6 kinds of "dragon eating" customs on February 2nd. What dragon do you eat at home?

Tomorrow is the second day of the second month of the lunar calendar, which is a traditional custom in my country. Many places like to call it "Dragon Raising its Head", which originated in the Tang Dynasty. The reason why it is related to the dragon is also because of my country's traditional culture.

Agriculture appeared early in my country. At that time, people paid attention to the seasons and often looked up at the sky and looked down at the geography. The ancients had the theory of the twenty-eight constellations, which included the four symbols. The four symbols included the eastern blue dragon. February 2 was the day when the dragon star reappeared after disappearing and lurking, so people called it "the day when the dragon raises its head." [1]

In many areas of my country, the food people eat on this day is all related to dragons. For example, pancakes made into the shape of dragon scales are called dragon scale pancakes. In some places, spring pancakes are eaten, which is called "biting dragon scales". Dumplings are called dragon ears and dragon horns. Rice is called dragon seeds. Noodles are called dragon beard noodles, which means "eating dragon beards". Eating pig heads is called "eating dragon heads".

What is different from the past is that modern people pay more attention to healthy eating while maintaining traditional eating habits. How can we enjoy these delicacies related to the second day of the second lunar month in a healthy way?

01

Spring pancake bite dragon scales

In addition to eating spring pancakes on the beginning of spring, spring pancakes are also eaten on the second day of the second month. The crust of the spring pancake is thin and chewy, and its shape is very round, just like dragon scales, so eating spring pancakes is also called biting dragon scales.

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Spring rolls are simple and healthy to eat, and can be rolled with lean meat and vegetables, such as fried chicken breast with soybean sprouts, fried dried tofu with mung bean sprouts, fried lean meat with leeks, and fried shredded pork with green peppers.

It is important to note that it is best not to wrap spring rolls with shredded potatoes, because potatoes are a type of potato food and have a high carbohydrate content of 17%,[2] and can completely replace part of the staple food. If you wrap spring rolls with shredded potatoes, then you are wrapping the staple food with the staple food, which is not conducive to controlling blood sugar and weight after a meal.

02

Dumplings with dragon ears

In northern my country, people eat dumplings on important days. Dumplings look like ingots. Eating dumplings on the second day of the second lunar month is also called eating dragon ears, which means a prosperous new year. The best fillings for dumplings are a combination of meat and vegetables, because the homonym for meat and vegetables is "wealth". For example, shepherd's purse and pork filling (to gather wealth) or pork and leek filling (for longevity) are both good.

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For general dumplings, female friends can control 10 to 12 dumplings per meal, while male friends can control 15 to 20 dumplings. For diabetic patients, it is recommended to choose to boil dumplings and dip them in vinegar. The average person can use 10 to 20 ml of vinegar. If you like vinegar and can accept its sourness, you can eat 20 to 28 ml.

Because a study mentioned that although boiled dumplings digest starch quickly, the post-meal blood sugar peak is later than that of boiled dumplings. Therefore, boiled dumplings can increase blood sugar earlier in patients with type 2 diabetes than boiled dumplings. [3] In addition, when eating staple foods containing refined carbohydrates, adding some vinegar can delay gastric emptying time and reduce post-meal blood sugar. [4]

Of course, you can also make buckwheat noodles dumplings or spinach juice dumplings to add extra health benefits.

03

Rice and dragon

The rice eaten on February 2 is called "eating dragon seeds", which means many children, good fortune and luck.

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However, the high GI of refined white rice is not conducive to blood sugar control, so you should not eat too much at one time. It is recommended to mix coarse and fine grains, and use brown rice, buckwheat rice, highland barley rice, oat rice, sorghum rice, black rice and other grains to replace 1/3 of white rice to make multi-grain rice. This is not only conducive to stabilizing blood sugar after meals, but also can supplement more dietary fiber, minerals and B vitamins, and improve the nutritional value of "dragon seeds".

In urban and rural areas of Zhejiang, people also eat mustard rice in the hope of improving eyesight, preventing scabies, and keeping the skin healthy. [1] Mustard contains carotene, which can be converted into vitamin A in the body. This nutrient can promote eye and skin health. Dark vegetables also contain antioxidants, which can help the body remove free radicals and are also beneficial to skin health.

04

Dragon beard noodles

Eating long and smooth dragon beard noodles on the second day of the second lunar month symbolizes good luck, smooth sailing and good health.

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Longxu noodles are thin noodles with a low GI value, which is more friendly to blood sugar than dried noodles. However, in order to balance nutrition, it is recommended to eat them with some vegetables and protein, such as rapeseed fried egg noodles, tomato and egg noodles, chicken and green vegetable noodles, cabbage and tofu noodles, etc.

05

Pig head eats dragon head

Eating pig heads on February 2 not only marks the end of the previous year, but also the beginning of a new year. The "head" means the beginning of a new year, and "eating the dragon's head" means hoping for a good start to the new year.

There are so many ways to cook pig's head, such as braised pork, stewed pig's head, steamed pig's head, fried pig's head, etc. Pig's head meat has a high fat content and tastes "fragrant and greasy".

For people who are obese, have high blood pressure, and high blood lipids, it is recommended to eat less pork head meat, because most pork head meat is high in calories, fat, and salt, which is not conducive to the control of chronic diseases.

For example, the pork head meat in the picture below has good sales online. Most people can eat 100 grams in one meal, but the calories from the pork head alone are as high as 356 kcal. If you eat some rice and other dishes, the calories of a meal may easily exceed 600 kcal, and you will also consume nearly 4 grams of salt. You should know that the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents" recommends that the daily salt intake should be controlled at no more than 5 grams. A portion of pork head meat consumes nearly 80% of the salt. It is too easy to exceed the salt limit throughout the day, which will increase the risk of high blood pressure. In addition, the fat content of pork head meat is not low, even higher than that of pork hind elbow.

Image source: e-commerce platform

Therefore, although pig head is a must-have delicacy on the second day of the second lunar month in some areas, you should also be careful to control the amount.

06

Popcorn golden beans bloom

According to legend, during the Tang Dynasty, Wu Zetian angered the Jade Emperor by becoming the emperor, so the Jade Emperor ordered the four dragon kings not to bring rain to the world for three years. However, one dragon king violated the Jade Emperor's order and brought rain to the world, so the Jade Emperor banished him to the mortal world and pressed him under a mountain. In order to save the dragon king, people came up with the idea of ​​frying corn until it bloomed. Every family made popcorn, and the dragon king was pardoned. After being saved, the dragon king continued to make clouds and rain for the world, so there was a custom of making popcorn on the second day of the second month, which means golden beans blooming. [5]

Although corn looks like a snack after being made into popcorn, it is still a staple food and has a high calorie content. If you eat popcorn, you must reduce your intake of staple foods at regular meals.

In addition, popcorn residues easily stick to teeth, and bacteria can easily multiply, which can cause bad breath, gingivitis, tooth decay and other problems. This is the main reason why many people get "angry" after eating popcorn, so be sure to rinse your mouth and clean your mouth in time after eating popcorn.

Summary: There are many customs about eating on February 2nd. While respecting traditional customs, we should also pay attention to balanced nutrition to improve the health of ourselves and our families. In addition to eating, there are also customs of "washing the faucet" and "cutting the faucet" on February 2nd, which means starting a new year from scratch, with a clear head, smart eyes, and black hair.

What are the customs of February 2nd in your family?

References:

[1] Zhang Bo. First there was the “February 2nd”, then there was the “Dragon Raising its Head”: The Origin, Evolution and Cultural Significance of the February 2nd Festival[J]. Folk Culture Forum, 2012(05):100-112.DOI:10.16814/j.cnki.1008-7214.2012.05.027.

[2] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 1[M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2018

[3] Liu Yanping, Zhao Weigang, Dong Yingyue, Guo Yafang, Zhao Nan, Niu Danye, Wang Zhu. Effects of boiled or fried dumplings on postprandial blood glucose in diabetic patients evaluated by continuous blood glucose monitoring[J]. Chinese Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2016, 24(01): 38-42.

[4] Wang Tian, ​​Xu Tongcheng, Xie Jianwei, Li Duo. Meta-analysis of the effects of acetic acid on postprandial blood glucose[J]. Chinese Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2009(03):144-147.

[5] Lv Hongyan. Comparative Analysis of the Customs of the Second Day of the Second Month in the South and the North [J]. Frontier Economy and Culture, 2006(04):105-107.

Author: Xue Qingxin Member of Chinese Nutrition Society Registered Nutritionist Health Manager Public Nutritionist

Review｜Han Hongwei, Director and Researcher of Risk Communication Department, National Food Safety Risk Assessment Center

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