Celebrate Longtaitou Festival with These Vegan Dishes!
Spring festival didnāt exactly bring the spring weather I was hoping for - in Beijing we had a crazy cold flash and even a snowstorm! Well, maybe the Longtaitou Festival, celebrated on the second day of the second lunar month, is our next best bet! The name of the festival, é¾ę¬å¤“ LĆ³ng tĆ”itĆ³u means āthe dragon lifts his head." The legend goes that as the dragon wakes up from his winter slumber, he will bring the rain. Maybe itās because Iām originally from Raincouver (aka Vancouver, Canada), but Iāll take some spring rain as relief from the dry Beijing winters any day!
While the Longtaitou festival hasnāt been observed strictly in bigger cities for quite some time, who am I to pass up a festival with traditions of eating delicious food (all of which are veganizable)? So letās encourage a come-back with these five traditional Longtaitou dishes!
Source: 大å»ē¶² Da Chu
1. Spring pancakes (ę„鄼 ChÅ«nbĒng)
These pancakes are said to represent the scales of the dragon (lĆ³ng lĆn é¾é³). Unlike traditional western-style pancakes, the batter doesnāt traditionally contain eggs - only flour, water and a little vegetable oil. Chunbing are thin, almost translucent, and a little chewy, and are served with a variety of savoury dishes. My favourite fillings are pickled cabbage and vermicelli (é øčē²äø SuÄncĆ i fÄnsÄ«) and smoked tofu with Chinese leeks (č±å¹²éč DĆ²u gÄn jiĒcĆ i). Be sure to also order a side dish of shredded onions, pickled radish, and cucumber as well as a hoisin dip. So good!
Source: Sohu
2. Dumplings (é„ŗåJiĒozi)
Is it even a Chinese festival if people arenāt eating dumplings? Dumplings on this day are referred to as lĆ³ng Är é¾č³ ādragon earsā. While there isnāt any particular must-eat filling, I love a good mushroom dumpling, or plant-based pork and chive (my favourite is from ę¤ē±ēę“»).
Source: China Daily
3. Dragon Beard Noodles (é¾é”»é¢ LĆ³ng xÅ« miĆ n)
Doesnāt the idea of slurping up a dragonās chin hairs just make your tummy tingle? All jokes aside, itās actually quite impressive to see these noodles being made, as they are traditionally hand-pulled! They are very thin, long, and supposedly very easy to digest. Originally from Shandong province, they have become very popular all over Northern China.
Source: Chinaculture.org
4. Tofu Balls (č±č äøø DĆ²ufu wĆ”n)
The villagers of Sihua village in Fujian province have the tradition of making tofu and vegetable balls. After being carefully pressed by hand, they will be left to dry and later served in bowls or red bags.
Source: Asia News (Ji Zhe)
5. Fried Beans (ēč± ChĒo dĆ²u)
A traditional snack in Shandong province for Longtaitou is fried soybeans. Itās super simple, but who doesnāt love the texture of a salty, crunchy bean? Sometimes locals will also enjoy some stir-fried bean sprouts to encourage a good yearās harvest. In Shanxi, beans are mashed along with water and flour, cut into cubes, and then fried in oil. This variation is called āé½åč±ā qĆzidĆ²u.
Source: Baike (Qizidou)
