【Winter Bowls】One Bowl of Laba Porridge, Different in Every Region

时入深冬，寒气一日重过一日。腊八一近，山西人家的灶火便格外热闹起来。这碗粥，早不止是节气里的吃食，更是一方水土熬出来的冬日语言——用料不同，做法各异，却都盛着同样的祈愿：庆今年收成，盼来年富足。

As winter deepens, the chill grows heavier with each passing day. As Laba Festival approaches, the stoves in Shanxi homes become particularly lively. This bowl of porridge is no longer just a seasonal food—it is the winter language simmered from the land itself. Though ingredients and methods vary from place to place, each bowl carries the same hope: to celebrate this year’s harvest and wish for abundance in the year to come.

山西的腊八粥，从来不是千篇一律的甜软。从北到南，从东到西，一捧谷物、几样杂豆，在各地人手里，都能生出自己的脾性。

In Shanxi, Laba porridge is never uniformly sweet and soft. From north to south, east to west, a handful of grains and a mix of beans take on their own character in the hands of local people.

大同人熬的是“红粥”。红枣、豇豆、绿豆，配着小米、大米、黄米、高粱米与花生，凑足八样，再添一把红糖。熬好时满锅鲜红，稠稠的一碗，米烂豆酥，甜得扎实，是北地冬日里一抹亮堂堂的暖色。

In Datong, people cook what they call "red porridge." Red dates, cowpeas, and mung beans are paired with millet, rice, glutinous millet, sorghum, and peanuts—eight ingredients in total, finished with a handful of brown sugar. When done, the pot is a vibrant red, the bowl thick and hearty. The grains are tender, the beans soft, the sweetness solid and satisfying—a bright, warm touch in the northern winter.

运城一带，又有“腊八饭”一说，粥里多了菜蔬的清气。南瓜、土豆、豆荚段和谷物豆类一同下锅，最特别的是还要加入用白面、豆面、玉米面揉成的“三合面”。粥因此更稠厚，有粮有菜，一碗下去，饱足之外，更有田野的鲜活。

Around Yuncheng, there is also what is called "Laba dish," which carries the fresh fragrance of vegetables. Pumpkin, potatoes, and bean pod segments are cooked together with grains and legumes. What makes it special is the addition of a “three-flour blend”—a mixture of wheat, bean, and corn flour—which gives the porridge an even thicker consistency. With both grains and vegetables in one bowl, it brings not only fullness but also the vitality of the fields.