Rule 1: The number of dishes should be even.
There is an unwritten tradition in most parts of China: the number of dishes in "red and white" weddings (that is, what we call wedding banquets) is even; The number of dishes in a white wedding (which we call a funeral banquet) is odd. The number of wedding dishes is usually eight dishes symbolizing wealth, ten dishes symbolizing perfection, and twelve dishes symbolizing the happiness of the month.
For example, the popular "August 8th Banquet" in Jiangnan consists of eight cold dishes and eight hot dishes. Moreover, the wedding date is generally chosen on the eighth, eighteenth and twenty-eighth day of the second lunar month, which means that "if you want to get rich, you can't do without August 8 and get rich again". Common menus are as follows:
Principle 2: Try to use auspicious words in the naming of dishes, express good wishes to newcomers, please guests psychologically and set off the atmosphere.
For example, we can name the pearl shrimps as flying with me, the fish balls in milk soup as fish and water dependent, and the jujube longan lotus seed peanut soup as early-born sons. If the dishes at the wedding banquet are matched with color, material and taste, we usually name them after Yuanyang, such as Yuanyang fish fillet, Yuanyang chicken brain, Yuanyang crisp and so on. I wish the couple harmony and happiness. The names of dishes are taboo, such as two dragons playing with pearls, Yi Long playing with pearls, and two phoenix rising in the sun.
Principle 3: The wedding banquet menu should follow the principle of catering to different people in the design process.
China is a multi-ethnic country, and each ethnic group has its own unique customs and dietary taboos. First of all, we should know the nationality, religion, occupation, hobbies, taboos, etc. of the guests, and flexibly master and match the menu that the guests are satisfied with. For example, in the traditional Muslim wedding banquet, the dishes in the eight bowls and the ten bowls are usually mainly beef and mutton. Pay a little attention to the local chicken, duck and fish, which has strong national characteristics.
Principle 4: The choice of raw materials for wedding dishes must be based on customs and pay attention to taboos.
The dishes of wedding banquets are generally not restricted by the gang genre, and the raw materials are not required to be expensive, but the weight should be slightly larger, the taste should be appropriate, and the wine should be matched as much as possible. There must never be a situation where guests are not full or feel that they have nothing to eat. I personally heard that a friend went to a five-star hotel to attend a wedding banquet, and when he came back, he complained that he didn't have enough to eat, which brought a very bad impression to the guests.
The raw material of traditional wedding banquet dishes must have chicken, which symbolizes auspiciousness and celebration; There must be fish, which symbolizes more than one year, and is generally used as a meat dish. Generally, there should be Chinese dates, peanuts, longan, lotus seeds and homophonic sounds. I wish the new couple an early birth. Most of the dishes in the wedding banquet are mainly in red tones, which brings a festive feeling to the guests. There are generally "sauce red, brown red, orange red, carmine, etc." At traditional wedding banquets in Sichuan, there should be braised pork and beets, such as sweet boiled vegetables; Wedding banquets in Northeast China are generally attended by "four happiness balls" as a symbol of celebration. In Hong Kong, there must be no dishes such as tofu and lotus leaf rice in the wedding banquet.
Pomegranate (because it has many seeds, it means many children), watermelon, bayberry and peach (meaning a sweet and happy life in the future) are usually used as fruits at wedding banquets. Avoid pears and oranges, because pears sound the same as "leaving", and oranges should be eaten separately.