The Miao "black glutinous rice" and the Dai "splashing rice" in the Lantern Festival: a feast of food and joy
The Lantern Festival is a traditional feast of the Chinese nation, and people of all ethnic groups will celebrate it in their own unique ways. In this feast, the "black glutinous rice" of the Miao nationality and the "splashing rice" of the Dai nationality are undoubtedly the most distinctive food representatives. Today, let's walk into these two ethnic groups and explore the cultural stories behind these two cuisines.
Lantern Festival morning,We came to the Miao village. During the Lantern Festival here, every household will cook a pot of fragrant "black glutinous rice". Don't underestimate the word "black", it's not something that any pot can be called. This black glutinous rice is dyed with special black glutinous rice, which symbolizes a good harvest and good fortune. During the cooking process, Miao aunts will stir the glutinous rice in the pot while chanting ancient mantras, as if this will bring more blessings and good luck into this meal.
Of course, there is also a point in eating black glutinous rice. In the Miao people, on the day of the Lantern Festival, unmarried girls will deliberately decorate their rice bowls with flowersThen press a small pit in the rice bowl, implying that I hope to find a wishful man. The boys, on the other hand, would widen their eyes and search around for the girls who had the prettiest jobs, secretly competing to see who had sharper eyes. This is really a contest of "foodies"!
Lantern Festival afternoon,We moved to the Dai villages in Yunnan. The Lantern Festival here is a veritable "splashing feast". The Dai people are convincedWater washes away all impurities and misfortunesTherefore, on the day of the Lantern Festival, they will bless each other with pure water. And "splashing rice" is an indispensable delicacy in this feast.
This "splashing rice" is not an ordinary meal. It is carefully made with fresh glutinous rice and a variety of vegetables and meats, and has a rich taste, color, flavor, and taste. In the process of splashing water, the Dai people will throw water and rice to each other, which means to send blessings and good luck to each other. However, this throwing is a technical job, and you have to pay attention to the word "accurate". Therefore, in this splashing feast, we can always see some "hand-wrenched parties" trying to aim at the goal, but they are always unsatisfactory, and as a result, they are covered in water and make the onlookers laugh. This is really "easy to splash water, but difficult to eat"!
In short, in the Lantern Festival, the "black glutinous rice" of the Miao nationality and the "splashing rice" of the Dai nationality are not only delicious dishes, but also vivid pictures of ethnic customs. They let us taste the food at the same time, but also feel the unique charm of the Chinese nation's diverse and integrated culture.