腊八节：从祭祖祈福到舌尖上的年味传承
The Laba Festival is a traditional Chinese festival. It falls on the eighth day of the 12th lunar month. A long time ago, people thanked their ancestors (祖先) and gods on this day, hoping for a good new year with enough food and good health. Now, the Laba Festival also tells us a warm message: the Spring Festival is coming soon!
On this day, people enjoy some special and meaningful foods.
Laba porridge is the most important one. It is a sweet and warm rice soup. Families cook it with rice, beans, nuts and dried fruits. Everyone in the family has a bowl of it. It’s tasty and makes people feel warm.
People also make Laba garlic. They put clean garlic in a jar with some vinegar (醋), and seal the jar. After a few days, the garlic turns green. It tastes a bit sour and goes well with dumplings. The word “garlic” sounds like “count” in Chinese. So eating it means “thinking about the year’s money”. (This is a fun word play in Chinese!)
Some people eat Laba tofu, too. They dry the tofu in the sun before the festival to make it tasty.