JD com : Laba Festival Promotion Suits All Taste Buds

by Ella Kidron

From Jan. 17 to Feb. 5, JD Fresh is offering discounts on a selection of items that consumers need to celebrate the Chinese New Year holiday, including Laba festival, no matter where in the country they are. JD Super, JD's omnichannel supermarket is also offering several perks during the Chinese New Year Grand Promotion.

Around China many consumers love to enjoy a bowl of Laba congee (腊八粥), a custom that dates back to the Song Dynasty. Laba Festival, which falls on Jan. 20 this year, is celebrated on the eighth day of the 12^th month of the lunar calendar ('la' is the name of the twelfth month of the lunar year and eight is 'ba' in Mandarin). For many, it signifies the imminent arrival of Chinese New Year.

Laba congee includes a rich list of ingredients: diversified rice (glutinous rice, oats, corns etc.), beans (soy beans, mung beans, kidney beans, cowpeas etc.), dried nuts (chestnuts, almonds, peanuts, etc.), bean curd and meat. Melon seeds, lotus seeds, pine nuts, sugar, and other preserved fruits are added to make the congee even more flavorful. The dish is regarded as nutritious for the winter, as it is said to strengthen the spleen, stimulate appetite and soothe nerves.

JD Super is providing specials on all sorts of mixed grains, which promise to make Laba congee delicious. Office workers who don't have time to make congee themselves, can turn to cans of pre-made Laba congee instead. In addition, JD's membership store, One's Member (一号店), is providing discounts on different kinds of nuts, to make Laba congee extra tasty.

Pre-made Laba congee

Just as it is with zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) enjoyed during Dragon Boat festival and mooncakes for Mid-Autumn festival, Laba festival traditions differ between north and south. In the north of the country, people will make Laba garlic (garlic soaked in vinegar) to be enjoyed with dumplings when the Spring Festival comes. In the south, such as in Anhui province, people will enjoy tofu which can be eaten alone or stewed and fried with meat, and even dried shrimp as well as other ingredients. Some areas still have the habit of eating Laba meat( 腊八肉).

Laba garlic

JD One's Member promotion poster, forming Chinese characters for Laba with high quality ingredients

During this year's Chinese New Year Grand Promotion, JD is keeping its promise to deliver throughout the holiday, as it has for nine consecutive years. Consumers in 30 provinces, 300 cities and 1,500 districts and towns can enjoy painless delivery right to their doorsteps.

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