舌尖上的欢庆

舌尖上的欢庆

A BITE OF CELEBRATION

Text & photos from A Bite of China:Celebrating the Chinese New Year（written by Chen Xiaoqing etc.,China CITIC Press）Translations by Zheng Ying&Yi Shan资料由《舌尖上的新年》（陈晓卿等著，中信出版集团）提供

This is a feast that everyone in the country attends, no matter where they are, east or west, south or north.But dishes served at the New Year Eve dinner vary from north to south, and of course the inlanders have a different taste than those living in coastal areas.At the same time, in different spaces, this vast country is presenting a rich variety of products, customs and traditions, all on the table of the New Year Eve dinner, which represents the tastes from hometowns that everyone holds dear.

这是一个东西南北都会奔赴的盛宴。然而，北方的年夜饭与南方有所不同，内陆的吃食与沿海也有差异。在同一个时间，不同的空间，一个广袤的国将它丰富多样的人文风土与物产习俗，融汇在年饭桌上，那是烙印在每个人心上的家乡味道。

Waterside in Zhejiang.A New Year for every home.(photographed by Huang Feng)浙江，水乡。每个家的年。 （摄/黄丰）

NO.1

CURING PORK (NANCHONG, SICHUAN)

It's quite an event to kill a pig.Holding a feast afterwards is a custom that marks the beginning of the long process of food preparation for the grand New Year's eve dinner.

Most parts of the pig would be cured and hanged in front of the hearth.After being smoked for over 30 days, the pig is fi nally ready for the big day.(Text by Gou Peiwen, photographed by Chen Jin)

腌腊 （四川南充）

杀年猪是一件大事。杀猪请客是约定俗成的规定、团年饭的预演、准备过年食物的开端。

杀了猪，大部分的肉要腌腊起来，陆陆续续地移到灶膛前悬挂——烟熏火燎一个多月后，它们将排上大用场。（文/芶霈文 摄/陈锦）

NO.2

A FEAST OF A HUNDRED TABLES (JIAXIN, ZHEJIANG)

In the ancient town of Jiangxin, hundreds of neighbours gather at a feast of a hundred tables during the Chinese New Year, rowdy and joyous.

The area south of the Yangtze River has long been a place of abundance.In the past, on major holidays, wealthy families in Wuzhen would hold a banquet on the street to share with the visitors and strangers in town.The neighbours followed the example and put tables with food on them in the street.This is how the long street banquet came into being.Today, the long street banquet is no longer offered for free, but at a cost of a dozen RMB you would be able to experience the special atmosphere of New Year.(Photographed by Huang Feng)

百桌宴（浙江嘉兴）

“十家为邻、百户为坊”的古镇，过年时的百桌宴热闹欢腾。

江南历来是富庶之地。以前，一到年节，嘉兴乌镇大户人家在坊间广开宴席，街坊邻里们也会沿街摆上桌椅，各出菜肴，不分你我……天南地北的陌生人，都可以一起共享美味和福气。如今长街宴不再是免费的，但几十元的价格就能体验江南特殊的年味。(摄/黄丰)

NO.3

LOSAR, THE TIBETAN NEW YEAR (SHIGATES, TIBET)

An interesting saying goes, that Losar only takes place in one of three circumstances: on the same day of Chinese lunar New Year, one day sooner or later than the Chinese lunar New Year, or one month sooner or later than the Chinese lunar New Year.

Before the Losar comes, the Tibetan wives spend most of their time decorating their kitchen.The swastika, 卐, is an auspicious and sacred symbol most used for decoration.Wives will also throw highland barley on the kitchenware to pray for a rich and prosperous new year.(Text by Tserin Yangdzom ,Photographed by Nagwang Plopsang)

藏历新年（西藏日喀则）

有一种有趣的说法，藏历新年与农历新年，要么是同一天，要么差一天，要么差一个月。新年之前，美化厨房是主妇最花心思的事。装饰吉祥图案中不能少了“卐”图。主妇们还要向灶具抛撒一些青稞，以求食物丰富，口味多多。（文/次仁央宗，摄/阿旺洛桑）

NO.4

LONGING FOR SWEETNESS(WEINAN, SHANXI)

It is custom in Ashou Village to hold a dough fi gure making competition and worship the god of medicine.Making food as simple as dough to such extreme is not only a product of technique or practice, but rather re fl ects the local villagers' longing for sweetness and a better life.(Photographed by Rang Yujie)

甜在心底 （陕西渭南）

阿寿村人过年，必须赛面花、拜药王。

将可以转化出甜味的淀粉主食钻研加工到极致，都是源自心底对甜的追求。（摄/冉玉杰）

NO.5

PROSPERITY IN THE YEAR AHEAD! (SONGYUAN, JILIN)

Chinese New Year is a good time for ice fi shing.The Songyuan people see it as a way of receiving godsends.Fish is a popular dish in many places near water.In Chinese,“yu”, pronunciation of the Chinese word fi sh also implies prosperity.(Photographed by Wang Wei)

年年有余（吉林松原）

春节是冬捕的好时候。破冰而得的丰收，是天赐的新年豪礼。

靠山吃山，靠水吃水。鱼，是很多“靠水”地区的年夜饭代表，寓意 “丰收”。 （摄/ 王薇）

NO.6

EXCEPTIONAL KINDNESS (NINGBO, ZHEJIANG)

The sweet, sticky cakes used to be a must-have offering when worshiping the kitchen god.As time passed by, families who like eating watermelon seeds would begin offering watermelon seeds to the kitchen god.Well, peanuts are also delicious.And how about smoked fi sh? The changes in offerings re fl ect empathy in general, that the joy of mine should be shared with you.(Photographed by Lin Congsheng)

破例的好意 （浙江宁波）

甜味的、黏牙的糕糖，是大江南北祭灶必备。渐渐地，爱嗑瓜子的人家就会为灶王爷多备一盘瓜子；花生，也很好味；熏鱼您喜欢吗？……祭灶果的进化，无非是一种同理心的表达——我快乐，希望你也快乐。（摄/林聪生）