Hui people scattered in rural areas, mountainous areas and pastoral areas are mostly influenced by their place of residence. For example, the Hui people in the southern mountainous area of Ningxia mainly eat potatoes, buckwheat, naked oats, millet and peas, while the Hui people in Altay, Xinjiang eat horse meat and milk food, and rice flour food takes a secondary position. This is obviously influenced by the Kazakh diet customs. Hui people living in Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and Tibet, like Tibetans, can't eat highland barley, peas and three meals without Baba. The most distinctive feature of Hui people's diet in northwest rural areas is folk banquet. "Nine bowls and three rows" is an authentic banquet for the Hui people. Generally speaking, this kind of banquet is used to entertain many guests and relatives at weddings and funerals.
Generally speaking, the daily diet of the Hui nationality has the following remarkable characteristics:
First, there is more food in the staple food than rice. Pasta is the traditional staple food of Hui people. Its variety, novelty, fragrance and exquisite craftsmanship are unparalleled, which shows the wisdom of the Hui people. According to statistics, in the diet of the Hui people, more than 60% of the varieties are pasta, while in other varieties, flour is used more or less. Lamian Noodles, Xunzi, Lehe, Dragon Noodles, Mashi, Wonton, Camellia oleifera, Wonton, etc. After being cooked by Hui people, it will become a delicious meal for guests, and even foreigners will eat it as soon as possible and will not miss it.
Second, sweets occupy a certain position. This is related to the fact that Arab Muslims like to eat sweets. After giving birth to a baby, Arab Muslim women put honey juice or dates into the baby's mouth before breastfeeding; After the birth of Hui babies in Ningxia, they are also used to speaking with brown sugar. Many of the famous dishes of the Hui nationality are beets, such as flying like honey, fried sheep tail, sweet and sour tenderloin and so on. There are many sweets in rice noodles, such as cold cakes, cut cakes, sweet cakes with eight treasures, sweet twists, glutinous rice cakes, rice cakes, persimmon cakes and paste trays. Hui people in Ningxia also make traditional halal food oil into sweets, and add honey and brown sugar to the dough.
Third, beef and mutton dishes account for a large proportion in the dishes. Hui people especially like to eat beef and mutton, which is related to Islamic dietary thought. Islam advocates eating meat such as cattle, sheep, chickens, ducks and fish, and prohibits eating meat from pigs, mules and birds of prey. Herry Liu said in The Book of Arabic Rites that "eating makes people nourish their temperament", "Those who eat the grain of poultry and the grass of animals are good in nature and edible", and "only camels, cows and sheep are pure in virtue and edible". All the foods advocated by Islam are good foods. The so-called "good food", explained by Mr. Ma Jian, is pure, delicious and nutritious food. More specifically, it should have a good appearance, fresh smell and taste and rich nutritional value. Take sheep as an example. They are docile and clean, and the meat is delicious. At the same time, they also have nourishing and dietetic effects on the body. Mutton contains protein, fat, vitamins and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus and iron. Regular consumption of mutton can stimulate appetite, strengthen the body, dispel cold and help yang, and benefit kidney and deficiency.