简体中文
By APD writer Zeng Xinlan
In China, traditionally speaking, the Lesser Cold is the 23rd of 24 solar terms - a calendar of twenty-four periods and climate to govern agricultural arrangements in ancient China, indicating the begin of a snow period in northern China as well as the coldest days of the year. It normally falls between January 5th and 7th in the lunisolar calendar, and for 2017 is on January 4th, 2018.
More importantly, Lesser Cold ushers in the season of festivals and celebrations like Laba Festival, Spring Festival and Lantern Festival.
It’s universally acknowledged that food plays an indispensable part in any celebrations. China is no exception. Are there any other better ways than enjoying decent cuisines when celebrating the annual cheerful occasions?
Here come four essential Chinese festival dishes!
Laba Porridge, a typical porridge made of rice, nuts and dried fruit, is served for the Laba Festival, a main event during the Lesser Cold which falls on the 8th day of “layue”- the twelfth month of the Chinese lunar year.
Laba Porridge Ingredients
The Yonghegong Lama Temple in Beijing is a popular holiday “eaterie” for its time-honored tradition of serving porridge to local residents, which dated back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). Every year, thousands of locals gather there on this day to enjoy a bowl of steaming hot porridge, hoping good luck, cheer and prosperity in the approaching New Year.
Each year on the Laba Festival, monks from Yonghegong Lama Temple serve Laba porridge to the locals.
View of Yonghegong Lama Temple
For the Laba festival, in certain areas people make laba garlic- garlic cloves steeped in vinegar. People in Guangdong Province, southern China traditionally cook glutinous rice for breakfast on this day, together with bacon rashers, sliced sausage, peanuts, and green onions.
Glutinous Rice
It is impossible not to mention jiaozi (Chinese dumpling) while talking of Chinese festival food. Jiaozi consist of a ground meat and/or vegetable filling wrapped into a thinly rolled piece of dough, which is then sealed by pressing the edges together, serving as the major dish eaten during the Chinese New Year and year-round in the northern provinces. It’s believed that jiaozi were originally invented to treat frostbitten ears during the era of Eastern Han (AD 25 - 220) by Zhang Zhongjing, a great practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine.
Niangao (Rice Cake), which suggests a better life, is also among the new year festival menu especially in southern China. It is made of glutinous rice powder and can be cooked by frying, steaming, stir-frying or boiling.
When entering the season of festival delicacies, BON APPETITE!
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
