The festival can be traced back to the Xia Dynasty (21-16 BC) when it was a celebration of the harvest and expression of thanks to ancestors and gods. In the Southern and Northern dynasties (AD 420-589) that the festival was fixed on the eighth day of the 12th lunar month.
La ba suan (garlic 蒜), la ba tofu and la ba noodles are also prepared in different regions, but colorful la ba congee is prepared everywhere.
Red beans are an essential ingredient since it was thought to ward off diseases. Legend has it that three sons of an emperor became evil ghosts and brought diseases to the people. They feared nothing except red beans.
The La Ba Festival falls on the same day on which the Buddha became immortal. It’s said that the Buddha fainted from hunger during his fasting and meditation. A passing shepherdess cooked congee of wild grains and nuts and fed him the nutritious porridge. Thus, eating congee is an important custom for many Buddhists.
Tomorrow, temples will hold ceremonies and offer la ba congee to the faithful. Before the festival, some monks beg for grains and nuts to be used in the congee, which is offered to the poor.
It is said that this fo zhou (佛粥) or Buddha congee will protect those who eat it from harm.
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A woman prepares Laba rice porridge for the Laba Festival celebrations in Nanjing, Dec 31, 2011. [Photo/Xinhua]
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La ba congee
Ingredients: glutinous rice (150g), green beans (25g), red beans (25g), cashews (25g), peanuts (25g), longan (15g), jujubes (25g), rock sugar (75g)
Preparations:
1. Soak glutinous rice in water overnight.
2. Soak beans for four hours.
3. Cook beans and nuts with water until 70 percent done.
4. Add glutinous rice, jujubes and longan.
5. Boil again, turn down to mid-heat, simmer for 30 minutes.
6. Add rock sugar to sweeten.
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