| Unlike other holidays such as Chinese New Year or Labor Day, the winter solstice (冬至 Dōngzhì) is no longer a public holiday in modern China. Even so, many people still acknowledge it in one way or another. Typically, people will use this day as an opportunity to hang out with their family or friends, prepare for the upcoming cold weather, or eat some delicious dishes especially prepared for the winter solstice. Here are some of the main dishes consumed during this time and in winter in general:  Dumplings: 饺子 jiǎozi There is a popular saying in China that goes “冬至饺子夏至面” (Dōngzhì jiǎozi Xiàzhì miàn). This saying can be translated as “winter solstice dumplings and summer solstice noodles.” Other popular sayings include “Your ears won’t freeze if you eat dumplings on the winter solstice” (冬至吃饺子不冻耳朵 Dōngzhì chī jiǎozi bù dòng ěrduǒ). Tangyuan: 汤圆 tāngyuán According to another popular Chinese proverb, “The south eats tangyuan and the north eats dumplings” (南吃汤圆北吃饺 Nán chī tāngyuán běi chī jiǎo). Traditionally, tangyuan is considered the winter solstice food of choice in southern China. Tangyuan is a sweet comfort food – typically a dessert, it consists of small white balls made out of glutinous rice flour which are boiled and served in a hot sweet broth. Rice cake: 年糕 niángāo Rice cakes (年糕 niángāo) are considered an auspicious and lucky omen because the characters sound the same as 年高 (niángāo high/lofty year), so you will often hear people wish each other “a better year, year after year” (一年更比一年高; yī nián gèng bǐ yī nián gāo). Lamb soup This is a popular winter solstice dish in northern China’s Shandong Province. According to legend, this soup was consumed by the first Han emperor Liu Bang (202–195 BCE) during the winter solstice. Ever since then, it has become a part of the winter solstice menu. Lamb meat and broth is believed to nourish the body (滋补身体 zībǔ shēntǐ) and is thought to be a good food to eat to resist the cold (抵御风寒 dǐyù fēnghán). Red bean glutinous rice: 红豆糯米饭 hóngdòu nuòmǐ fàn This is a popular dish in Jiangsu Province, though like all the other dishes mentioned in this article, it can be found all over China. A warm ball of glutinous rice with red bean is believed to warm the stomach (暖胃 nuǎn wèi), warm the body (暖身 nuǎn shēn) and of course help people resist the cold (御寒 yùhán). Rice Congee: 粥 zhōu Another delicious warm comfort food is rice congee. Congee comes in a variety of different flavors, both sweet and savory. Typical ingredients include glutinous rice, jujube, white fungus, walnuts, and yam. These ingredients are important in traditional Chinese medicine and this is thought to be another great dish for resisting the cold (御寒 yùhán). |
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