As the eve of the Lunar New Year, the 30th day of the lunar month is a time for families to reunite and spend the festive season together. However, on such a special day, some ingredients are considered "unlucky" for various reasons. In the eyes of the older generation, these ingredients may bode badly for the new year. Although young people are not so concerned about these traditional customs, understanding these details may help us better understand the thoughts of our elders and respect their customs.
1. Scaleless fish
Scaleless fish, as the name suggests, refers to those fish that do not have scales. In many places, especially in the northern regions, scaleless fish is considered to be an "unlucky" ingredient and is not suitable for consumption on the 30th day of the lunar month. Because "scaleless" is a homonym for "scaleless", it is believed that eating scaleless fish will destroy family harmony and lead to problems in family relationships. Therefore, during the Spring Festival, a festival of reunion and harmony, many families will avoid eating scaleless fish.
2. Bitter gourd
Bitter gourd, as a nutritious vegetable, has many benefits for the body when consumed in ordinary times. But on the thirtieth day of the lunar month, bitter gourd is regarded as an "unlucky" ingredient. This is because the word "bitter" has a similar meaning to words such as "suffering" and "hardship", and it is believed that eating bitter gourd during the festive festival of the Spring Festival will bring misfortune and hardship. Therefore, in order to please a good prize, many families will avoid bitter melon on the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner.
3. Sauerkraut
As a traditional food, sauerkraut has won the love of many people with its unique sour taste. However, in the Spring Festival, a festival that pays attention to "lip color", sauerkraut is regarded as an "unlucky" ingredient. This is because the word "sour" has a similar meaning to words such as "sour" and "sour", and people believe that eating sauerkraut will make people feel bad and affect the fortune of the new year.
New Year's recommended food: [Four Joy Meatballs].
Sixi Balls is one of the traditional Chinese dishes, with a long history, delicious taste and rich nutrition. It is composed of four meatballs with good color and flavor, symbolizing the four auspicious meanings of blessing, luck, longevity and happiness, hence the name Sixi meatballs. Although the recipe may seem complicated, as long as you master the right skills and recipes, you can easily make delicious Sixi balls.
Ingredients: 500 grams of minced pork, 100 grams of shrimp, 2 eggs, appropriate amount of flour.
Seasoning: minced ginger, minced green onion, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, cooking wine, salt, sugar, chicken essence, pepper, water starch.
Steps: Wash the shrimp, chop them into shrimp puree, add an appropriate amount of salt and pepper and mix well and set aside.
Put the minced pork into a bowl, add an appropriate amount of salt, sugar, chicken essence, pepper, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, cooking wine, stir well, add the shrimp puree, minced ginger and green onion, and continue to stir until the meat filling is gelatinous.
Add 2 eggs and an appropriate amount of flour to the minced meat, stir until the minced meat is thick, and knead the minced meat into evenly sized meatballs by hand.
Pour enough oil into the pan, and when it is six or seven hot, put the meatballs into the oil pan, fry them over medium-low heat until golden brown, remove and drain the oil.
Leave the bottom oil in the pot, add the green onion and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, add an appropriate amount of water, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and sugar, put in the fried meatballs after boiling, and cook until the soup is thick.
New Year's recommended food: [Steamed fish].
During the lively Spring Festival, every household has fish on their tables. Steamed fish has become a frequent guest at the Spring Festival banquet with its original, fresh and smooth characteristics.
To make a delicious steamed fish dish, you first need to choose the right fish. Fresh fish has delicate flesh and a smooth texture, making it an excellent choice for making steamed fish. Common steamed fish mostly choose sea bass, osmanthus and other varieties. When purchasing, choose fish with bright eyes and shiny scales to ensure freshness.
Skillfully make steamed fish.
Ingredients: Remove the scales, gutts and clean the fish. Use a knife to make a few cuts on both sides of the fish to make it easier to absorb the flavor.
Marinating: Put the processed fish in a bowl, add an appropriate amount of salt, cooking wine, and shredded ginger, and marinate for 10 minutes to remove the fishy smell.
Steaming: Take out the marinated fish, put it on a plate (put green onions and ginger shreds on both sides), and steam for 10 minutes. The steaming time can be adjusted appropriately according to the size of the fish.
Pouring hot oil: Take out the steamed fish and pour hot cooking oil on it to bring out the aroma of green onion and ginger.
To prepare the sauce: Mix light soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, sugar, and a little water, heat and pour over the fish.
Garnish: Sprinkle with chopped green onion and coriander to add greenery.
Tips】Steamed fish should be original and should not be seasoned too much, so as not to hide the deliciousness of the fish itself.
When steaming fish, put green onions and ginger shreds on both sides of the fish, which can effectively remove the smell and increase the flavor.
Pouring hot oil is a key step that instantly brings out the aromas of the ingredients.
When preparing the sauce, add the appropriate amount of seasoning according to personal taste.
When making steamed fish at home, it is best to choose a steamer with a good seal to ensure that the steam is evenly distributed and the fish is more tender.
In addition to the above delicacies, there are many kinds of delicacies on the 30th day of the lunar month. For example, the chicken means auspiciousness; Tofu means abundance; Candy means sweetness; The eight-treasure rice symbolizes a bumper harvest of grains and abundant food and clothing. Each dish has a unique meaning and story, and all of them carry people's best wishes for the New Year.
On the thirtieth day of the lunar month, let us taste these delicacies together and feel the strong New Year's flavor and family affection. Let us work hard and move forward in the new year with these beautiful blessings and meanings. At the same time, don't forget to reunite with your family and spend this warm and happy festival together.