Shanxi New Year Custom: Sesame Candy on Minor New Year

腊月廿三是中国传统小年，标志着春节的正式开始。在山西，这一天最具代表性的习俗是制作和食用麻糖。这一传统不仅与祭灶仪式紧密相连，也展现了山西地方饮食文化的特色。

The 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month is China’s traditional Minor New Year (Xiaonian), marking the official beginning of the Spring Festival celebrations. In Shanxi, the most representative custom on this day is the making and eating of sesame candy (matang). This tradition is closely tied to the ritual of offering sacrifices to the Kitchen God and showcases the distinctive features of Shanxi’s local food culture.

小年又称祀灶节，祭灶神、吃麻糖是北方地区普遍流传的习俗。根据民间传说，灶神在腊月廿三这天要上天向玉皇大帝汇报一家人的言行。人们供奉麻糖，希望用这种粘稠的甜食“粘住”灶神的嘴，使其“上天言好事，下界保平安”，祈求来年家宅平安、生活顺遂。

Minor New Year, also known as the Kitchen God Festival, is widely observed in northern China through rituals dedicated to the Kitchen God and the consumption of sesame candy. According to folk belief, on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, the Kitchen God ascends to heaven to report the conduct of each household to the Jade Emperor. By offering sticky and sweet sesame candy, people hope to “seal” the Kitchen God’s mouth, encouraging him to “speak well of the family in heaven and ensure peace and safety upon returning to the mortal world.” This practice reflects a wish for household safety and smooth fortunes in the coming year.

山西麻糖以麦芽糖为主要原料，常辅以莜面、玉米粉、大麦、黍米等本地特产。制作过程包括泡米、蒸米、发酵、熬糖、拉糖、成型等近十道工序，延续着传统的手工技艺。成品形态多样，既有圆形的糖瓜、长条的糖棍，也有灌糖心或裹芝麻的款式。麻糖色泽淡黄，表面带有别致花纹，在冬季低温下凝固得坚实酥脆，内部则形成细密气泡，口感甜脆香酥。

Shanxi-style sesame candy primarily uses maltose as its base, often supplemented with local specialties such as oat flour, corn flour, barley, and broomcorn millet. The production process involves nearly ten steps, including soaking grains, steaming, fermenting, boiling the syrup, pulling the candy, and shaping it—a craft preserved through generations of traditional handmaking techniques. The finished candy comes in various forms: round melon-shaped pieces, long stick-shaped ones, some filled with syrup, and others coated with roasted soy flour or sesame seeds. It has a pale yellow hue, adorned with delicate patterns on the surface. In the winter cold, the candy hardens into a crisp and brittle texture, with fine bubbles inside creating a sweet, crunchy, and fragrant flavor.

小年期间，山西的街头巷尾常能听到麻糖的叫卖声，作坊里也飘散着熬糖的香气。这一习俗不仅为节日增添了甜美的味道，更承载着祭灶民俗的历史记忆。麻糖的制作与食用，成为连接传统与现代、物质与精神的文化纽带。