The Winter Solstice is a traditional solar term. So, what are the traditional foods eaten during the Winter Solstice?
1. Dumplings
Legend has it that the famous Henan physician Zhang Zhongjing, concerned for the poor people, set up a medical shelter on an open space at the east gate of Nanyang on the day of the Winter Solstice. He distributed "Quhan Jiao'er Tang" ("Jiao'er" are today's dumplings) to the poor. After eating it, people would feel warm all over and their ears would feel hot.
Tips: Quhan Jiao'er Tang
Method: First, boil lamb, chili peppers, and some medicinal herbs for dispelling cold in a pot. After they are cooked, remove the lamb and herbs, chop them up, and wrap them in a dough skin into "Jiao'er" shaped like ears. Then, boil them again in the pot. Each person gets a large bowl of soup and two servings of Jiao'er.
2. Wontons
Old Beijing has a saying, "Wontons for the Winter Solstice, noodles for the Summer Solstice." The "Yanjing Shishiji" (Record of the Seasons in the Capital) says: "The shape of wontons is like an egg, quite similar to the image of the primordial chaos of heaven and earth, so they are eaten on the Winter Solstice." Besides the similar shape, the word "wonton" (huntun) is also a homophone for "chaos" (hundun).
3. Tangyuan
In the Jiangnan region, tangyuan are an essential food for the Winter Solstice. This is a round sweet dumpling made from glutinous rice flour. "Yuan" (round) signifies reunion and completeness. The tangyuan eaten during the Winter Solstice is also called "Winter Solstice balls." An ancient poem says: "Every household pounds rice to make tangyuan, knowing it is the Winter Solstice tomorrow." Tangyuan are also divided into two types: "fentuan" and "fenyuan." The "Qing Jialu" (Record of Fine Customs in Qing) states: "Those with filling and large are called fentuan, a food for offering to ancestors on the night of the Winter Solstice; those without filling and small are called fenyuan, a food for offering to gods on the morning of the Winter Solstice."
4. Lamb
In many northern regions, there is a custom of eating dog meat and lamb during the Winter Solstice. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that both lamb and dog meat have the effect of strengthening the body and warming the yang. In fact, in the Jiangnan region, people in Suzhou also begin to nourish their bodies from the Winter Solstice, and what they eat is the world-famous Wuzhong Cangshu lamb.
5. Radish
There is a folk saying: "Radish in winter, ginger in summer; eating them in season keeps illness away." Another saying goes: "Winter radish is better than ginseng." On the night of the Winter Solstice, it is the perfect time to simmer a pot of hot radish and pork rib soup for the family to reunite and celebrate this long-standing "Sub-Solar" festival.
There are many foods suitable for winter nourishment, which can be broadly divided into three categories: neutral nourishment (pingbu), warming nourishment (wenbu), and nourishing yin (zibu). Generally speaking, warming nourishment is suitable for those with qi deficiency, using warming foods. Nourishing yin is suitable for those with blood deficiency, using cooling foods. If there is no qi or blood deficiency, neutral foods are suitable, which is called neutral nourishment.
◆ Neutral nourishment: Pork and its liver, kidneys, lungs, eggs, hens, ducks, tofu, celery, radish, longan, mushrooms, honey, royal jelly, etc.
◇ Nourishing yin: Soft-shelled turtle, crucian carp, mussel, kelp, jellyfish, pear, tangerine, apple, banana, lily, sesame, mung bean, red bean, pea, daylily, tremella, bird's nest, etc.
◆ Warming nourishment: Lamb, beef and their offal, dog meat, rooster, goose, sea cucumber, cuttlefish, venison, jujube, walnut, hyacinth bean, potato and yam, onion, garlic, chive, ginger, broad bean, wheat flour, alcoholic beverages, etc.
In addition to paying attention to the selection of foods, one must also pay attention to cooking methods: For nourishing yin foods, it is best to stew, steam, or simmer in soup with a light taste. For warming nourishment foods, it is best to braise or soy-sauce stew with a rich taste. For neutral nourishment foods, both methods can be used, and the taste should be mainly mild.
What are the traditional foods for the Winter Solstice? Besides dumplings, remember there are many others.