Why do Chinese people have to eat something red during Chinese New Year?

Written by Wei Shuihua

Header image | Visual China

If you want to put a word describing the color after "China", red is the first choice. In Han culture, Chinese red is an auspicious color that everyone yearns for, regardless of age, class, or gender. "Good luck", "a good start", "a full house", "prosperity", "bonus", "popular people", almost all words with "red" have strong positive connotations.

In traditional Chinese folk customs, red is also an important cultural symbol. Red lanterns are hung during the Lantern Festival, red wedding characters are posted on wedding ceremonies, red clothes are worn during festivals, and red eggs are given as gifts when a baby is born...

The Lunar New Year is the most important festival for the Chinese people. Beef, mutton, fish, crab, fresh fruits and vegetables, stir-frying, frying, braising, baking and roasting, the most exquisite cooking techniques and the most essential ingredients of Chinese cuisine are all used during the Spring Festival.

Whether it is the Cantonese people's hot pot, the Fujianese people's weiluo, the Shandong people's crispy pot, or the Northeastern people's big harvest, they all represent the local cultural traditions, material resources, and the public's aesthetic taste. They are the most concentrated and intuitive embodiment of China's thousands of years of food culture.

The festive red color should be the main color of the Spring Festival dining table: during the Chinese New Year, let’s eat something red together.

Picture/Dingdong’s signature dishes, authentic New Year dishes that bring together Chinese red

No.1

Eating and drinking lavishly during the New Year is logically inconsistent with the farming culture of the south and the nomadic culture of the north. Influenced by the unique topography of the Siberian Plateau in North Asia, every winter, the cold air from the Arctic Ocean is compressed into high-pressure airflow and flows southward, causing the temperature in East Asia to be significantly lower than other regions of the same latitude in the world.

The low temperature directly slowed down the ecological operation, and a large number of animals and plants entered a dormant or semi-dormant period, which in turn led to a depression in agriculture and animal husbandry. For the ancient Chinese, the final result was that there was nothing to eat during the long winter.

Hunger and cold were the most important causes of death for the ancients. To this day, the Chinese still call the New Year "the end of the year"; the terrible disasters and diseases during the New Year are compared to the "Nian beast"; and after surviving the coldest and darkest New Year's Eve of the year, it means that the climate will warm up and the possibility of survival will increase, so people will beat gongs, drums and set off firecrackers to celebrate.

But as productivity developed, Chinese people began to pursue better food during the Chinese New Year. The New Year dinner table became more and more rich, grand, and ostentatious. Being able to eat enough on the day when there was nothing to eat was an important ritual to offer food to the gods and pray for the prosperity of the family, and to comfort the stomach and prove that there was no worry about food and drink. In ancient times, red meat was a rare commodity, and it was the greatest reward for oneself and one's family in the New Year dinner.

Compared with white meat provided by poultry and fish, mammalian meat, which is rich in myoglobin, has a more complete amino acid structure, more diverse trace elements and higher nutritional density. But at the same time, it also means a longer breeding cycle and higher breeding costs. In Northeast China, a pot of sauerkraut, blood sausage and white meat, known as the "pig-killing dish", is the "table treasure" on the New Year's table. It is delicious and lively when cooked and eaten.

Northeast China has a long history of raising and eating pigs. Chinese literature from the 6th century AD recorded that the Mohe people "raised pigs appropriately, with the rich having hundreds of pigs, eating their meat and wearing their skins". The long history has created a refined way of eating. Bone-in meat is lean and tender, and it is tasty only when cut into large pieces; pork belly with fat and lean meat should be sliced ​​thinly to cut off the reticular protein structure in the fat as much as possible, making the meat crispy and not greasy; the fat intestines are rich and rich, and should be stewed until they are soft and chewy; the small intestines are thin in texture, and fresh pig blood is added to make them rich and solid, and to concentrate and improve the original loose taste of the pig blood. Every part is used to its full potential.

The bone soup that makes pickled cabbage delicious is the soul of the pig-killing dish. In Northeast Asia, the winter is cold and the products are not abundant. Pickled cabbage is one of the few vegetables that is suitable for preservation and easy to obtain: under the action of lactic acid bacteria, yeast and other bacteria, the plant protein in the cabbage breaks down various nucleotides and amino acids that express umami, which are combined with the sodium salt in the pickled vegetables to form various water-soluble flavoring substances. It only needs to be soaked and boiled with pork and pork bones, without adding seasonings, and the natural umami flavor is rich.

With a pot like this, the whole family gathers together to cook and eat, not only for the taste, but also for the reunion and joy, witnessing the harvest of the year together.

Picture/Dingdong pig-killing dish, delicate pork belly, plump intestines, and tasty pickled cabbage

Beef is another typical example: although beef is high in protein, has a strong sense of satiety and a rich flavor, for agricultural civilizations, the value of cattle in terms of food is not worth mentioning compared to their contribution to farming. Therefore, the slaughter of oxen has been expressly prohibited in all dynasties of China. The only exception to eating beef is during the Chinese New Year: when the farmland is harvested and the rice is full, occasionally trying beef can not only satisfy the desire for meat on weekdays, but also show the auspiciousness of the abundance of goods and people.

The Sichuan-Chongqing style beef is worth mentioning: the whole beef shank is first blanched and sautéed in hot oil, then cooked with dozens of spices, and has a soft and tender texture and a fragrant aroma.

Picture/Dingdong spicy whole beef shank, the meat is thick and domineering

Zhang Daqian, a native of Neijiang, was the best at making this dish. In his later years, he moved to Taiwan and often made beef by himself to entertain guests at his home in Taipei, Maya Jingshe. This kind of beef is suitable for noodles. Thin noodles are alkaline, and the soup is thick and red oil is added. It is served with shallots, ginger and garlic water, soy sauce, pepper powder, MSG, vinegar and other seasonings. A handful of soul-stirring coriander makes the aroma rise to the peak. Lu Yaodong said that the so-called Taiwanese braised beef noodles are essentially a replica of Sichuan immigrants in Taiwan's military villages.

The whole calf is served on the table, which is a more luxurious way to eat. The beef tendons are tender and the fat and bone marrow are fragrant. Thick slices of meat are cut for the male hosts to eat with wine, while the children hold the big bones and chase each other.
Deliciousness and reunion collide to create sparks at this moment.

No.2

Red meat from mammals, due to its higher cell strength and firm protein spatial structure, often requires a longer cooking time. During long cooking times, people gradually discovered that the color of meat will naturally become darker and darker brown-red.

Modern chemistry has discovered that this is the process in which free sugars combine with amino compounds to produce low-order organic substances such as aldehydes and esters, and release aroma and umami. Today, people call it the "Maillard reaction."

Inspired by this change, the clever Chinese invented a magical, tasteless seasoning called "sugar color". Its main ingredients are organic compounds such as caramel anhydride (C12H18O9), caramelene (C36H50O25), and caramel (C125H188O80) produced by the carbonization of sugars. Humans can hardly absorb and utilize its ingredients, so their taste buds cannot easily sense their taste.

However, when sugar color is added to the marinade, the brown-red color makes people subconsciously feel that it is "delicious". This delicious signal from the pituitary gland coincides with the Chinese custom of preferring and loving red, and red marinade, which occupies half of the Chinese cuisine, came into being: a table of New Year dishes must have a red marinade or braised dish to "stabilize the occasion".

Braised goose is one of the most well-known "top brands" in Chaoshan, the "food island".

The raw material, Chenghai Lionhead Goose, is the largest goose breed in the world. It is about 20% larger than the Landes goose from which the French extract their livers. It has a rich texture, tender and abundant lean meat, and less fat. It is the most suitable for making braised goose, which is mellow and not greasy.

The marinade is made from a fine blend of more than a dozen spices, with a delicate aroma and rich flavors. It is then colored with caramel, making it bright red.
The whole goose is repeatedly soaked and boiled, and then lifted and dropped four times, until the skin is soft and tough, with fat overflowing and full of luster. It has both the appearance of Cantonese roast goose and the taste of Hakka braised goose.

Chaoshan people believe that a feast is not complete without goose, and the goose itself can also be a complete feast. The goose neck, goose feet, goose wings, and goose meat are cut clearly and each has its own flavor. The neck is tender, the wings are chewy, the feet are soft and glutinous, and the meat is chewy.

Picture/Dingdong Chenghai braised goose, pure lion head goose ingredients, authentic Chaoshan flavor

Pig's trotters are the "top dish" in Chinese braised dishes. This delicacy, called "elbow" in the north and "trotter" in the south, comes from the lower part of the pig's leg. With thick skin, abundant connective tissue and rich intramuscular fat, it will burst into amazing fragrance, elasticity, softness and glutinousness after long stewing. Especially the front elbow, which has a large amount of activity and a higher lean meat ratio, has always been regarded as the best braised dish.

Picture/Dingdong braised pig's trotter, soft and tasty, rich in gelatin

Legend has it that the richest man Shen Wansan once used this flavor to entertain Zhu Hongwu. As one could not use a knife in front of the emperor, Shen Wansan, who was well versed in cooking pork trotters, used pig bones as a knife to cut it into small pieces and presented it to the emperor. "Wansan Pork Trotter" became famous overnight. After Suzhou chef Zhang Dongguan came to Beijing, he stood out among a group of Shandong chefs with his "Suzhou-style elbow", which transformed the eating habits of the Qing Dynasty royal family and became an important source of today's Beijing cuisine.

Numerous legends and celebrity anecdotes reflect the status of braised pig's trotter as the main dish for Chinese New Year for hundreds of years. They also prove from the side that its spectacular appearance, rich aroma and sweet taste make it suitable for all tastes on the Chinese table.

In comparison, pig's trotters with less meat and more tendons are not very presentable.

Whether it is Sichuan's Lao Ma Pig's Hoof Flower, Guangdong's Baiyun Pig's Hand, Fujian's Nanru Pig's Hoof, or Guizhou's Crispy Pig's Feet, they are just snacks for entertainment. Only the highly tolerant braised dishes can make pig's trotters have the same status as round trotters. Crispy squid and plump fresh abalone are all cut beautifully to make them taste good. Adding pig's trotters to the red stew, the trotters are "grabbing", and the abalone is shaped like a gold ingot, which means "grabbing wealth", is a typical Cantonese table lucky charm.

After a long stew, the rich abalone juice overflows and interweaves with the gelatinous pig's trotters, creating a lip-sticky texture and rich sauce aroma. With the blessing of seafood and red brine, the pig's trotters full of the temperament of the common people have also become the best choice for the New Year.

Picture/Dingdong abalone stewed pig's trotters, the soup is sticky and the bibimbap is first-rate

Dongpo pork is a dish that goes against the grain of braised pork trotters. Whether it was invented by Su Shi remains to be verified, but its simple and straightforward cooking method coincides with Su Shi's straightforward, free-spirited, and lifelong personal charm:

Picture/Dingdong Su-style Dongpo pork, three layers of pork belly, juicy in every bite

No side dishes are needed. Just pick the best pork belly, add rice wine and beer to remove the fishy smell, and rock sugar and dark soy sauce to enhance the flavor. Cook slowly with a little water. When the heat is sufficient, the pig skin, fat and lean meat will naturally create a rich taste and flavor. Great music is silent, and great elephants are invisible.

No.3

Huang Renyu's evaluation of 1587, the 15th year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty, was that it was "a dull year". But in fact, it was a turbulent year in world history.

Decades after Columbus discovered the New World and recorded what he saw of Indians eating chili peppers, "a spice hotter than black pepper," Spanish and Portuguese merchants were eager to bring chili peppers to China, exchanging them for the silk, porcelain and tea that they needed most from merchants along the Zhejiang and Fujian coasts in the form of a peculiarly shaped exotic plant.

The Chinese, who for a long time could only accept mild stimulation such as eating cornel, were initially unable to accept the hotness of chili peppers.

In 1591, Gao Lian wrote "Eight Notes on Following Life", in which he commented on the "ornamental plant" pepper: "It is red in color and quite spectacular." But as pepper gradually spread to inland areas, people soon discovered that adding pepper to cooking had outstanding value in preventing insects and mildew, inhibiting miscellaneous bacteria, and removing fishy smell and enhancing flavor.

More importantly, capsaicin, the color and flavor of chili peppers, is fat-soluble. When heated with hot oil, it naturally turns red and emits a spicy aroma. Compared with stewed and caramel colors, it is brighter and represents a higher level of Chinese red and a more warm and pleasing taste of New Year dishes. Chili peppers that have traveled across the ocean from the farthest corners of the world have created the country that can eat the most spicy food in the world.

Fish head with chopped pepper is known as the best Hunan dish. The large fish head is just its carrier, and the chopped pepper with the aroma of fermented rice, garlic and pepper is its soul.

Picture/Dingdong chopped pepper fish head, Hunan style, rich fish head

Making chopped chili peppers is not complicated, but the effort lies in the details: dry the surface moisture of fresh red chili peppers and chop them into small pieces. Do not chop them too finely, otherwise the chili peppers will lose their crisp taste and rich juice. Add chopped garlic, mix well with fine salt, and then add raw tea oil and high-proof liquor to enhance the flavor and inhibit bacteria.

The production cycle of chopped peppers does not need to be long, and 5-6 days in a cool place is enough, otherwise the peppers will not be crisp enough and have too much sour taste. But sealing is necessary, otherwise the anaerobic lactic acid bacteria in the chopped peppers will not form a dominant flora: this is the secret of its slightly sour, pure and bright sourness.

This kind of chopped pepper, paired with a large and fresh silver carp head, is steamed over high heat, and the natural earthy smell fades away, leaving the salty, fragrant and spicy taste. When you are almost done, have a small bowl of Hunan rice noodles, which are smooth and chewy, coated with rich and spicy sauce, and are very tasty!

Sichuan-style cured meat is another way to express chili on the Chinese New Year table.

Spicy and hot are the essence of Sichuan cuisine, and Sichuan people have also grafted this essence into cured meat. Different from the sweet and mellow Cantonese cured meat, Sichuan cured meat is famous for its spicy and slightly numbing taste. Chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns give them a deeper red color and a heavier taste.

Picture/Dingdong Sichuan-style cured meats, including cured sausages, cured meat, cured pig tongue, and cured pig's mouth

Bacon and Chinese sausage are the "basic styles": bacon should be made from the hind legs of pigs, with a crispy texture, more lean meat and less fat, and evenly distributed fat between the muscles; Chinese sausage should be fatter, with a 30% to 70% ratio of fat and lean meat stuffed into the casing, allowing the oil to slowly permeate the intestine.

The cured pig tongue and cured pig snout are "high-end" items. The former is delicate and soft, while the latter is crisp and chewy. Both are good things made from only a few limited raw materials from a whole pig. Sichuan people who love to eat often keep the cured meat for themselves after making it, and are reluctant to give it away or sell it to others.

All the preserved meats are marinated with Zigong well salt, Hanyuan peppercorns and Chaotian peppers, and a spoonful of distilled liquor to give them soul. They are then sun-dried and smoked.

This is the process of meat aging: smoking relies on the large amount of heat provided by combustion, while sun exposure, in addition to the heat from sunlight, is also accompanied by the combined action of endogenous enzymes in the meat. They degrade the protein, fat, and sugar in the meat and peppers, producing a large amount of peptides, free amino acids, and volatile fatty acids. This is the transformation from large molecules to small molecules, and it is also the way to produce the "cured flavor".

People often describe this flavor as "smoky with a spicy herb." In fact, it contains dozens of compounds such as alkanes, alkenes, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, ethers, esters, carboxylic acids, and heterocyclic rings containing oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur. This is a fascinating combination that humans can never achieve in a laboratory, and it is also a representative work of the ingenuity, craftsmanship, and richness of Chinese New Year dishes.

-END-

Feng Jicai said: "No matter how many disappointments and regrets you have in a year, on the night of New Year's Eve, when you sit at the table filled with New Year's Eve dinner, you must smile. No worries on your face, no worries in the coming year."

When the red flavors are vividly described by the Chinese taste buds; when the table is full of wonderful dishes, lighting up the prosperity, good luck and rosy faces of the whole family; when the colorful scenes and the past memories of green willows and red peaches are seen and promised in the heart while staying up all night around the fire, the beautiful wishes for family peace and good harvests will also be realized one by one when the spring breeze comes again.