The custom of "three Yao tables" and "three tables" of the Mulao nationality refers to three tables, namely a coffee table, a banquet table and a dining table. "Dai Mo" means "completion" or "completion" in Zhen 'an, Daozhen and Wuchuan dialects. "Big banquet table" refers to a banquet that ends with tea, banquet and meal. Therefore, it is called "Sanyaotai". The custom of "Sanyaotai" spreads in Zhen 'an County, Daozhen County and Wuchuan Gelao and Miao Autonomous County in northern Guizhou.
In ancient times, Gelao people held banquets during weddings, building houses, celebrating birthdays, major folk activities and festivals. These "three modes" are popular hospitality, grand and lively. Every studio is equipped with "percussion music", that is, whenever the stage is set or removed, it is played in a lively atmosphere. Later, it gradually became a way to entertain guests during the Spring Festival. Nowadays, whenever distinguished guests arrive, the Gelao people will treat them with "Sanyaotai" to show their respect for the guests.
When guests visit, they should open the door of the main room to welcome them. The host told everyone to sit down and the hostess prepared tea and food. Ask the master of the boy's neighbor to accompany the guests. If there is an elder among the guests, please be accompanied by the elder and the younger generation. When the host and guests arrive, there will be a table for eight, followed by a shrine. Facing the gate, there will be a table, with a guest table on the left, a main table on the right and a small table below. Everyone will be seated in turn. The qualifications are all the same, and the older ones sit in the seats. Ordinary women and children do not serve. When everyone is seated, the first coffee table begins.
The first one is the coffee table, which is mainly tea, with fruits and cakes. Serve tea in a big bowl to quench your thirst. The so-called "drinking tea in a big bowl" is a folk custom. There are nine plates of fruit and cakes on the coffee table. One is melon seeds, the other is peanuts, the third is chestnuts, the fourth is walnuts, the fifth is red hat cakes, the sixth is beauty spot cakes, the seventh is crispy flowers, the eighth is crispy vegetables and the ninth is sesame cakes. Tea is mostly soil tea, and the highest grade soil tea is Dashu tea, and both Daozhen County and Zhen 'an County drink oil tea). After drinking tea, take out one unit and go to the second unit.
The second is a banquet. After the cups, plates and bowls are placed, incense and paper are burned to worship the ancestors. First, for the benefit of future generations, we should not forget the advantages of our ancestors. The second is to respectfully invite ancestors and gods to share food. Then invite the guests to sit down. The second course is mainly stew and cold dishes, such as sausage, braised pork, braised chicken, stewed duck, lean meat, preserved eggs, salted eggs, pickled radish, pickled cowherd and peanuts. The content of this dish is uncertain, but it must be nine courses. Most wines are homemade canned corn. According to local drinking habits, anyone who offers a glass of wine must drink three cups, and those who don't drink must replace the wine with tea. The first cup is to propose a toast to the guests. Toast every guest of the host. He said some words of welcome and modesty. The first thing to do is respect. The second cup is a blessing wine. The guests will say some words of thanks and blessings, and then have a drink together. The third cup is a toast. The younger generation proposed a toast to the elders. The younger generation must wait until the older generation finishes drinking. Finish the wine, finish the second table and finish the third table.
The third table is the rice table, which is the main table of "three modes". The number of dishes is still nine bowls, commonly known as "nine bowls". "Nine bowls" include "light meat", crispy meat, round meat, oily tofu, gray tofu, minced meat, day lily, bamboo shoots, soup and so on. Among them, "light meat", also known as "big dish", can not be less at any time. When eating vegetables, the younger generation can't use them at will. Every bowl of food should be eaten by the elders before using chopsticks. Deng is an ancient ritual vessel. Erya Shi Qi said, "Every tile is Deng". Therefore, the name "Deng" comes from a sacrificial vessel "Deng" that holds meat. When the elders choose dishes, they should invite everyone to use them together. After eating, raise chopsticks horizontally or together, indicating that "everyone cares about his own business". The younger generation can't leave the table until the younger generation has finished eating. The shape of each dish is either round or square, and the combination of round and round can make a fortune in four seasons.