The "Sanfu" days are approaching, and people are once again wondering what to eat during the "Sanfu Festival". July 7th marks the start of "Minor Heat," and July 14th is the beginning of the "First Fu." According to the old custom, "First Fu dumplings, Second Fu noodles, Third Fu pancakes with eggs." Is this old saying correct? What are the benefits of eating these "Sanfu" foods? What should one pay attention to when eating them?
Eating flour-based foods in the summer is beneficial for nutritional supplementation.
The meaning of eating dumplings, pancakes, and noodles during the "Sanfu" days, besides the joy of an abundant grain harvest after the summer wheat harvest, is mainly to remind people that summer diets should not be too makeshift. It's a reminder to treat oneself well and eat more foods rich in protein and B vitamins.
Why treat oneself well? In the summer, high temperatures and heavy sweating lead to significant loss of protein amino acids, as well as large amounts of B vitamins and minerals like potassium and sodium. Compared to rice, white flour has a higher protein content, and its levels of B vitamins and various minerals are about twice that of polished white rice. Therefore, eating flour-based foods is more beneficial for nutritional supplementation.
Among these three flour-based foods—dumplings, noodles, and pancakes—pancakes are the best in terms of cooking method. Because pancakes are not boiled or rinsed with water, the loss of soluble vitamins and minerals is minimal. Dumplings and noodles are boiled, and their soluble nutrients, such as vitamins B1, B2, folic acid, niacin, potassium, and some magnesium, dissolve into the noodle soup. The amount of nutrients lost into the soup is greater than the amount lost due to heat. Therefore, elders often remind their children and grandchildren not to forget to drink the dumpling soup.
However, these dietary customs originated from an era of poverty and nutritional insufficiency. Back then, people mostly ate coarse grains year-round and often didn't have enough to eat. Having a meal of white flour dumplings with meat filling or a white flour pancake with an egg was a considerable luxury. Times have changed, and so should our practices—
First Fu Dumplings: Add some soybean flour to the dough.
Remember to add a little soybean flour to the dough when mixing (one-tenth is enough). This will make the dough more elastic, prevent it from sticking, and improve the nutritional quality of the dumpling wrapper. The dumpling filling should not be a large meatball; use less fatty meat and consider adding various seafood, mushrooms, eggs, and vegetables to reduce the proportion of pork. This will result in dumplings that are light, delicious, and more nutritious. Since the amount of vegetables in the dumplings is still insufficient, it's recommended to add one or two plates of cold dishes as an accompaniment, with some garlic paste and vinegar for a refreshing and antibacterial effect.
Second Fu Noodles: Remember to add some sesame paste.
Don't just make a sauce for cold noodles; instead, enrich the variety of toppings and broth. The broth must contain eggs or meat; for vegetarians, tofu shreds can be used as a substitute to increase protein intake. When eating cold noodles, add more sesame paste. Don't always just use cucumber shreds for the toppings; remember to add blanched greens rich in B vitamins, such as tender green beans, young peas, and edamame. This makes the texture more varied and helps provide more nutrients. As for the noodles themselves, they don't always have to be made from refined white flour. Consider using buckwheat noodles, mung bean noodles, or mixed bean noodles for a richer texture and higher nutritional value.
Third Fu Pancakes with Eggs: They need to be paired with vegetables.
Pancakes and eggs are certainly good, but they lack dietary fiber, potassium, and vitamin C. Adding cold vegetables as a side dish is necessary to achieve a balanced nutritional profile. Pancakes are very filling, and when rolled with eggs, it's easy to overeat, which is not conducive to weight control. Therefore, be sure to use less oil when scrambling the eggs and make the pancakes a bit thinner. If you find pancakes troublesome and too dense, you can actually make a batter with mixed grains and cook it into soft pancakes, which can be eaten rolled with eggs just as well.