The Mid-Autumn Festival on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month is also a festival for ancestor worship. Chickens can't be sacrificed, because their paws will dig out all the money and things given to their ancestors, and the thoughts of the younger generation can't reach their ancestors, so ducks are sent as messengers of sacrifices. Why did you send ducks as sacrificial messengers? Because we have to cross the river to the "underworld", there is only one Naihe Bridge on the river. There are too many messengers, and the bridge is crowded. Ducks can swim to the other side with their ancestors' offerings, so ducks are the main offerings on the Mid-Autumn Festival. After the sacrificial ceremony, people spread blessings on the remaining ducks, so the custom of eating ducks in the Mid-Autumn Festival was handed down.
There are also people who eat ducks in the Mid-Autumn Festival, because it is said that the deceased ancestors will go home to visit relatives and cross the Naihe Bridge in the Mid-Autumn Festival, but they can't cross without a boat. Therefore, the living have to send some ducks down, let them swim and take them back. Over time, eating ducks on Halloween has become a tradition.
According to legend, ancient northerners attacked the south, but they could not cross the river for a long time. It was not until mid-July that northerners wanted to kill ducks and eat them, praying that they could adapt to the water, which also meant celebrating the Spring Festival ahead of schedule. With the passage of time, it has become a tradition for people to eat ducks on Mid-Autumn Festival and Ghost Festival.
Later, people all over the world gave them all kinds of legends, basically meaning exorcism. "Duck" means "pressure", which is homophonic. Eating ducks is to crush ghosts. People in Dongguan usually eat lotus root and roast duck.
"Ghost Festival" is actually a kind of soul worship. On this day, people burn incense to worship their ancestors, pray for the health and safety of their families, and take this opportunity to reunite with their families. Eating ducks on this day, another reliable statement is that before planting rice in rural areas of Guangxi, every household bought 10 ducks to raise. After cutting rice, ducks can eat the remaining millet and small animals in the field, reducing the cost. In the second season of rice planting, farmers began to kill ducks for the festival in order to reward themselves. As time goes on, people are used to eating ducks on this day.
Early April is a good time to raise ducks every year. At the end of July and the beginning of August, ducks grow up and mature, and the meat is delicious. At this time, it is the best food to worship ancestors and exorcise ghosts with ducks. Some people think that eating ducks at this time can dispel the liver fire and prevent autumn dryness caused by seasonal reasons.
In addition, duck meat is suitable for people with internal heat and excessive internal heat, especially for people with low fever, weak constitution, loss of appetite, dry stool and edema. At the same time, it is suitable for malnutrition, physical weakness, night sweats, nocturnal emission, menorrhagia, dry throat, postpartum thirst, etc.
The choice of duck breeds is also particular. Beijing roast duck is delicious, but its fat content is as high as 40%. Eating in summer is too greasy. It is best to choose thinner lake ducks and green ducks (the feathers on their heads are turquoise). First, there is less oil; Second, it has a strong diuretic effect.
"Chicken soup, duck flavor", duck stew in summer is the best, not only delicious, but also the most nourishing. Stewed ham and sea cucumber with duck meat is good for nourishing yin of five internal organs; Duck cooked with glutinous rice can nourish stomach, enrich blood and produce fluid. Stewing duck and kelp can soften blood vessels, lower blood pressure and prevent arteriosclerosis, hypertension and heart disease.
Although duck meat is rich in nutrition, it should be noted when eating: duck meat is a fatty food, so you can't eat too much. Especially people with obesity and arteriosclerosis should eat less. People who have a cold should not eat it. People who have a cold should eat spicy food, and ducks love evil spirits, which can make the cold lingering and difficult to heal. Patients with chronic enteritis should use it with caution, because duck meat tastes sweet and salty, slides down and is rich in oil. Eating it will aggravate enteritis and diarrhea.
Traditional food for Mid-Autumn Festival.
1. Eat rice noodles.
In the Mid-Autumn Festival, there is a custom of eating glutinous rice flour in Dongguan, and it is widely used in almost all Dongguan. Of course, different regions have different ways to eat rice noodles. Seto powder, the traditional food of Dongguan birthday party, means long life and longevity.
The most famous ones in Dongguan are roasted goose and wrasse. Roasted goose wrasse, the most exquisite thing is a pot of delicious soup, which is made of whole chicken, large pieces of meat and bones, and many special herbs and spices. When eating, blanch Seto flour in hot water and put it in a bowl, then add a tablespoon of broth and spread a layer of crispy roast goose on the flour.
Step 2 steam sheep
In rural areas of old Beijing and northern China, on July 15, grandpa and uncle will send live sheep to their little nephew, which is very popular among the people. This custom is related to the legend that agarwood splits the mountain to save mother. After cutting down the mountain to save her mother, Chen Xiang had to hunt down her abusive uncle Erlang God. Erlang God sends Chen a pair of live sheep every July 15 to rebuild the friendship between brothers, sisters and uncles. It is said that this is the homonym of Sean and Sean's mother's surname "Yang", for family reunion. Since then, the folk custom of uncle sending live sheep has been preserved and gradually evolved into sending a pair of sheep.
There is also a saying in this folk custom that the mother molded a pair of sheep with white flour for her married daughter, steamed them and wrapped their heads in red cloth. The bride's family will form a small team to send sheep to the new uncle's house. The new uncle will cut the sheep and hang the first piece cut with red rope in the living room. This kind of "noodle mutton" can't be taken down until the new noodle mutton is delivered on July 15 of the following year. Among them, it is emphasized that "Chen Yang has seen a new sheep for one more year." After the new son-in-law shears the sheep, he eats the sheep's head, the married daughter eats the sheep's feet, and the rest is distributed to the man's elders and neighbors to show harmony and happiness.
3. Eat steamed buns.
Before July 15th, folk women were very popular in dough mixing activities, especially in northern Shaanxi. There is a steamed bread at home, and the neighbors help. First of all, according to the actual number of families, give everyone a big bag first.
The steamed stuffed bun for young students should be made into a flat shape, called a goat, and the lamb will kneel on the ground when feeding. I hope young students will not forget their parents' kindness. The flower buns for the older generation should be made into the shape of adults, called dough figurines, which means that children and grandchildren are full and live a long life. The steamed buns for colleagues should be made into the shape of fish, called noodle fish, which means more than one year in a row.
4. eat ducks.
On the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, which is the New Year in China, many places in China will choose to eat ducks. Why? It turns out that "duck" means "pressure". In its homonym, eating duck means suppressing ghosts. Besides, the chicken feet are rake-shaped, and it is easy to catch off the ghost clothes (probably because they are afraid of resentment and refuse to return to their original places), so it is reasonable to choose the flat-footed duck. People in Dongguan usually eat lotus root and roast duck.
Eating ducks in the Mid-Autumn Festival is because it is said that the dead ancestors will go home to visit relatives and cross the Naihe Bridge in the Mid-Autumn Festival, but they can't cross without a boat. Therefore, the living have to send some ducks down, let them swim and take them back. Over time, eating ducks on Halloween has become a tradition.
Eat light food
In Dongxian Town, Jiangsu Province, many villagers eat flat food (a dustpan-shaped food made of flour and sugar) during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Now some people call flat food jiaozi, but it is very different from jiaozi. The difference between flat food and jiaozi lies in the skin first, and then in the stuffing.
As far as skin is concerned, dumpling skin is thick, and flat food skin is as thin as cicada's wings, crystal clear. Jiaozi is very small, only the size of a thumb, so jiaozi is smaller. Although there are more than a dozen jiaozi bowls, only one third of them are soup. Moreover, the stuffing in jiaozi is relatively simple, and there are more vegetarian dishes and seasonings in the pork. Very different from vegetarian dishes. Not only meat dishes can be stuffed, but also chickens, ducks, fish, crabs and tender soybeans can be stuffed, and special attention should be paid to collocation, such as chicken breast with celery, pork with shepherd's purse, eggs with leeks and so on.
6. Eat "jiaozi Cake"
In Tiantai, Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, they will eat "jiaozi Cake", a kind of food similar to spring rolls. According to legend, the dumplings were left by Jigong: When Jigong became a monk in Guoshou Temple, he saw a lot of dishes left over from each meal and thought it was a waste, so he wrapped them in a sticky bag and prepared for the next meal. This practice is loved by all monks and spread to the people.
Make dumpling wrappers, stir-fry the stuffing and put it aside. Common fillings are pork, pork liver, shredded eggs, bean curd skin, winter bamboo shoots, bean noodles, celery, bean sprouts, kelp and dried fish. Then paste the flour prepared in advance on the "sugar" and paste it into a thin round skin (paste skin). Finally, wrap the ingredients in the paste in order, not too "fat" or too "thin", otherwise it won't look good. Jiaozi, after bulging, you should also fry it on "smoke" until the skin is golden and shiny.
In addition, in Ling Du County, the Mid-Autumn Festival is called "choking festival" by local people, and every household has the custom of eating coarse grains.
"Mid-Autumn Festival" roast duck sells well.
Guangxi people celebrate "Ghost Festival". They seldom go out, swim or do other business activities. In the afternoon, the shops in the street closed early. "Ghost Festival" gives people a good excuse to be lazy, and the living have a reason to overeat. Prepare paper money for incense sticks and gold ingots to worship ancestors, buy cakes and fruits, and most importantly, Guangxi people will eat ducks on this day! Early this morning, the poultry stalls in the farmers' market were already crowded with people who wanted to buy ducks! Ducks on this day can be sold at the highest price in the whole year. In Guangxi, near rivers, river lanterns are placed to comfort ancestors and recently dead souls. There are many places with water in the south, so they will think that rivers pass between the dead and the dead.
According to the old man, when offering sacrifices to ancestors, ducks should cross Naihe Bridge with paper money and clothes. So you must eat ducks on Halloween. For a long time, eating ducks has become an indispensable program of "Ghost Festival", just like eating jiaozi on New Year's Eve. Some locals said, "We eat ducks in July 14, mainly because there are no ducks in Guangxi. How can there be no decent ancestor worship on such a big day as July 14th? " Historical experts believe that before planting rice in rural areas of Guangxi, every household will buy about ten ducks to raise; After cutting rice, ducks can eat millet and earthworm in the field, which reduces the cost. In the second season of rice planting, farmers began to kill ducks for the festival in order to reward themselves. As time goes on, people are used to eating ducks on this day.
As early as the Ming dynasty, roast duck has become a treasure in the homes of dignitaries. After Zhu Yuanzhang established Nanjing as the capital, the chefs of the Ming Palace Museum used Nanjing's fleshy lake ducks for cooking. In order to enhance the flavor of duck meat, the chef roasted it with charcoal fire. Cooked ducks taste crisp and fragrant, fat but not greasy, and are praised by people.