The first custom food is jiaozi. In the northern region, jiaozi is one of the traditional foods in the light snow season. The custom of eating jiaozi can be traced back to the ancient winter solstice. According to tradition, people eat jiaozi on the solstice in winter, which means saying goodbye to the old year and welcoming the new year, and praying for a bumper harvest and good luck in the coming year. In this light snow season, people will continue to eat jiaozi to celebrate the coming winter solstice. Jiaozi usually uses pork, leek and Chinese cabbage as fillings, with thin and firm skin and delicious taste. The process of eating jiaozi has also become a way of family reunion, where family members sit together to wrap jiaozi and share happiness.
The second custom food is bacon. During the light snow season, people began to prepare bacon for the Spring Festival. Bacon is made by curing pork, and it has a unique flavor through specific processing methods. The curing process takes time and patience, and usually needs to start at this time of light snow. The cured bacon is bright red in color, firm in meat quality and mellow in taste. People will slice or cook bacon and eat it with other ingredients. Bacon is a traditional food on the winter table in northern China, and it is also one of the important foods during the Lunar New Year.
The third custom food is Guo Kui. Guo kui is a traditional pastry with northern characteristics, which looks like the armor of ancient soldiers, hence the name. It is made of flour as the main raw material, and its production process needs to go through many processes, including kneading, proofing, rolling and baking. Guo kui has a unique taste, crisp outside and soft inside, and the aroma is overflowing. People will make pot helmets in the light snow season for eating during the Spring Festival or giving them to relatives and friends.
The fourth custom food is Sugar-Coated Berry. Sugar-coated gourd is a kind of traditional candy pickled from fruits and vegetables, and its shape is similar to that of gourd. In the light snow season, people begin to pick various fruits, such as hawthorn, grapes, strawberries and so on. Then string them on bamboo sticks and dip them in sugar to form a transparent sugar coating on the surface. Sugar-coated haws are delicious and nutritious, and they are one of the most popular snacks in winter. At the same time, Sugar-Coated Berry is also one of the traditional candies during the Lunar New Year, symbolizing sweetness and good luck.
In the light snow season, the custom foods in the northern region are rich and varied, and each food has a profound cultural background and specific meaning. These foods not only satisfy people's appetite, but also connect people's emotions and memories. Whether it's wrapping jiaozi, curing bacon, making a pot helmet or tasting Sugar-Coated Berry, these traditional delicacies have become people's memories and cultural heritage in the light snow season. Let's taste the rich northern customs together, and feel the warmth and happiness brought by the custom food in this cold season.