The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the Lantern Festival, and my parents are taking me to Xiaoshan to watch the dragon dance. When I arrived in Xiaoshan, I saw red lanterns hanging on every house.
Look, the streets are busy with traffic. Everyone is happy and smiling, and they come out to watch the fun, both young and old. Suddenly, I heard the sound of gongs and drums. It turned out that the dragon dance team was coming. It danced swaggeringly amidst bursts of firecrackers, with its mouth open and eyes staring like a sea bowl, looking very majestic. The dragon kept twisting its body, sometimes looking back and swaying, sometimes rolling up and down, really like a flying dragon.
The dragon dance is so interesting. I spent a happy day amidst the laughter and the sound of firecrackers. Xiao, originally meant "the night of the Lantern Festival", because the main activity of the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month was to watch lanterns and admire the moon at night, and later the name of the festival also evolved into "Lantern Festival". The Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month brings the celebrations that started on New Year's Eve to another climax. On the night of the Lantern Festival, the streets and alleys are decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations. People admire the lanterns, guess lantern riddles and eat the Lantern Festival, which has become a custom that has been passed down from generation to generation.
The Lantern Festival is a traditional festival in China. It existed as early as more than 2,000 years ago in the Western Han Dynasty. Lantern viewing began during the period of Emperor Ming of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Emperor Ming advocated Buddhism. I heard that in Buddhism, monks watch the Buddha on the 15th day of the first lunar month. Relics and the practice of lighting lamps to worship Buddha were ordered to light lamps in palaces and temples to worship Buddha on this night, and the nobles and common people were ordered to hang lamps. Later, this kind of Buddhist ritual festival gradually became a grand folk festival. This festival has experienced the development process from the palace to the folk, and from the Central Plains to the whole country.
During the reign of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month was designated as the Lantern Festival. During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the sacrificial activities for "Taiyi God" were held on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. (Taiyi: the God who controls everything in the universe). When Sima Qian created the "Taichu Calendar", he had already identified the Lantern Festival as a major festival.
Another theory is that the custom of lighting lanterns during the Lantern Festival originated from the Taoist "Three Yuan Theory"; the fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the Shangyuan Festival, the fifteenth day of July is the Zhongyuan Festival, and the fifteenth day of October is the Zhongyuan Festival. For the Xiayuan Festival. The three officials in charge of the upper, middle and lower elements are heaven, earth and man respectively. The heavenly officials are happy, so lamps must be lit on the Lantern Festival.
The festival period and customary activities of the Lantern Festival have been extended and expanded with the development of history. In terms of the length of the festival, it was only one day in the Han Dynasty, three days in the Tang Dynasty, and five days in the Song Dynasty. In the Ming Dynasty, the lights were lit from the eighth day of the lunar month until the lights were turned off on the night of the seventeenth day of the first lunar month, a full ten days. Connecting with the Spring Festival, the city is bustling during the day, and the lights are lit at night, which is spectacular. Especially the exquisite and colorful lights make it the climax of entertainment activities during the Spring Festival. By the Qing Dynasty, "hundred operas" such as dragon dance, lion dance, land boat running, stilt walking, and Yangko dancing were added, but the festival period was shortened to four to five days.
The first month of the first lunar month is the first month of the lunar calendar. The ancients called night "Xiao", so the fifteenth day of the first lunar month is called the Lantern Festival. The 15th day of the first lunar month is the first full-moon night of the year. It is also the night when the Yuan Dynasty begins and the earth returns to spring. People celebrate this and it is also the continuation of celebrating the New Year. The Lantern Festival is also called the "Shangyuan Festival".
According to Chinese folk tradition, on this night when the bright moon hangs high in the sky, people light up thousands of colorful lanterns to celebrate. They go out to enjoy the moon, light lanterns and set off flames, guess lantern riddles, and eat Yuanxiao. The family reunites and celebrates the festival together, and it is a joyful time.
The Lantern Festival is also called the Festival of Lanterns. The custom of lighting lanterns during the Lantern Festival began in the Han Dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty, lantern viewing activities became more prosperous. Lanterns were hung everywhere in the palace and on the streets, and tall lantern wheels were built. Lu Zhaolin, a great poet of the Tang Dynasty, once described the grand occasion of lighting lanterns during the Lantern Festival in "Watching Lanterns on the Fifteenth Night" about lantern towers and lantern trees: "The stars are falling, and the moon is hanging by the tower."
"Guess Lantern riddles, also called "lantern riddles", is an activity added after the Lantern Festival and appeared in the Song Dynasty. During the Southern Song Dynasty, Lin'an, the capital, made riddles during the Lantern Festival, and many people guessed riddles. In the beginning, the good guys wrote riddles on slips of paper and pasted them on colorful lanterns for people to guess. Because riddles can enlighten wisdom and are interesting, they are very popular among all walks of life in the process of spreading.
It is a folk custom to eat Yuanxiao during the Lantern Festival. Yuanxiao is made of glutinous rice, either solid or stuffed. The fillings include bean paste, sugar, hawthorn, various fruit materials, etc. It can be boiled, fried, steamed or fried.
At first, people called this food "Fuyuanzi", and later also called "Tangtuan" or "Tangyuan". These names have similar pronunciations to the word "Tuanyuan", which means reunion, symbolizing the reunion, harmony and happiness of the whole family. People also call it "Tuanyuan". This memory of the departed relatives expresses good wishes for future life.
The Lantern Festival in some places also has the custom of "walking all diseases", also known as "roasting all diseases" and "scattering all diseases". Most of the participants are women, and they walk together or along the wall. Or cross the bridge or walk in the suburbs, the purpose is to drive away diseases and eliminate disasters.
As time goes by, more and more activities are held during the Lantern Festival. Many local festivals include traditional folk performances such as dragon lantern dancing, lion dancing, stilt walking, land boat rowing, Yangko dancing, and peace drum playing. This traditional festival, which has been passed down for more than 2,000 years, is not only popular on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, but also celebrated year after year in overseas Chinese communities.
There are several interesting folk legends about the origin of eating Yuanxiao during the Lantern Festival: Our country has a folk custom of eating Yuanxiao during the Lantern Festival, which began in the Song Dynasty. According to folk legend, the Lantern Festival originated from King Zhao Zhao of Chu during the Spring and Autumn Period. On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, King Zhao of Chu passed by the Yangtze River and saw floating objects on the river, which were sweet food that was white on the outside and red on the inside. King Zhao of Chu asked Confucius for advice, and Confucius said, "This duckweed fruit is a sign of revival for the person who gets it." Since then, eating Yuanxiao during the Lantern Festival has become a history. Lantern Festival, like rice cakes during the Spring Festival and rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival, are all festive foods. Eating Yuanxiao symbolizes family reunion like the full moon, and expresses people's good wishes for future life. Yuanxiao is called "tangyuan", "yuanzi", "floating yuanzi" and "water yuan" in the south. It is made of glutinous rice, either solid or with fillings. The fillings include bean paste, sugar, hawthorn, etc., and can be boiled, fried, steamed or fried.
■Eating Yuanxiao
When and where the custom of eating Yuanxiao originated, there are different opinions among the people. It is said that at the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, King Zhao of Chu passed by the Yangtze River on his way back to his kingdom and saw something floating on the surface of the river. It was white and slightly yellow in color, with red flesh like rouge inside and a sweet taste. Everyone didn't know what it was, so King Zhao sent someone to ask Confucius. Confucius said: "This duckweed fruit is also a sign of revival for those who get it." Because this day happened to be the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, every time in the future, King Zhao ordered his men to imitate the fruit with flour and make it with hawthorn. The red stuffing is boiled and eaten. There is another saying that Yuanxiao was originally called Tangyuan. During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, there was a maid named Yuanxiao in the palace who was very good at making Tangyuan. From then on, people in the world named it after this maid. These two legends are not recorded in historical records and cannot be trusted.
The earliest record of eating Yuanxiao during the Lantern Festival can be found in the Song Dynasty. At that time, Yuanxiao was called "Fuyuanzi", "Yuanzi", "Lactose Yuanzi" and "Tangyuan". Judging from historical records such as "Pingyuan Xuedao", "Sui Shiguang Ji", and "Da Ming Yitong Fu", it can be seen that the use of Yuanxiao as a seasonal food to celebrate the Lantern Festival began in the Song Dynasty. Because "yuanzi" must be eaten during the Lantern Festival, people named it after the Lantern Festival.
The Lantern Festival was very precious in the Song Dynasty. Jiang Baishi wrote a poem: "Dignified guests hook up curtains to look at the imperial street. The treasures in the market come for a while. There is no way to walk in front of the curtains. If you don't have money, you won't return." The "treasures" in the poem That means Lantern Festival.
In modern times, there are also stories related to the Lantern Festival. After Yuan Shikai became president, he still wanted to be emperor, but he was troubled all day long because his dream could not come true. One day, his concubine said she wanted to eat Yuanxiao. As soon as she said the words, Yuan Shikai slapped her in the face. Because "Yuanxiao" and "Yuanxiao" are homophonic, Yuan Shikai gave an order to his subordinates not to say it again in the future. "Lanxiao", but can only say "tangyuan". Later, someone wrote a limerick about this matter: "The poetry of Yuanzi dates back to the previous dynasty, and it floats on the water when it is steamed and boiled. Hong Xian issued a ban at that time, and people were not allowed to shout Lantern Festival along the street.
■Guess lantern riddles
Also known as "playing lantern riddles", it is an activity added after the Lantern Festival. It appeared in the Song Dynasty. During the Southern Song Dynasty, Lin'an, the capital, made riddles during the Lantern Festival. At first, it was the good guys who wrote the riddles. The riddles are posted on colorful lanterns for people to guess. Because the riddles can inspire wisdom and are interesting, they are very popular among all walks of life.
■Lion Dance
p>Lion dance is an excellent folk art in my country. During the Lantern Festival or gatherings and celebrations, people come to enjoy lion dance.
This custom originated during the Three Kingdoms period and became popular during the Southern and Northern Dynasties. It has a history of more than a thousand years. According to legend, it was first introduced from the Western Regions. The lion is the mount of Manjushri Bodhisattva. With the introduction of Buddhism to China, lion dance activities were also introduced to China. The lion was a tribute brought back together with the peacock and others after Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent Zhang Qian as an envoy to the Western Regions. The skill of lion dance is derived from Xiliang's "Mask Show". Some people believe that lion dance originated from the Liu Song army in the fifth century and was later spread among the people. Both statements have their own basis, and today it is difficult to judge whether they are right or wrong.
However, in the Tang Dynasty, lion dance had become a popular activity in the palace, the military, and among the people. It is said in "Yuefu Zaxun" by Duan'an Festival of the Tang Dynasty: "There are five lions in the play, more than ten feet tall, each dressed in five colors. Each lion has twelve people, wearing red and wiping their foreheads, wearing painted clothes, and holding red whisks. It is called The Lion Man dances to Taiping music. This is vividly described in the poem "Xiliang Ji" by the poet Bai Juyi: "Xiliang Ji, Xiliang Ji, a disguised barbarian with a fake lion's head and silk tail, and a gold-plated head." The eyes are as silver as the teeth. The Fenxun sweaters are on the ears, as if they have traveled thousands of miles from quicksand. "The poem describes the scene of the lion dance at that time. In the development process of more than a thousand years, lion dance has formed two performance styles, northern and southern.
The Northern Lion Dance mainly focuses on the performance of "Martial Lion", which is the "Auspicious Lion" of the Northern Wei Dynasty designated by Emperor Wu of Wei Dynasty. The small lion is danced by one person, and the big lion is danced by two people. One person stands and dances the lion's head, and the other bends down and dances the lion's body and tail. The lion dancer wears a lion quilt all over his body, and wears green lion pants and gold-clawed boots with the same coat color as the lion's body. People cannot identify the shape of the lion dancer. Its appearance is very similar to a real lion. The lion leader is dressed as an ancient warrior, holding a rotating hydrangea in his hand, accompanied by gongs, drums and cymbals to lure the auspicious lion. Under the guidance of the "Lion Man", the lions perform tricks such as flipping, falling, jumping, climbing, and worshiping. They also perform difficult actions such as walking on plum blossom piles, jumping around tables, and stepping on rolling balls. The Southern Lion Dance mainly focuses on "literary lion" performances. The performance pays attention to expressions, including tickling, hair shaking, licking and other movements, which are lifelike and cute. It also has more difficult skills such as spitting balls. Nanshi is centered in Guangdong, and is popular in Hong Kong, Macao, and the hometowns of overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia.
Although the Southern Lion is also a duet dance, the lion dancer wears bloomers and only a colorful lion quilt on top. Different from the Northern Lion, the "Lion Man" wears a big-headed Buddha mask, a long robe, and a colorful belt around his waist. He holds a sunflower fan in his hand to tease the lion, and uses it to dance various graceful moves with funny and humorous movements. There are many schools of southern lions, including the "Chicken-Gong Lion" from Qingyuan and Yingde, the "Big-headed Lion" from Guangzhou and Foshan, the "Duck-billed Lion" from Gaohe and Zhongshan, and the "Qilin Lion" from Dongguan, etc.
In addition to their different appearances, Southern Lions also have different personalities. The dance of the white-bearded lion is not wide-ranging, and there are not many varieties of colors, but it is calm, vigorous, majestic and powerful. It is called "Liu Bei Lion" among the people. The black-bearded red-faced lion, known as the "Guan Gong Lion", dances bravely and majesticly, with extraordinary spirit. The gray-bearded lion has rough and warlike movements and is commonly known as "Zhang Fei Lion". The lion is the king of beasts, with a majestic and mighty image, giving people a sense of majesty and bravery. The ancients regarded it as a symbol of bravery and strength, believing that it could exorcise evil spirits, suppress demons, and protect humans and animals. Therefore, people gradually formed the custom of lion dancing during the Lantern Festival and other major events to pray for good luck and peace in life.
[Edit this paragraph]○The legend of Yuanxiao
Dongfang Shuo and the Yuanxiao girl
This legend is related to the custom of eating Yuanxiao: According to legend, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty had a The favorite's name is Dongfang Shuo, he is kind and funny. One winter, it snowed heavily for several days, so Dongfang Shuo went to the Imperial Garden to pick plum blossoms for Emperor Wu. As soon as I entered the garden gate, I found a palace maid with tears streaming down her face and ready to throw herself into the well. Dongfang Shuo hurriedly stepped forward to rescue her and asked her why she wanted to commit suicide. It turns out that the palace maid's name is Yuanxiao, and she has parents and a younger sister at home. Since she entered the palace, she has never had the chance to see her family again. Every year when the Spring Festival comes, I miss my family even more than usual. I felt that if I could not fulfill my filial piety in front of my parents, it would be better to die. Dongfang Shuo felt deeply sympathetic after hearing her experience, and assured her that he would try to reunite her with her family.
One day, Dongfang Shuo left the palace and set up a divination stall on Chang'an Street. Many people are vying to ask him for divination. Unexpectedly, what everyone wanted was the sign of "burning the body with fire on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month". Suddenly, there was great panic in Chang'an.
People have been asking for solutions to the disaster. Dongfang Shuo said: "On the evening of the 13th of the first lunar month, Lord Vulcan will send a red-clothed goddess down to earth to investigate. She is the envoy who ordered to burn Chang'an. I will give you the copied verses so that you can think of a solution today." After finishing, he threw down a red post and walked away. The common people picked up the red sticker and hurriedly sent it to the palace to report to the emperor.
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty took it and took a look, and saw that it read: "Chang'an is in tribulation, Emperor Huo burns the palace, fifteen days of fire, flame red supper", he was shocked, and quickly invited the resourceful Dongfang Shuo. Dongfang Shuo thought for a while and said, "I heard that Lord Vulcan loves glutinous rice balls the most. Doesn't the Yuanxiao in the palace often make glutinous rice balls for you? You can ask Yuanxiao to make glutinous rice balls on the night of the 15th. Long live the incense and offer it to Kyoto. Every family makes glutinous rice balls and worships the God of Fire together, and then orders the subjects to hang up lanterns on the night of the 15th, light firecrackers and set off fireworks all over the city, so that the Jade Emperor can be hidden. Common people, on the night of the 15th, go to the city to watch the lanterns and mingle with the crowd to resolve misfortune.” After hearing this, Emperor Wu was very happy and ordered to follow Dongfang Shuo's method.
On the 15th day of the first lunar month, Chang'an City was decorated with lanterns and colorful lights, and it was very lively with tourists coming and going. The parents of the palace maid Yuanxiao also took their sister to the city to watch the lanterns. When they saw the big palace lantern with the word "Luanxiao" written on it, they shouted in surprise: "Lanxiao! Lantern Festival!" Yuanxiao heard the shout and was finally reunited with her relatives at home.
After such a lively night, Chang'an City was indeed safe and sound. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was so happy that he ordered that glutinous rice dumplings be made as an offering to the God of Fire every fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Lanterns and fireworks would still be hung all over the city on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Because the dumplings made during the Lantern Festival are the best, people call the dumplings Yuanxiao, and this day is called the Lantern Festival.
It was established during the reign of Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty to commemorate "Ping Lu"
Another legend is that the Lantern Festival was established during the time of Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty to commemorate "Ping Lu". After the death of Liu Bang, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, Liu Ying, the son of Empress Lu, ascended the throne as Emperor Hui of the Han Dynasty. Emperor Hui was weak and indecisive by nature, and his power gradually fell into the hands of Empress Lu. After Emperor Hui of the Han Dynasty died of illness, Empress Lu took over the affairs of the country and turned the Liu family into the Lu family. The senior officials in the court and the Liu family were deeply indignant, but they were all afraid of Empress Lu's cruelty and dared not speak out.
After Empress Lu died of illness, Zhu Lu was in panic and feared being hurt and excluded. Therefore, they secretly gathered at the home of General Lu Lu to plot a rebellion in order to completely seize the Liu family.
This matter reached the ears of Liu Nang, the king of Qi, the Liu family. In order to protect the Liu family, Liu Nang decided to launch an army to attack Zhu Lu. Then he contacted the founding veterans Zhou Bo and Chen Ping, and designed to remove Lu Lu. , the "Zhu Lu Rebellion" was finally completely put down.
After the rebellion was over, the ministers supported Liu Bang’s second son Liu Heng to ascend the throne and became Emperor Wen of Han. Emperor Wen was deeply aware that peace and prosperity were hard-won, so he designated the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the day when the "Zhu Lu Rebellion" was quelled, as a day of fun with the people. Every house in the capital decorated with lights and colors to celebrate. Since then, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month has become a popular folk festival - "Lantern Festival".
[Edit this paragraph]○Poems about the Lantern Festival
Poetry
(Song Dynasty) Jiang Baishi
Watching the Lotus Picking Boat during the Lantern Festival , the BMW fragrant car picks up the mother-of-pearl;
In the dead of the stormy night, everyone has dispersed, but the solitary lamp still calls out to sell Tang Yuan.
The poem says
(Song Dynasty) Jiang Baishi
The distinguished guest hooks up the curtain to look at the royal street, and the treasures in the market suddenly come,
in front of the curtain The flower stand has no way to travel, and the money will not be returned without money.
(Note: The treasure here refers to the Lantern Festival)
Zhegui Ling Yuanxiao
(Yuan) Anonymous
Love the scenery of the Lantern Festival, The moonlight is beautiful and the lights are bright.
The moon is full of ice, the lamps are burning on the land and the sea, and people are stepping on the spring sun.
Three beautiful things can only be rewarded, but four ruthless things can only be hated and difficult to survive.
What I'm afraid of is the dim light, the silence and desolation, the south tower in the corner, and the west wing under the moon.
"Bianjing Yuanxi"
(Ming Dynasty) Li Mengyang
The Zhongshan boy relies on his new makeup, and Zheng's daughter Yanji is good at playing alone.
Let’s sing the King Xian’s Chun Yue Mansion together, the moon outside the Golden Liang Bridge is like frost.
"Lantern Festival"
(Ming Dynasty) Tang Yin
If there is a lamp but no moon, it will not entertain people. If there is a moon but no lamp, it is not spring.
When spring arrives in the world, people are like jade, and when the lamp is burning, the moon is like silver.
The streets are full of pearls and emeralds, and the village girls are dancing and playing and singing with the gods.
How can we spend this good time without showing off our beauty and opening our mouths to smile?
"Shangyuan Zhuzhi Ci"
(Qing Dynasty) Fu Zeng
Wrap walnuts with sweet-scented osmanthus stuffing, and the glutinous rice is like pearls washed from well water.
I heard that Majia’s dripping powder is good, and they sell Yuanxiao in the lantern style.
"The Lantern Festival and the Full Moon"
Southern Fujian Ballads
On the occasion of the Lantern Festival and the full moon, the compatriots in Fujian and Taiwan depend on each other,
support The old and the young returned to their hometowns, feeling the longing for each other on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
What does it feel like to have tears in your eyes? What a joy to meet again after a long absence!
Celebrating the Lantern Festival, cooking glutinous rice balls, and reuniting with family and friends.
Men, women, old and young gather around the table and eat Shangyuan Wan together as a family.
The blood stains on the cradle are hard to separate, and it is the right thing for a fallen leaf to return to its roots.
Lantern Festival Lantern Riddles
On the eve of the Qingming Festival (traditional festival 1)----Lantern Festival
Gossip about Lantern Festival (roller curtain grid, magazine 1)--- -Night Chat
Before and after the Lantern Festival (Novel 1 of Da Rou Shi)----February
[Edit this paragraph]○Eating and making of the Lantern Festival
The main food of the Lantern Festival is also called Yuanxiao. In the south, Yuanxiao is also called "tangyuan" and "yuanzi". It is said that the Lantern Festival symbolizes family reunion, and eating the Lantern Festival means family happiness and all the best in the new year.
Rice glue ball, also known as "rice glue ball", is a round food made of glutinous rice flour and other raw materials. Yuanxiao is eaten on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. "Yuanxiao" has been used as a food for a long time in my country. In the Song Dynasty, a novel food eaten during the Lantern Festival became popular among the people. This kind of food was first called "Fu Yuanzi" and later "Yuanxiao". Businessmen also euphemistically called it "Yuanbao". Yuanxiao is stuffed with sugar, roses, sesame, bean paste, cinnamon, walnut kernels, nuts, jujube paste, etc., and is wrapped into a round shape with glutinous rice flour. It can be meat or vegetarian and has different flavors. It can be cooked in soup, fried or steamed, and has the meaning of happy reunion. Shaanxi glutinous rice balls are not wrapped, but rolled in glutinous rice flour. They are either boiled or deep-fried, heated and made round and round.
There are many ways to eat Yuanxiao, including boiling, stir-frying, deep-frying, steaming, etc. If the solid Yuanxiao is cooked with fermented rice wine, sugar, and sweet-scented osmanthus, it will have a unique flavor and is a good supplement.
When southerners make "Yuanxiao", they first mix glutinous rice flour with water to form a skin, and then "wrap" the stuffing; when northerners make "Yuanxiao", they first knead the stuffing into uniform balls and put them in Keep shaking in a radish basket covered with dry glutinous rice flour, and add water from time to time to make the stuffing coat with more and more glutinous rice flour until it is of the right size. "Yuanxiao" comes in different sizes, the big ones are like walnuts, and the small ones are like soybeans. There are also tips for cooking "Yuanxiao": pinch gently. Before putting it into the pot, gently squeeze the "Yuanxiao" with your hands to make it slightly cracked. The "Yuanxiao" cooked in this way will be easy to cook inside and outside, soft and delicious. Under boiling water. After the water in the pot boils, add the "Yuanxiao", push it gently with the back of a spoon, and let the "Yuanxiao" rotate a few times to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Bring to a simmer. After the "Yuanxiao" is cooked in the pot until it floats, quickly switch to a simmer. Otherwise, the "Yuanxiao" will be constantly flipped and heated unevenly, causing it to be cooked on the outside and hard on the inside. Order some cold water. After "Yuanxiao" is put into the pot, an appropriate amount of cold water should be added every time it is opened to keep it in a rolling state. After boiling it for two or three times, cook it for a while, then take it out and eat it. The "Yuanxiao" cooked in this way is soft but not hard, sweet and delicious.
■Preparation of Yuanxiao
Yuanxiao is a round food made of glutinous rice flour. In terms of type, it can be divided into two types: solid and stuffed. The fillings are divided into sweet and salty ones. Sweet fillings generally include lard bean paste, white sugar sesame, assorted osmanthus, date paste, nuts, sesame paste, almonds, ginkgo, hawthorn, etc.; salty fillings generally include diced fresh meat, ham, dried shrimps, etc. Yuanxiao stuffed with mustard, onions, garlic, leeks, and ginger is called "Five Flavors Yuanxiao", which means hard work, longevity, and progress.
There are many ways to make Yuanxiao, and there are big differences between the north and the south.
When making Yuanxiao in the South, first mix the glutinous rice flour with boiling water into a skin, and then "wrap" the stuffing; when making Yuanxiao in the North, first knead the stuffing into a uniform ball and place it in a basket covered with dry glutinous rice flour and shake it continuously. Add water from time to time to coat the filling with more and more glutinous rice flour until it is the right size. Yuanxiao balls come in different sizes, the larger ones are like walnuts and the smaller ones are like soybeans.