Eat five kinds of bean(吃五豆) is a folk custom in Xi'an Guanzhong area. On the fifth day of the twelfth lunar month, soybeans, red beans, mung beans, red beans, black beans (lack of other beans may be substituted if these beans were not available) and other five kinds of beans into the pot to cook. Then the family would eat five kinds of beans together, but do not eat up. They have to leave some so as to wish the harvest for this coming year. After eating five kinds of beans, the winter solstice comes, when day older, night getting shorter. So eat five bean also has the meaning of seasonal changes. So far, eat five kinds of beans custom still prevalent in rural areas.
"Eat five kinds of beans," the custom in rural parts of Shaanxi are generally circulating. Specific eating methods are different due to the different conditions. As in Guanzhong Plain region, the porridge mainly contains rice or millet and decorated with five kinds of bean porridge. Each person must drink a bowl of porridge for breakfast, eat guokwei, bread, cake and other staple food. Wealthy people would also have a fried dish, there are meat and vegetarian, all show. In Tongchuan rural areas, call the fifth day of the twelfth lunar month as "Five Bean Day".
Five kinds of beans porridge practice in Xi’an:
Ingredients: 10 grams of soybean, 10 grams of green beans, 10 grams of red beans, 10 grams of black beans, 10 grams of white kidney beans.
First, the green beans, red beans taking a dip with warm water one day in advance.
Second, black beans, white beans, soybeans with water to boil until half cooked, and then dip in water.
Third, oat, barley, rice is also dip into warm water; so when eating rice it will taste more sweet and tender.
Fourth, put all the ingredients into the pot with cold water and cook, which is the same with cooking other porridge methods.
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