This year’s Winter Solstice’s Eve falls on this Sunday (December 20). According to local ancient calendar, Winter Solstice marks the beginning of the new year, therefore local people attach great importance to the day, especially the night before Winter Solstice. It’s customary for Suzhounese to have a reunion dinner with their family on the night before Winter Solstice. What do they have for the dinner? Keep reading!
A Suzhou-style warm pot includes:
Egg dumplings, in the shape of “gold ingots”, symbolize wealth
Meat balls symbolize “reunion”
Rice noodles symbolize “gold (silver) chains”
Winter Wine
Winter wine (冬酿酒), made from fermented osmanthus flowers and glutinous rice, is a kind of low-alcohol family drink that is unique to Suzhou. It tastes a little sweet and has a short shelf life of several days. The city’s residents usually queue up on the morning of Winter Solstice’s Eve to buy winter wine.
Dongzhi Rice Ball
Dongzhi Rice Ball (冬至团, also Winter Solstice Rice Ball) is made of flour and stuffed with meat, red bean paste or radish.
Wonton
There is such a saying in Suzhou: “Eat wontons for Winter Solstice and noodles for Summer Solstice”.
Yuanbao Rice
Yuanbao Rice (元宝饭) is served with Chinese water chestnuts (荸荠). Seen as the “gold ingots”, the water chestnuts in the rice are said to be able to bring wealth to the people who happen to pick them up.
You can see other dishes such as pot-stewed dishes, whole chicken and duck, pig’s trotters braised in soy sauce, soybean sprouts, etc.
In addition to these mouth-watering foods, local people will also buy some daffodils as decorations during this period of time because they are the symbol of good luck.
This year’s Winter Solstice will coincide with the grand “Double 12 Suzhou Shopping Festival”. Apart from having a reunion dinner with your family, you can also expect a wide variety of promotional events!
