Lidong is one of the 24 solar terms in the lunar calendar. In winter, everything is collected. The beginning of winter not only represents the coming of winter, to be exact, it means the beginning of winter, the collection of everything and the return to avoid the cold. Zuoshuihe's poem "beginning of winter" says that the north wind is cold and cold, and the sparse wood shakes the sky and is half green and yellow. Dikes were built in the four fields to prevent drought and flood, and thousands of homes were prepared to store sun dried goods. '
Lidong, also known as "Jiaodong", has entered the winter season in time sequence. There is a common custom among the people to "enter the winter to supplement the winter". The ancients believed that when the weather turned cold, we should supplement our body with nutrition.
Diet regulation should follow the ancient maxims of "Nourishing Yin in autumn and winter", "no disturbance to the Yang", "tonifying the deficiency, warming the cold", and adjust diet with the change of climate. In Yuan Dynasty, Hu Sihui's book "just about to eat food" said: 'in winter, it's better to eat millet to cure the cold with heat. That is to say, we should eat less raw and cold, but not dry and hot.
In Jiangsu, in the early winter, people like to eat some chicken, duck and fish. The custom of supplement is different in the South and the north of Jiangsu. People in southern Jiangsu have always had the habit of drinking mutton soup in winter. As an annual tonic in winter, "a bowl of mutton soup a day, without a doctor's prescription".
In Northern Jiangsu, most people eat dumplings. Dumplings come from the saying of "when you have children". New year's Eve is the turning point of the old year and the new year, and the beginning of winter is the turning point of autumn and winter. Therefore, dumplings at the time of "turning over" must not be eaten. Now people have gradually restored this old custom. On the first day of winter, all kinds of dumplings are selling very well.
At the turn of the season, here's a Jiangsu food tip to tell you what you should eat after the beginning of winter, so as to ensure your health in winter.
1. Eat a bowl of salted meat, vegetable and rice to nourish the kidney
It is a special custom of the people in southern Jiangsu to eat a bowl of salted meat and vegetable rice in winter. The frosted salted diced meat with short feet and green legs, fat and thin, and the glutinous, smooth and sweet new rice make the stove fragrant in half an hour.
Stew for a while, put a spoon in the porcelain bowl, then use chopsticks to cut a small piece of apricot lard. With the temperature of the rice, the lard gradually melts into the rice. Although the pickled rice is not included in the Su cuisine recipe, there is no lack of customers who love it.
2. A bowl of mutton to withstand the cold
In winter, there are two big days to eat mutton, one is the beginning of winter, the other is the winter solstice. Mutton has the effect of benefiting kidney, nourishing liver, resisting cold and removing dampness. Therefore, Jiangsu people firmly believe that the warmth of a bowl of mutton soup is enough to withstand the cold of winter.
The delicacy of mutton in white soup, braised mutton, braised mutton chops, mutton hotpot & hellip; & hellip; has been brought into full play in every dish. A small plate of cold Tibetan sheep cake, a large bowl of boiling thick white sheep soup, alternating cold and hot, make the process of tasting delicious food interesting.
But although mutton is good, it can't be eaten too much. When eating mutton, it's best to mix with cool and sweet vegetables, such as cabbage, potatoes, etc., to play a balanced role. For people with hot constitution, mutton is not suitable for eating.
3. Eat crabs
The west wind blows, the crab's feet itch, the crab starts to winter, and there is no trace of its shadow. After the beginning of winter, there will be fewer and fewer crabs, but the crabs at this time are really long-term. Both male and female crabs, crab cream and crab oil are full and mellow with the best flavor. It's no wonder that Ms. Tang Guoli, Zhang Taiyan's wife, once said, "it's not Yangcheng Lake crab. Why live in Suzhou this life?".
The most common way for Suzhou people to eat crabs is to cook them. In Suzhou dialect, the pronunciation of "boiled" is similar to "Zha". Therefore, some people say that the original meaning of hairy crabs is "boiled crabs". Although this is just a statement, it is also enough to prove that the original flavor of eating crabs in Suzhou is authentic.