鲁味儿年夜饭

文／栾小惠

鲁味儿年夜饭

Shandong-Style Family Reunion Dinner

文／栾小惠

如果要论中国人一年到头最温暖、最柔情的仪式是什么，那一定非“年夜饭”莫属。

每个人都有关于年夜饭的记忆，这些记忆往往伴随着大年三十晚上那桌丰盛的菜肴蔓延开来，而这些菜肴，是属于每个地域、每个家族、每一代人的记忆，也是停留在人们味蕾上的幸福味道。

在曾经物质匮乏的年代，一顿年夜饭是一家人省吃俭用攒下的食材，蕴涵着对来年满满的祝福和希冀；生活水平今非昔比之后，年夜饭更有了仪式感和使命性，荤腥鱼肉早已不再稀罕，吃得健康才是学问。当然，年夜饭的菜品有了新做法和新门道，然而不变的，却是一家人团团围坐，不管是在家中还是餐馆，灯火辉映中，亲人脸上的笑，父母眼角的爱，孩童欢快的闹，齐奏出最美的弦乐，成为年夜饭里最隆重的佳肴。年年赓续的这一晚，也就成了岁月写就的故事。

对于岁末年关的饭食，山东人有着自己的传统和信仰。寓意“蒸蒸日上”的胶东大饽饽、“年年有余”的鲁菜经典糖醋鲤鱼，还有兰陵、张裕、青啤这些美酒佳酿，一同构成了山东人年夜饭里不可缺少的“彩头”，成为每个岁末年终不变的回忆。

回忆里的年夜饭味道，在时间的漏斗中慢慢洒落。但溜走的是时光，留下的是满满的亲情。这些，其实早已超越了菜肴本身的馥郁。那是一种温暖，来自于父母眼角的慈祥，还有团圆过年的欢喜；那还是一种文化，流淌在中国人的血液里，是最浓的亲情。

本期，我们以“鲁味儿年夜饭”为题，寻觅流淌在山东大地上的年夜饭味道，盘点记忆里的年饭小食，分享天南地北山东人海外过年的故事……愿这些文字与情意，能为读者奉上一席精彩的文化年夜饭。

Speaking of the warmest and most affectionate rite of Chinese people throughout the year, it must be the“family reunion dinner”. Everyone has a memory connected with the family reunion dinner. These memories of ten involve a tableful of hear ty dishes on the eve of the Spring Festival. These dishes are not only the memories belonging to each region, each family and each generation, but also the taste of happiness lingering on our taste buds.

In the days of material privation, a family reunion dinner would consist of the ingredients scraped together by a family living a frugal life. It would represent the blessings and wishes for the coming year. With the improvement of people's living standard, the family reunion dinner has taken on an additional ceremonial sense and a sense of mission. As meat and fish are no longer rare, healthy eating becomes common knowledge. For the meal on the eve of the Spring Festival, Shandong people have their own traditions and belief. The big steamed buns of eastern Shandong signifying “growing prosperity”, classic Shandong cuisine - fried carp with sweet and sour sauce signifying “surplus year after year”, as well as such good liquors as Lanling Liquor, Changyu Wine and Tsingtao Beer constitute the permanent memory of Shandong people at every year end.

In the current issue, we take “Shandong-Flavor Family Reunion Dinner” as the theme to look for the family reunion dinner flavors of Shandong, to count the New Year's Evesnacks in our memory, to share the stories of Shandong people celebrating the Spring Festival while abroad…I hope that these words and affectionate feelings can provide readers with a wonderful cultural feast regarding the lunar New Year's eve.