The Origin of Tujia Social Meal

Tujia people attach great importance to society, and every family is happy to cook good social meals. Tujia people collect fresh Artemisia ordosica from rural areas, streams and hillsides, wash and chop it up, rub it with bitter water, bake it, and steam or stew it with wild garlic, dried bean curd, bacon and other accessories. Delicious, fragrant, soft and delicious.

1. In ancient times, both the land god and the place where the land god was sacrificed were called "country". Farmers are used to offering sacrifices to the land god in spring ploughing and autumn harvest every year, so they agree to call the day of offering sacrifices to the land god "social day". According to legend, the date of birth of the Land God is the second day of the second lunar month, so people after the Han Dynasty regard the fifth garrison day after the arrival of the Land God in beginning of spring as the "Spring Festival".

2. Social meals are a kind of food offered to the country by the Han, Tujia, Miao and Dong nationalities in China. Its main raw materials are white rice, mugwort and bacon. Wash the twigs of Artemisia annua collected before the festival, knead them, squeeze out bitter water, wash and chop them, put them in a pot, add ginger, wild onion and garlic sprouts, stir-fry until Artemisia annua turns yellow, and bake them for later use. Wash the bacon, cut it into dices and stir-fry it for later use. Then the glutinous rice and rice are washed according to the ratio of 3: 1 or 2: 1 (that is, the ratio of 3 kg of glutinous rice 1-2 kg of rice). Soak glutinous rice in water for 3-4 hours and then drain. Cook the rice in a boiling water pot for a while, and then take it out. Filter out the rice soup and drain the water. On the fifth day after beginning of spring (usually around the vernal equinox), every family will cook a public meal to worship their ancestors. Social meals are not only fragrant, but also refreshing and brain-strengthening. Social meals are favorite snacks of Tujia people. As one of the top ten famous foods in Enshi Tujia area, social fire has existed for hundreds of years. In ancient times, social meals had special significance. They are used by Tujia people to worship the land bodhisattva, which means a bumper harvest.