The Spring Festival is the oldest and grandest national festival in China, especially the New Year's Eve, and people can't live without fish. Because fish on New Year's Eve is good luck on the dining table, and it eliminates disasters outside the dining table.
China has a vast territory and different ethnic customs, and the cultural customs of eating fish in the New Year are also colorful. However, several kinds of fish are recognized all over the country. The first is carp, because it is homophonic with the word "Li", which means a country of etiquette and a gift. China people think that if they want to prosper in the new year, they should eat more carp. Followed by crucian carp, homophonic "auspicious" word, so if you eat crucian carp, it will bring good luck in the second year. The third kind is catfish, because it sounds like the word "surplus", so eating catfish means a surplus in the coming year. The fourth kind is mandarin fish, which means "more than wealth".
Every Spring Festival, from west to east, from south to north, there is a fish dish with local flavor on the table of thousands of families. Whether it's the bustling capital Beijing or Hainan at the ends of the earth, the fish and vegetables on the New Year's Eve are like homesickness, homesickness and homesickness.
Fish of Northeast New Year's Eve.
Besides carp, people in Northeast China also like to eat silver carp and silver carp during the Spring Festival. Every winter, major reservoirs and lakes in Northeast China begin to fish under the ice in winter with local characteristics, the most famous of which is Chagan Lake in Jilin. A large net was cast under the ice in a few days of cold weather, and more than 100 thousand Jin was caught in one net. Spectacular scenes are called "wonders of the world" by the world. In 2008, it was listed in the national intangible cultural heritage list, and in 2009, it was selected as "Eight Scenery of Jilin". The fish caught in the cold winter soon freezes, and after being put outside, it will not be bad for many days after being buried in the snow. Until the Spring Festival, ten catties of organic fish were stewed in a cauldron, and the aroma was overflowing, which indicated that the new year was full of excitement, jubilation and good luck.
In Heilongjiang, especially in ethnic minority areas, when visiting relatives and friends on the first day of the New Year, the host will hold a fish banquet to warmly welcome the guests: hot and sour "stepping on fish" (raw fish), crispy "fried fish hair" and delicious and transparent "salmon roe", which makes the guests full of praise. Hezhe people have a unique way of eating fish and formed a unique food culture. First, the sturgeon, carp and other fish are roasted on the fire, then the meat slices are cut and mixed with ingredients such as onions and cucumbers to make a cold dish called "Tallaha"; Frozen fish, peeled, peeled into pieces, dipped in leeks, vinegar and Chili oil, called "ice and snow fillets"; There are also special eating methods such as "killing raw fish", "fish sticks" and "fish balls", which are delicious and unique.
The custom of eating fish on New Year's Eve in Jiangsu and Zhejiang.
Eating fish on New Year's Eve People in Jiangsu and Zhejiang like to eat fish. Sweet and sour fish, squirrel fish, silver fish soup, soft-pocked long fish, Tianmu Lake fish head, fish balls, fish cakes, fish fillets and eight fresh fish are all delicious dishes on New Year's Eve.
West Lake vinegar fish is a famous dish with traditional flavor in Hangzhou. Fish is called "crab meat" because of its beautiful appearance, tender meat, bright red color and sweet and sour taste. The traditional cooking skills of "Louwailou" were selected into the list of intangible cultural heritage protection in Zhejiang Province. West Lake vinegar fish need not be fried or braised, and the fresh and tender taste can just alleviate the feeling of eating too much meat in the New Year without being greasy.
Steamed fish is the favorite of Shanghainese. Wash the fresh fish, apply salt and cooking wine, and put it on a plate for 10 minute. Cut the ginger and spread it evenly on the fish. Boil the water in the steamer, then put it in a fish dish and steam for 8 minutes. Turn off the fire, take out the fish plate, pour out the water in the plate, pick up shredded ginger, cut more shredded onion and sprinkle it on the fish, and pour in the steamed fish sauce. Finally, pour some oil into the wok to heat it up, and then pour it on the fish. The oil is drenched on the fish, and the sound of thorns is very festive.
Coilia ectenes, shad and fugu obscurus are all rare fish in the Yangtze River estuary, and they are listed as "the three wonders of the Yangtze River". It is a high-grade aquatic product in Shanghai, Jiangsu and other places, and also a delicacy for friends and relatives.
Fish and vegetables for Chinese New Year of ethnic minorities.
Dai people like to eat bamboo and grilled fish on festivals. Split the bamboo, put the fish stuffed with pork and seasoning, put the bamboo and fish together in the fire pond and cook slowly with slow fire. You don't need chopsticks when eating, just cut off a thick banana leaf, put the bamboo grilled fish on it and tear it with your hands. This method of cooking fish with bamboo not only adds a harmonious atmosphere to the family, but also means "family prosperity and good luck" in the coming year.
Miao people living in the south like to eat spiced fish in the New Year. Clean the fresh fish, cut it into small pieces, soak it in soy sauce and salt for 3 hours, take it out to dry and fry it until it is cooked. Soak it in the soup mixed with white sugar, rice wine, ginger juice and boiled water while it is hot, take it out for 5 minutes, dry it, steam it in the pot, put white sugar and sawdust in the bottom of the pot, burn the bottom of the pot to make the white sugar and sawdust smoke, and smoke the fish out of the pot with smoke. This dish is sweet, spicy, burnt, fragrant and salty, and it makes your mouth water.
Koreans love to eat "Mingtai Fish" at the Spring Festival family dinner. According to legend, in ancient times, the people in the area where Koreans lived were isolated from the world because of famine. A man named Lin Mingtai discovered an edible fish and helped his compatriots through the disaster year. Since then, local people will make "Mingtai Fish" every New Year to offer sacrifices to Mingtai Fish. Mingtai fish is full of treasures, and all parts are delicious. Suitable for frying, stewing, cold salad and baking. Ancient Koreans could even make Mingtai fish into 36 dishes.
"Fish Flavor" in the Three Gorges Area during the Spring Festival
Although the custom of eating fish in the New Year has a long history, it is different in different regions, and the Three Gorges region, which spans Bashu and Jingchu, is one of the most distinctive regions.
Chongqing is the most important city in the Three Gorges area. For Chongqing people, fish dishes in the New Year's Eve dinner are essential. This fish dish is very particular: it must be complete. As a mascot, fish symbolizes "a head and a tail, more than a year". Usually steamed whole fish, braised whole fish, chopped whole fish with pepper and so on are used. Generally, the size of the whole fish can be put on a plate, and the choice of species varies greatly according to the changes of aquaculture and living standards. Carp, grass carp and crucian carp were mainly used in the past. Later, with the development of aquaculture and the improvement of living standards, Wuchang fish, Jiangtuan, Schizothorax fish, sturgeon, turbot and grouper were widely used.
In western Chongqing, fish is also an essential dish in the New Year's Eve dinner. Fish should be cooked more, which means "more than enough". When eating fish on New Year's Eve, we should leave the head and tail until next year (that is, at the beginning of the year) to express the wish of "having a head and a tail" in the new year. In Yibin, Sichuan, in addition to preparing pork gizzards (called duck gizzards in some places) and chicken, fish is definitely indispensable in the New Year's Eve dinner, and some even use fish as fish balls, symbolizing "more than one year, round and round".
Fish-eating culture in Minnan and Taiwan Province during the New Year.
The reunion dinner on New Year's Eve in Fujian and Taiwan has always been called "around the stove". People in Fujian and Taiwan pay special attention to "surrounding the kitchen", that is, this meal on the eve of New Year's Eve, and pay more attention to the name and collocation of food. You don't have to have delicacies, but the food you choose must have special significance. There must be fish on the table, and they are all fish, but they can't be cut into pieces. They are called "fish" every year. Eating fish heads indicates "wealth and wealth" in the coming year (Fujian-Taiwan dialect); There should be sweet taro paste, because "taro" is homophonic with rich "jade"; And cockroaches. The shell of a cockroach is similar to ancient silver and is a symbol of gold and silver. They are usually eaten at the end of the stove. This seafood doesn't need to be cooked, just blanch it with boiling water. If cooked, it loses its freshness and is not delicious.
Some advice on eating fish healthily-
People in China like to eat fish. Fish is not only delicious, but also rich in nutrition, which can provide us with a lot of nutrition and play a certain role in health care and disease prevention. However, eating fish should also pay attention to methods. If you eat it wrong, it will lead to poisoning and even life-threatening. Therefore, in the traditional festival of the Chinese nation-Spring Festival, we should pay attention to some details when eating fish.
There must be a way to eat fish on holidays.
Fish is indispensable at the Spring Festival banquet. Eating fish on an empty stomach is common, but it is likely to lead to gout attacks. Gout is a disease caused by the disorder of purine metabolism leading to the increase of serum uric acid, and most fish are rich in purine. If you eat a lot of fish containing purine on an empty stomach, but there is not enough carbohydrate to decompose, the acid-base balance of the human body will be unbalanced, which is easy to induce gout or aggravate the condition of gout patients. During the Spring Festival, it is winter, which is most suitable for eating warm fish, such as crucian carp. But it's best to eat less during a cold and fever and people who love aphtha.
You should have a choice when eating fish on holidays.
For fish, eat selectively. First of all, eat less or not eat fish heads, because the older the fish, the more mercury accumulated in the fish brain and skin, and excessive intake of mercury may cause poisoning. Secondly, the "three highs" crowd is not suitable for eating fish roe, because the fish roe rich in lecithin has higher cholesterol. Third, it is unscientific to kill live fish now, because it is often too late to completely eliminate the toxic substances in fish, and the parasites and bacteria on fish have not completely died. These residual toxins are likely to cause harm to the body. In addition, the fish protein eaten alive is not completely decomposed, the nutrients are insufficient, and the taste is not the best.
Eat as many kinds of fish as possible.
Different fish have different tastes and eating methods, and different fish have different nutritional values. Eating more kinds can make the intake of nutrition more balanced. Fatty fish, such as eel and saury, are suitable for barbecue. When eating, squeeze some lemon juice on the fish. Carp, silver carp, silver carp, grass carp and hairtail have better flavor after stewing; Monopterus albus, snakehead, crucian carp and cod are delicious and suitable for stewing. High-end fish such as mandarin fish, shad and perch are tender and tender, suitable for steaming and keeping original flavor; Marine fish such as tuna, red snapper and salmon can be eaten raw, but they should be fresh and safe.
In China's folk culture, eating fish is not only to satisfy the appetite. Eating fish, like posting Spring Festival couplets and setting off firecrackers, makes the Spring Festival, an ancient traditional festival, more colorful. We should continue to inherit the interest in fish, wind and fish for thousands of years, which not only represents a folk custom and culture, but also expresses people's endless expectations and blessings for life and the future from ancient times to the present.