我家乡的“食节”

家乡贺州是一个文化底蕴深厚的小城。我在这个安详的城市里生活了十多年，也确实发现了她独特的民俗风韵。

Hezhou is a small city with profound cultural heritage. I have lived in this peaceful city for more than ten years, and I really found her unique folk charm.

每年农历二月初二，家家户户热热闹闹的，主人们忙得不亦乐乎——她们把亲朋好友请到家里吃饭过节，同时也欢迎陌生人主动走进来做客，主人们希望越多人越好，来者皆为客，尤其是农村里，好像摆喜宴似的，成十张桌子，上面摆满了丰盛的酒菜。这就是“食节”，也叫“二月二”。

Every year, on the second day of February in the lunar calendar, every family is very busy. The hosts are very busy. They invite their relatives and friends to eat at home for the festival. At the same time, they also welcome strangers to come in and be guests. The hosts hope that the more people are, the better. The visitors are all guests, especially in the countryside. It seems like a wedding feast. There are ten tables filled with rich wine and vegetables. This is the "food festival", also known as "February 2".

既然是食节，这食总不能普通。

Since it's a food festival, this food can't be ordinary.

这是客家人的节日，所以吃的都是客家菜。

It's a Hakka Festival, so it's all Hakka food.

客家风味很喜欢做“酿”。酿，就是把肉、芋头等配料剁成馅，然后塞到各种瓜果蔬菜中间煮熟成“酿”。把馅放到瓜花里，就是瓜花酿；放到掏空的辣椒里就是辣椒酿；放到豆腐里，或夹在豆腐块中间就是豆腐酿。客家风味中还有一道菜色是扣肉。一碗碗扣肉呈诱人的枣色，是过年过节不可或缺的佳肴。每一块扣肉由一块五花肉夹着一块芋头组成，还浇上了香喷喷的蜜汁儿，吃完后仍令人回味无穷。

Hakka flavor likes to make "wine". Brewing is to chop the meat, taro and other ingredients into fillings, and then put them in the middle of all kinds of fruits and vegetables and cook them to "brew". Put the stuffing in the melon flower, that is, the melon flower wine; put the hollowed out pepper, that is, the pepper wine; put the stuffing in the tofu, or put it in the middle of the tofu block, that is, the tofu wine. Another dish in Hakka flavor is braised meat. A bowl of stewed meat is an attractive jujube color, which is an indispensable delicacy for Chinese New Year. Each piece of meat is made up of a piece of streaky pork with a piece of taro. It is also watered with sweet honey. After eating it, it is still memorable.

客家菜色五花八门，都有不同的烹饪过程，这就是主人独享的乐趣了。

Hakka dishes are of various colors and have different cooking processes, which is the owner's exclusive pleasure.

饭罢，大家还会一起看看乡镇上组织的戏。戏台是临时搭建的，也不是很宽，但是演员们穿着戏服投入的表演。台下观众神态各异：老人们跟着音乐哼着调，年轻人们鼓掌喝彩，小孩们也被吸引住，目不转睛地看着演员的一抬头一举手。

After dinner, we will see the plays organized in the town. The stage was built temporarily and not very wide, but the actors put on their costumes. The audience looked different: the old people hummed to the music, the young people applauded, the children were attracted, and watched the actors raise their heads and raise their hands.

主人在客人走的时候也许会送一些土特产，如沙田柚，是沙田镇有名的柚子。

When the guest leaves, the host may send some local specialties, such as Shatian grapefruit, which is famous in Shatian town.

贺州，是片殷实的故土。愿人们把她的风俗、传统唱给后人听，让贺州的美丽得以延续。

Hezhou is a rich homeland. May people sing her customs and traditions to future generations, so that the beauty of Hezhou can continue.