With the turn of the seasons, the wheel of time brings us to the season of Xiaohan.
This is a cold and vibrant solar term, which tells us that the harsh winter has arrived, but the pace of spring is also quietly approaching.
On days like this, I often think of a saying that circulates in the mouths of the elderly: "Xiaohan eats three treasures and races over the immortals." ”
So, what exactly are these three jewels, and what emotions and stories do they contain?
The first treasure: sweet potato
In the cold season, if you want to talk about the food of the occasion, sweet potatoes are bound to be on the list.
When the biting cold wind whistles and the white snowflakes fall one after another, the alluring aroma of roasted sweet potatoes is like a warm current, penetrating the heavy winter coat on our bodies and reaching the bottom of our hearts.
Its soft and delicate taste, with a natural sweetness, seems to be a special care sent by nature to us in this cold season.
In the harsh winter, the sweetness and warmth from sweet potatoes are like a ray of sunshine, illuminating our lives.
When I was a child, my friends and I used to gather around the fire, warming ourselves by the fire and roasting sweet potatoes.
We competed for sweet potatoes, and the laughter and aroma of sweet potatoes intertwined to become one of the fondest memories of my childhood.
Now, although I have grown up, I still buy a few sweet potatoes to bake at home whenever the cold comes.
The familiar scent always evokes my hometown and my childhood.
The second treasure: mutton
Lamb is another indispensable dish in the cold season.
As the saying goes, "Winter tonic lamb is the most appropriate." ”
In this cold season, eating a hot mutton hot pot or drinking a bowl of fragrant mutton soup is undoubtedly the happiest thing.
Mutton is not only nutritious and nourishing to the body, but also can drive away cold and warm the stomach, enhance resistance, and is a charcoal in the snow for people who are afraid of cold.
I remember one winter when it was very cold, and I caught a cold because of my thin clothes.
At that time, my mother would stew a big pot of mutton soup for me every day.
The rich soup base, the tender mutton, and my mother's love made me feel extremely warm and happy.
It didn't take long for my cold to get better.
Since then, I have fallen in love with drinking mutton soup, and I have cherished my mother's love for me even more.
The third treasure: sticky rice
In the solar term of Xiaohan, eating glutinous rice is also very particular.
Sticky rice is not only soft and glutinous, sweet and nutritious, but also has a good meaning and symbolism.
The old people believe that eating glutinous rice on Xiaohan can mean that the family is reunited, live every day in harmony, and can also bring good luck and auspiciousness to the new year.
I remember when I was a child, every year on Xiaohan's day, my mother would get up early to prepare glutinous rice for us to eat.
She will soak the glutinous rice in advance, then add red dates, wolfberries and other ingredients to steam it together, and finally sprinkle some sugar and sesame seeds to garnish it before it can be eaten.
The sweet and delicious sticky rice always makes us eat with relish and endless aftertaste.
When I think about it now, I feel that it was an indescribable taste of happiness.
"Xiaohan Eating Three Treasures" is not only a traditional eating Xi, but also a yearning and pursuit of a better life.
It allows us to feel the warmth and sweetness of life even in the cold winter.
It also makes us cherish the time of reunion between family members and the beautiful gifts that nature has given us.
Therefore, in this cold season, you might as well prepare a sumptuous "Three Treasures" meal for yourself and your family, I believe you will be able to taste the beauty and happiness of life!