Laba Festival, also known as the "Dharma Treasure Festival", is the eighth day of the twelfth month of the lunar calendar and is a traditional Chinese folk festival. On this day, the folk have the customs of drinking laba porridge and pickling laba garlic. Among them, laba garlic is a traditional food with strong northern characteristics, which is deeply loved by people.
Pickling Laba garlic is generally carried out on the eighth day of the lunar month, hence the name. The main raw materials of laba garlic are garlic and vinegar, put the peeled garlic in an airtight container, add an appropriate amount of vinegar and sugar, and seal it for preservation. At the right temperature, after about a month, the garlic will turn emerald green, with a crisp taste, slightly sweet and sour, and very appetizing.
Laba garlic is not only a delicious food, but also has a certain nutritional value. Garlic itself has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, antioxidant and other effects, and pickled garlic is rich in acetic acid, amino acids, vitamins and other nutrients. In addition, laba garlic also helps digestion, increases appetite, and promotes blood circulation.
In addition to the traditional methods of pickling, there are now some innovative practices as well. For example, some people will add some spices such as chili peppers and peppercorns when marinating, or pair some vegetables, meat and other ingredients with them when eating to make the taste richer and more diverse.
In the northern region, laba garlic is an indispensable New Year's item. During the Spring Festival, every household will put a plate of laba garlic, which means "settling accounts" and also means auspicious wishes for the new year. In the south, although the custom of pickling laba garlic is not common, there are still some people who try to marinate it at home and feel the charm of this traditional food with strong northern characteristics.
In addition to Laba garlic as a food, there are also some customs and legends related to Laba Festival. For example, in parts of Hebei Province, laba porridge is smeared on trees in the hope that the trees will thrive in the coming yearIn some areas of Henan Province, people will use Laba porridge to worship their ancestors;In parts of Shaanxi Province, people celebrate the festival by eating a noodle dish called Laba Noodles.
In addition, there is a legend about Laba Festival. Legend has it that in ancient China, there was a story called "Red Beans Fighting Ghosts". It is said that on the eighth day of the lunar month, a monster named "Plague Ghost" will come out to harm humans. This monster is very afraid of red beans, so people boil red bean porridge on this day to drive away plague ghosts. Later, this custom gradually evolved into the custom of boiling laba porridge.
Overall, Laba Festival is an important festival in traditional Chinese culture, and Laba garlic is a delicious food item in this festival. Whether as a food or as a cultural symbol, Laba garlic carries the wisdom and emotions of the Chinese people. I hope that through this article, more people can understand and love this traditional food with strong northern characteristics.
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