On the afternoon of March 2, a lively tasting Zao Geng activity, which carries the folk memory of Sanmen, kicked off in Tingpang Town, Sanmen County.

3月2日午后，三門縣亭旁鎮紅旗第一飄廣場上，一場承載著三門民俗記憶的討糟羹活動熱鬧開場。

At the gate of the ChengHuang Temple, several large pots steamed warmly. Many aunties stirred the salty Zao Geng slowly and steadily with long spoons. Chopped mustard greens, diced winter bamboo shoots rolled in the pot, while the fresh fragrance of oysters and razor clams drifted far away on the spring breeze.

城隍廟門口，幾口大鍋熱氣騰騰，幾位阿姨手持長勺，不緊不慢地攪動著鍋里的咸糟羹。芥菜碎、冬筍丁等在鍋中翻滾，牡蠣和蟶子的鮮味混著春風飄遠。

The entrance to Ningheli alley was even busier, with stalls lined up in a row and crowds gathering. These were six newly-wed families last year, on their tables serving sweet Zao Geng, made with red dates, longans and sweet potato starch. Shao Chaoran, one of the new brides who married into Yangjia Village last November, said as she ladled out the soup: “we started preparing early this morning and my mother-in-law has been teaching me beside me. I used to eat it with my mom, but this year I cook it for everyone. I’m so happy to see them enjoy it.”

寧和里巷子口更熱鬧，小攤一字排開，圍滿人群。這是去年剛結婚的六戶新媳婦家，桌上擺著甜糟羹，紅棗、桂圓等混著山粉，稠厚甜潤。邵超然是其中一位新媳婦，去年11月嫁到楊家村。“早上就開始準備，婆婆在旁邊教我。”她邊舀羹邊說，“以前跟著媽媽吃，今年自己燒給大家，看到大家喜歡，特別高興。”

Among the crowd, Max, a young man from the Netherlands, stood out. He tasted the Zao Geng carefully and gave a thumbs-up repeatedly:“It’s delicious! This is my first time to try Zao Geng. The flavor is special. And It’s also my first experience of such a Chinese folk custom. It’s amazing!” His girlfriend explained that she brought him back to Sanmen for the Spring Festival, and they were lucky to join this lively event.

人群中，荷蘭小伙MAX格外引人注目。他端著糟羹細細品嘗，不住豎起大拇指：“太好吃了！這是我第一次吃糟羹，味道很特別，我第一次感受這樣的中國民俗，太奇妙了！”他女友解釋，春節帶他回三門過年，沒想到趕上這場熱鬧。

“On the 14th day of the first lunar month, we eat Zao Geng. The salty one is called ‘Fortune Soup’, and the sweet one is known as ‘New Bride’s Zao Geng’,” said Lin Jingtao, a member of the Party Committee of Tingpang Town. “The event shares the joy of the new brides and lets children experience the charm of folk culture. We hope the younger generation will remember this taste. It is the inheritance of culture and the continuation of homesickness.”

“正月十四吃糟羹，咸的叫‘發財羹’，甜的稱‘新婦糟羹’。”亭旁鎮黨委委員林景濤表示，辦這場活動，既分享新媳婦的喜悅，也讓孩子們感受民俗魅力，希望年輕一代記住這個味道，這是文化的傳承，也是鄉愁的延續。