The wedding banquet in northern Shaanxi is dominated by "eight bowls". The so-called "eight bowls" are eight bowls of roasted meat, crispy meat, elbow, mutton, ribs, meatballs, crispy chicken, stewed meat, and noodle soup. In the "eight bowls", in addition to the stew, the stew is not filled, and the stew is used as the bottom cushion. Some wealthy families add stew, which is called "extra seats". But generally, it is not added, and it is only added when the funeral is held for the elderly. Because banquets in northern Shaanxi are dominated by eight bowls, people often call eating wedding banquets "eating eight bowls".

Custom source

The northern Shaanxi Plateau used to be a barren land. People who live in this ancient and thick loess have always been overwhelmed, and they have never eaten the last meal without the next meal. Perhaps it is precisely because of this that people try their best to find food to fill their stomachs. Over time, various eating habits have been formed in northern Shaanxi.

In northern Shaanxi, farmers have to do "things" when they get married, build houses and invite relatives and friends to "eat eight bowls" with villagers on holidays. The "eight bowls" in northern Shaanxi are often used for banquets. Each table has eight people and eight dishes. When serving food, we always use large magnetic bowls. Generally, there are eight bowls of meat dishes, including big fish and meat, chicken, cold beef, braised meatballs (meat dishes), fried tofu slices, douban leeks and home-cooked carp. No matter how poor you are, you have to collect eight dishes. You can only have more, not less. The richer a guest is, the more respected he feels. Both sides are refreshing to look at and enjoyable to eat, and the local characteristics of northern Shaanxi are rich. In that era when people didn't have enough food and clothing, mentioning "eight bowls" always made people drool.

After the reform and opening up, with the continuous improvement of people's living standards, eating habits are also constantly innovating. The traditional "eight bowls" gradually faded out of people's banquets for holidays, weddings and funerals.

In recent years, the living standards of ordinary people are getting better and better. People no longer pursue how to eat enough, but pay attention to how to eat well. So the traditional eight bowls in northern Shaanxi have returned to our dining table like a beautiful family. The difference is that this time it entered the beautifully decorated "farmhouse" and became a feast for foreign tourists to taste northern Shaanxi cuisine and understand northern Shaanxi culture.

Eight bowls in northern Shaanxi went out of the province and boarded the elegant dining table of thousands of ordinary people!