is one of the four seasons and eight festivals, and is regarded as a big festival in winter, and in ancient folklore, the winter solstice is as big as the New Year. Winter solstice customs vary from region to region and there are differences in the content or details of the customs. In the southern part of China, there is the custom of ancestor worship, feasting and drinking on the winter solstice, and in the northern part of China, there is the custom of eating dumplings on the winter solstice every year.

Winter Solstice is a day when the sun is low and the days are short, but meteorologically, it is not the lowest temperature. In fact, it is usually not very cold before the winter solstice because there is still heat on the surface of the earth, and the real cold comes after the winter solstice. Due to the wide range of climates across China, this climatic significance of winter is clearly on the late side for most parts of the country. The winter solstice marks the beginning of the cold season.