舌尖上的歡慶

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資料由《舌尖上的新年》（陳曉卿等著，中信出版集團(tuán)）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.

這是一個(gè)東西南北都會(huì)奔赴的盛宴。然而，北方的年夜飯與南方有所不同，內(nèi)陸的吃食與沿海也有差異。在同一個(gè)時(shí)間，不同的空間，一個(gè)廣袤的國(guó)將它豐富多樣的人文風(fēng)土與物產(chǎn)習(xí)俗，融匯在年飯桌上，那是烙印在每個(gè)人心上的家鄉(xiāng)味道。

Waterside in Zhejiang.A New Year for every home.(photographed by Huang Feng)浙江，水鄉(xiāng)。每個(gè)家的年。 （攝/黃豐）

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)

腌臘 （四川南充）

殺年豬是一件大事。殺豬請(qǐng)客是約定俗成的規(guī)定、團(tuán)年飯的預(yù)演、準(zhǔn)備過(guò)年食物的開(kāi)端。

殺了豬，大部分的肉要腌臘起來(lái)，陸陸續(xù)續(xù)地移到灶膛前懸掛——煙熏火燎一個(gè)多月后，它們將排上大用場(chǎng)。（文/芶霈文 攝/陳錦）

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（浙江嘉興）

“十家為鄰、百戶為坊”的古鎮(zhèn)，過(guò)年時(shí)的百桌宴熱鬧歡騰。

江南歷來(lái)是富庶之地。以前，一到年節(jié)，嘉興烏鎮(zhèn)大戶人家在坊間廣開(kāi)宴席，街坊鄰里們也會(huì)沿街?jǐn)[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氣。如今長(zhǎng)街宴不再是免費(fèi)的，但幾十元的價(jià)格就能體驗(yàn)江南特殊的年味。(攝/黃豐)

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)

藏歷新年（西藏日喀則）

有一種有趣的說(shuō)法，藏歷新年與農(nóng)歷新年，要么是同一天，要么差一天，要么差一個(gè)月。新年之前，美化廚房是主婦最花心思的事。裝飾吉祥圖案中不能少了“卐”圖。主婦們還要向灶具拋撒一些青稞，以求食物豐富，口味多多。（文/次仁央宗，攝/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 （陜西渭南）

阿壽村人過(guò)年，必須賽面花、拜藥王。

將可以轉(zhuǎn)化出甜味的淀粉主食鉆研加工到極致，都是源自心底對(duì)甜的追求。（攝/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）

春節(jié)是冬捕的好時(shí)候。破冰而得的豐收，是天賜的新年豪禮。

靠山吃山，靠水吃水。魚(yú)，是很多“靠水”地區(qū)的年夜飯代表，寓意 “豐收”。 （攝/ 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 （浙江寧波）

甜味的、黏牙的糕糖，是大江南北祭灶必備。漸漸地，愛(ài)嗑瓜子的人家就會(huì)為灶王爺多備一盤(pán)瓜子；花生，也很好味；熏魚(yú)您喜歡嗎？……祭灶果的進(jìn)化，無(wú)非是一種同理心的表達(dá)——我快樂(lè)，希望你也快樂(lè)。（攝/林聰生）