What are the differences in food customs between the north and south on February 2nd? What taboos should be noted?

What are the differences in food customs between the north and south on February 2nd? What taboos should be noted?
Introduction: Our country is vast and rich in resources. It is also a traditional country, so it has different cultures, and there are certain differences between the north and the south. So, what are the differences in food customs between the north and the south on February 2nd, and what taboos should be observed during the Dragon Raising its Head? Let’s follow the editor to find out. The first month of the lunar calendar is about to begin with various festivals. Let us count the important traditional festivals and customs of this month. A good year starts with spring.

Differences in food customs between the north and south

Spring rolls

Eating spring rolls is called "eating dragon scales", which is very vivid. A spring roll that is bigger than the palm of your hand is like a dragon scale. The spring rolls are chewy and filled with lots of vegetables. Such as braised pork, pork elbow, smoked chicken, braised duck, etc., cut into thin strips with a knife, and match with several home-cooked dishes such as shredded pork with leek sprouts, shredded pork with spinach, green bean sprouts cooked with vinegar, stir-fried vermicelli, scrambled eggs, etc., roll them together in spring rolls, dip them in shredded green onions and noodle sauce drizzled with sesame oil, it is really fresh and refreshing. When eating spring rolls, the whole family sits together, puts the baked spring rolls in the steamer, and eats them whenever they want, while they are hot and happy.

Pig head

There is also a saying about eating pig's head on the second day of the second lunar month. Since ancient times, offering sacrifices to gods have always required the use of three animals: pigs, cattle and sheep. Later, it was simplified to the heads of the three animals, and the pig head was one of them. Another story recorded in "Qiuchi Notes" of the Song Dynasty: After Wang Zhongling pacified Bashu, he felt very hungry, so he broke into a small village temple, but met a drunk monk. Wang Zhongling was furious and wanted to kill him, but the monk showed no fear. Wang Zhongling was very surprised and turned to ask him for food. Soon the monk presented a plate of "steamed pig's head" and wrote a poem for it: "It has a long mouth, short hair and fat, and has been eating medicinal seedlings in the mountains for a long time. It is wrapped in banana leaves when steamed, and poured with apricot juice when cooked. The red and fresh ones are called golden plate, and the ripe and soft ones are worthy of being picked with jade chopsticks. If there are no hair roots to compare, the felt roots should be eaten with rattan sticks." Wang Zhongling was very happy while eating the steamed pig's head and listening to the witty and unique "pig head poem", so he named the monk "Purple Robe Master". It looks like the pig's head is really a delicious dish, and it is also an auspicious symbol of turning danger into safety and rising to a successful career. Nowadays there is a famous dish called "Braised Pig's Face", which goes through twelve steps including selecting ingredients, cleaning, spray roasting, washing, soaking, and sauce making, and takes more than ten hours of cooking before it can be served on the table. There are three ways to eat "braised pig's face": one is to eat it plain; the second is to eat it with sauce; and the third is to eat it rolled in a pancake. Each way of eating it has a different taste. "Braised Pig's Face" is fat but not greasy, the meat and bones are separated, and it is glutinous, fragrant and delicious. It brings beauty and brain-enhancing effects to modern people. Eating modern "braised pig face" on the "Second Day of the Second Month" and reminiscing about the ancient catering history is truly a perfect experience of blending the contemporary and the historical.

Popcorn

There is a legend about eating popcorn on the second day of the second lunar month. According to legend, when Wu Zetian became emperor, the Jade Emperor ordered that no rain should fall on earth for three years. However, the Jade Dragon in charge of the Milky Way could not bear to see the people suffer from the disaster and starve, so he secretly sent down a heavy rain. When the Jade Emperor found out, he knocked the Jade Dragon in charge of the Milky Way down from the Heavenly Palace and pressed him under a huge mountain. There is also a monument at the foot of the mountain, on which it is written: "The Dragon King violated the rules of heaven by bringing rain, and should be punished by the mortal world for thousands of years. If he wants to ascend to the Lingxiao Pavilion again, the only way is when the golden beans bloom." In order to save the Dragon King, people searched everywhere for the blooming golden beans. On the second day of the second month of the following year, when people were turning over and drying the golden corn seeds, they suddenly remembered that the corn was like golden beans. If they were fried and blossomed, wouldn't that be the golden beans blossoming? So every household popped popcorn, set up an table in the yard, burned incense, and offered the "blooming golden beans" for the Dragon King and the Jade Emperor to see. The Dragon King knew that it was the people who were saving him, so he shouted to the Jade Emperor: "The golden beans are blooming, let me out!" When the Jade Emperor saw the golden beans blooming in the yards of every household on earth, he had no choice but to issue an order, summoning the Dragon King back to heaven to continue making clouds and rain for the world. From then on, a custom was formed among the people. On the second day of the second lunar month, people would pop popcorn and fry soybeans.

Mustard Rice

Eating mustard rice on the second day of the second lunar month is a widely spread custom among the people of Wenzhou. There is also a saying that "eating mustard rice will prevent scabies." In the old days, people lived in poverty and had little awareness of hygiene. In addition, there was a lack of medical care and medicine, so there were many patients with skin diseases (such as scabies), which were easily contagious. Mustard contains a large amount of chlorophyll and vitamin C. Regular consumption of vegetables rich in chlorophyll and vitamin C can improve one's immunity, enhance resistance, and is good for human skin. Therefore, there is a saying that "eating mustard rice will prevent scabies."
It is said that there is an interesting legend behind this custom. One day, Emperor Qianlong went incognito to investigate the people's conditions and arrived at a farmer's home in southern Zhejiang. He discovered a well-read young man named Zhang who, due to his poor family background, could not go to Beijing for the imperial examination and had to study hard at home. Zhang was hospitable and invited Emperor Qianlong to have a simple meal. When preparing to cook, Zhang found that there was not enough rice in the rice jar and there were no dishes. Zhang suddenly came up with a plan. He asked his wife to prepare the fire first, and then he went out from the back door to the vegetable garden to peel a handful of green and tender mustard greens, added some seasonings, and cooked a pot of green mustard rice with white in it. Emperor Qianlong was used to eating delicacies from land and sea, and fresh seafood. It was noon and he was already starving. However, when he smelled the fragrant mustard rice, his appetite increased greatly. He ate with gusto and praised it highly. He even asked how the green and white rice was made. Zhang's wife replied, "This is called mustard rice. Eating it will not give you scabies."
That day happened to be the second day of the second month of the lunar calendar, and the custom of eating mustard rice on the second day of the second month has been passed down since then.

What taboos should we pay attention to when the Dragon Raises its Head?

There are many taboos among the people to avoid the "Dragon Raising its Head" day, such as being forbidden to use needle and thread at home on this day, for fear of damaging the dragon's eyes and bringing disaster; being forbidden to carry water, as it is believed that the dragon will come out to move around at night, and it is forbidden to carry water from the river or well, so as not to disturb the dragon's movements and cause a year of drought; being forbidden to build a house or to tamp down the impact, so as not to damage the "dragon head"; furthermore, being forbidden to grind flour, as it is believed that grinding flour will squeeze the dragon head, which is unlucky.
Summary: Through the above article, we know the differences in food customs between the north and the south on February 2nd, as well as the taboos that need to be paid attention to when the Dragon Raises its Head. I hope it will be helpful to everyone. I wish you all good luck and smooth sailing in the new year!

After reading this article, there are more exciting contents in the special topic of the first month of the lunar calendar. Let’s take a look!

<<:  When is Valentine's Day in 2017? How did Valentine's Day come about?

>>:  When is the Dragon Raising its Head and what are the customs and habits?

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