Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture-Shefan

Culture 2013/03/12 View：2993

The She Dinner (Shefan社饭 in Chinese) is always held by people in western Hunan on the afternoon of Chunshe (The fifth Wuday after the Beginning of Spring, the 1st solar term). This day, men repair spring ploughing tools at home, while women and children go to mountains with baskets to pick tarragons and shallots, which are indispensable ingredients for a She dinner.

The dinner should be preceded by a sacrifice to the land gold, as well as some blessing words.

Fresh-picked tarragons

The most important raw material in She dinner is wild tarragon, which can be found in many places.

First, Tarragons should be chopped up on a chopping block.

Then, squeeze out the juice, which is bitter, and then put some oil into the pan, and cook the tarragons until they send out an inviting smell.

Soak sticky rice over night until it swells. In some places rice is also added to make it less oily.

Find a piece of well-marbled bacon, wash it, cut it into small chunks and cook it until it gives out a good smell.

Mix the tarragons and the sticky rice evenly.

Mix the tarragons, the sticky rice with the bacon (add some peanuts if you like), and then steam them in a steaming basket.

The big chunks here are the bones of the bacon, steam them together!

A delicious She dinner integrating rice, meat and vegetable fragrances is ready.

Source: Hunan Official Web Portal

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