The staple food of Yao residents is mainly corn, rice and sweet potato. Daily dishes include soybeans, Mi Dou, pumpkins, peppers, poultry and livestock. Yao people in Dayaoshan, Jinxiu, Guangxi, used a "bird pot" to catch migratory birds and keep them as Qiang, which is a delicious treat for guests. Camellia oleifera is popular among some Yao people in northern Guangxi, that is, tea leaves are fried in oil to make soup, seasoned with ginger, pepper and salt, and fried rice, beans and rice flowers are brewed at the same time, which has a unique flavor. Yao's houses include bamboo houses, wooden houses, huts and a few mud tile houses. Generally, a house is a building with three rooms, with a hall in the middle. There are stoves or fireplaces in front of both houses, bedrooms in the back, and shower sheds or pigsty in front of and behind the houses.
Yao is an ancient ethnic group, mainly distributed in the mountainous areas of several southern provinces in China, and is a typical southern mountainous ethnic group. They are mainly engaged in agriculture, rotating cultivation, hunting, fishing and gathering, and their handicrafts are relatively developed; The settlement area produces high-quality Redmi and medicinal materials.
In the past, Yao people often added corn, millet, sweet potato, cassava, taro and beans to rice porridge or rice. Sometimes, food is processed by "stewing" or "baking", such as stewing sweet potatoes, stewing bitter bamboo shoots, baking tender corn, baking Baba and so on.
Yao people living in mountainous areas have the habit of cold food, and the preparation of food is easy to carry and preserve. So Zongba and bamboo rice, which are both staple food and non-staple food, are their favorite foods. At work, Yao people have picnics on the spot, and everyone gets together to take out their own food and eat their own staple food.
The vegetables we often eat are all kinds of melons, beans, vegetables, radishes and peppers, as well as bamboo shoots, mushrooms, fungus, bracken, Chinese toon and yellow flowers. Yao area is also rich in all kinds of fruits. Vegetables are often made into dried vegetables or pickles. Some Yao people in Yunnan like to make their dishes very light, basically cooking them with salt and water. Some are directly boiled in white water and soaked in water prepared with salt and pepper to keep the original flavor of various vegetables; Meat is often processed into bacon. Yao people in Guangxi usually cook meat by dry frying, boiling, seasoning with salt and less seasoning. Meat should be made into a very rich dish, fresh meat or bacon, fried brown first, and then cooked.
Yao people like to eat pickled food. "Bird gizzard" is a famous food with unique flavor of Yao nationality, and it is made by curing bird meat. Wash the captured birds, dry them in the sun, mix them with rice flour and salt, put them in a small pottery jar, seal the jar with banana leaves, and eat them in a few days. Yao people often use "bird jars" to entertain their guests. Sometimes, pigs, cattle, mutton, etc. are also pickled in this way.
Yao people also like to eat insect pupae, such as pine pupae, kudzu pupae, wild bee pupae, bee pupae and so on. Yao people also like to make their own cane sugar, sweet potato sugar, bee sugar and so on by using the characteristics of mountainous areas.
Most Yao people like drinking. Generally, rice, corn, sweet potato and so on are used. And often drink it two or three times a day. Yao people in Yunnan like to brew water wine with mash, and often use bamboo tubes to hold water when they go out to drink.
Yao people also like to decoct tea with cinnamon and galangal, thinking that it can refresh their minds and eliminate fatigue. Yao people in many areas like to play with Camellia oleifera, not only eating and drinking by themselves every day, but also entertaining guests with Camellia oleifera. In Tomb-Sweeping Day, every family had to dye flowers and eat rice.
Banquets include the so-called "Yao Sanli" and "drinking tea, bathing and welcoming wine"; VIPs in the village "a bowl of wine, a bunch of meat"; "Fresh supply" of delicious food and exotic animals; A famous "dragon intestine" comes into view as a "dragon intestine mat". In addition, there is a "hanging wine at home" to mediate civil disputes, and it is announced that "fried beans and boiled eggs" will be cut off.
Among them, many dietary customs are quite interesting. For example, if you propose to bring a pack of meat and two gourds of rice wine, the woman will accept the meat if she agrees, and poke the gourds if she disagrees; Choosing a husband is often "burying eggs", and it depends on its changes to decide the choice; When the girl gets married, she gives the cooked soybeans to her neighbors. The divorce ceremony is a "broken bamboo tube". Both sides of the divorce bring a bottle of wine, exchange drinks and break the bamboo tube, and then break up amicably.
Yao people who worship Pan Hu's fasting dog meat and nail fish; Yao people who worship Milo don't eat pork and eagle meat; Most Yao people don't eat pork and snake meat; Maternal fasting lard in the first few days after delivery; Dogs, cats, snakes and frogs are prohibited from offering sacrifices to gods; After hunting animals, you must pay homage to the mountain gods before you can eat them alone.
Generally speaking, Yao people do not intermarry with other nationalities, and the custom of uxorilocal is more common. Young men and women are more free to fall in love before marriage. They use festivals, parties and country trips to find their spouses by singing. The two sides agreed to give each other tokens, "each with his own cooperation, not his own parents"; It is also necessary to obtain the consent of parents and the consent of the media before getting married.
Because there are many people in the festival, rice is generally not cooked in an iron pan, but steamed in a wooden steamer, which has a stronger aroma. Every holiday. Yao people still have to do Baba. Holiday dishes are mainly chicken, duck, fish, pork, tofu and vermicelli. Yao people in Wuling Mountain area like to make tofu balls (the first fermented bean curd of holy water-the 18th fermented bean curd of Yao family) and wrap them with "lotus paste (rice flour, meat)". Wang Pan Festival is held only once every few years. In the past, during the Wang Pan Festival, a large number of livestock were slaughtered and sacrificed. The Spring Festival is held every year, usually in the third month of the lunar calendar. At that time, young people will hunt in the mountains and catch fish in the river. Women want Bao Zongba and steamed five-color glutinous rice. On New Year's Eve, the flowers will give the dog a piece of meat and a ball of Baba, which is called a sacrifice for the dog, and then the family can eat it. They think that the seeds of grain are brought by dogs, and the first sacrifice for dogs is to pray for a bumper harvest of grain. Festive dishes should be colorful, besides chicken, there are fresh rivers, hunting of mountain birds and tofu.
In some places, Yao people still cook black rice on April 8. Yao girls in Jiang Shui County, Hunan Province eat flower eggs, make flower cakes and eat flower candy every year on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month. Boys are not allowed to peek when girls are eating eggs, candy and Baba, and offenders will be punished. Playing karaoke hall is a large-scale entertainment activity to worship ancestors and celebrate harvest in Liannan Paiyao. Most of them are held after the lunar calendar1October 16, and the duration varies from 3 days to 9 days. At that time, every household will have water, wine and glutinous rice Baba to entertain guests, and many young Yao men and women will choose the right person by playing songs. Once men and women fall in love, parents can send pork and wine as gifts through matchmakers. When a wedding is held, there will be a grand banquet. According to the traditional custom, the elders in the village must be invited to the wedding banquet, and the bride and groom should drink a glass of wine.
marriage customs
Since ancient times, men and women have been divided into men and women, and it is necessary for men and women of school age to get married. Traditionally, in China, it has been a constant rule for thousands of years that a woman marries a man and her children take their father's surname. However, among the ethnic minorities in China, there is a saying that men marry women.
Climb up the building
Yao compatriots living in Dayaoshan, Guangxi, where the young people in Chashan "climb the building", have basically maintained their traditional customs in marriage because of the influence of their living areas.
Chashan Yao, who lives in Dayao Mountain, is a branch of Yao, meaning people who live in the mountains. In order to seek love, the young Yao people in Chashan are popular with the custom of "climbing stairs", which has a unique national style. Chashan Yao village is generally surrounded by mountains and waters, with large scale and concentration, and the houses are all two-story wooden buildings. The facade and the hanging building are carved with dragons and dragons and painted with oil, like a sedan chair hanging on the mountain. The quiet hanging building is a place for adult girls to socialize. Walking into the gate of Diaolou, you will find that the Yao compatriots living in Dayaoshan, Guangxi, basically maintain the traditional customs in marriage due to the influence of their living areas. I live here in Chashan Kiln, Dayaoshan.
Marry a woman and a husband.
Yao Autonomous County is the earliest established Yao Autonomous County in China. There are five branches in Pan Yao, Hualanyao, Chashanyao, Shanziyao and Aoyao.
Yao nationality is called "the hometown of Yao nationality in the world". Fei Xiaotong, a famous sociologist, once said: "Yao nationality in Dayaoshan has many branches all over the country, and its folk customs are the most typical. At present, there are two national hotspots in human body research in the world, including Yao nationality. The World Yaoyan Center is in China and the China Yaoyan Center is in Jinxiu. " Yao people have formed profound, simple and colorful Yao culture and customs in their lives. The marriage etiquette of Yao family covers the richness of Yao. Pan Yao's wedding dates are mostly after the autumn harvest and before the Spring Festival, which can be divided into "marrying a woman" and "marrying a husband". Before a formal wedding, you must go through the process of choosing a spouse, proposing marriage and getting engaged. At the wedding banquet, there are three "regular drinks" and six "partial drinks" (breakfast and midnight snack). On the morning of the fourth day, when the guests left, the men each sent a "nipple gift" (also called Xiao Yuan gift), that is, eight to nine kilograms of sow legs and four to five kilograms of other pork to their father-in-law. On the fourth or fifth day, the husband and wife went back to the door for one night and went back to the rear to consummate their marriage.
Religious belief
Yao's religious beliefs are complex, and primitive nature worship, ancestor worship or totem worship occupy a certain position in some areas; Some areas mainly believe in witchcraft and Taoism. Taoism has a great influence on Yao nationality. All funeral ceremonies are basically carried out in accordance with Taoism, but some ethnic primitive religions are mixed. Yao people think that dogs are their ancestors, and dogs are eaten after licking on the table at major festivals. According to legend, there were two kings fighting in ancient times, and one of them wrote a letter. If the killer betrothed his daughter to him, the ancestors of the Yao nationality opened the letter, sneaked into the army at night and bit off the king's head. The promised king couldn't go back on his word. He thought it was a dog and let them live in seclusion in the mountains. The ancestors of the Yao nationality came to this land surrounded by mountains with the king's daughter. Unexpectedly, the ancestors of the Yao nationality changed from dogs to people in the middle of the night and got married. Later, it developed into Qianjiazhai, which was called Thousand Cave by later generations.
The specialties of Fuchuan Yao Autonomous Region are high-quality rice, fruits, flue-cured tobacco and vegetables, while candied dates, navel oranges, whitebait and osmanthus fish are local special fruits, navel oranges and out-of-season vegetables.
The specialties of Bama Yao Autonomous County are Bama Huoxue, Bama Camellia Oil, Bama Wild Camellia Oil, Bama Peiyuan Shenjiu, Bama Three Snake Gecko Oil, Baked Bama Xiang Pig and Bama Corn Peel.
(1) Red Illicium verum: According to records, Luo Xiang has been planting Illicium verum for more than 80 years, and it is the earliest hometown of Jinxiu planting Illicium verum. According to statistics, up to now, the planting area of Illicium verum in the township has reached110.2 million mu, and the per capita is about10 mu. Now, 65,000 mu has entered the mature fruit-bearing period. The annual income of Illicium verum accounts for 70% of the township's fiscal revenue and 70%-80% of farmers' per capita income, and there is an upward trend. It is one of the important economic sources and pillar industries in Luo Xiang. Jinxiu County was awarded the title of "China Illicium verum Town" by the Ministry of Forestry. Luo Xiang is the most important Illicium verum producing area in Jinxiu County, with an annual output of more than 5 million Jin. Luo Xiang's red star anise granules are fragrant and mellow, grow in mountainous areas, have no pollution and good quality, and are favored by merchants all over the world.
(2) Luo Xiang Bainiu Tea: Bainiu Tea is produced in Bainiu Village, Luoxiang Township, Jinxiu Yao Autonomous County, Guangxi, so it is called Luo Xiang Bainiu Tea. This kind of tea belongs to green tea, which was originally wild and mostly grows beside the canyons of virgin forests. Later, Yao's cells were planted near the village for more than 100 years. Its appearance is green, clear, fragrant, sweet and mellow. It is reported that white cow tea and copper coins can be chewed together in the mouth, and copper coins can be chewed. During the period of 1985, many China tea experts and professors gathered in chayuan, Guilin, and witnessed the strange live performance of tea chewing copper coins, which confirmed that Bai Niu tea is a unique product in Guangxi and was listed as a famous tea in Guangxi. My hometown has seized this advantage. In recent years, it has vigorously developed the cultivation of white cow tea and introduced talents for development. By the spring of 200 1, it has grown to 450 mu, and the production of products is in short supply. At present, we are still planning to expand planting, and our township has taken the cultivation of white cow tea as the main agricultural product structure adjustment project. It is estimated that the planting area will be expanded to 1000 mu this year. In this way, the economic development of Luo Xiang will gradually tend to rationalize the planting structure and ensure the steady economic development.
(3) Yellow bamboo shoots and sweet bamboo shoots in Luo Xiang are famous both inside and outside the county: Luoxiang Township has a tradition of planting yellow bamboo shoots and sweet bamboo shoots, which has long been famous both inside and outside the county. Up to now, nearly 1 10,000 mu of bamboos and 0.6 mu of sweet bamboo shoots have been planted. The annual output of yellow bamboo shoots is 200,000 Jin, and that of sweet bamboo shoots is more than 65,438+10,000 Jin. Only two kinds of bamboo shoots earn 220,000 yuan, and the per capita income is 20 yuan. Yellow bamboo shoots are made into sour bamboo shoots, dried bamboo shoots are exported to cities such as Liuzhou, and sweet bamboo shoots are also exported to counties and even regions. Whether it is yellow bamboo shoots or sweet bamboo shoots, Luo Xiang has the highest yield and high quality. Zhu Ping Village Committee has the sweetest bamboo shoots in the whole town. The raw sweet bamboo shoots of the village Committee are mainly sold inside and outside the county, and the burnt bamboo shoots are sold inside and outside the district. It sells well every year. The sour bamboo shoots processed by Luo Xiang Village Committee are well-known both inside and outside the region, and the demand exceeds the supply. In recent years, township party committees and governments have vigorously advocated and called on farmers to adjust their product structure, with special emphasis on replanting and management, and doing a good job in transforming low-yield forests. Therefore, more and more attention has been paid to the production and management of bamboo forests. The output is increasing year by year. Farmers have tasted the benefits of planting bamboo shoots and adjusting the industrial structure.