沙縣小吃是中原黃河流域飲食文化傳統的一個分支,起源于夏商周、晉、宋中原黃河流域中華飲食文化,以品種繁多風味獨特和經濟實惠著稱,被稱譽為漢民族傳統飲食的活化石
被稱為漢(han)民族傳(chuan)統飲(yin)食(shi)的(de)(de)(de)(de)“活化石”的(de)(de)(de)(de)沙(sha)(sha)(sha)縣(xian)(xian)(xian)小(xiao)(xiao)(xiao)(xiao)吃(chi)(chi)(chi),屬源遠流(liu)(liu)長的(de)(de)(de)(de)中(zhong)原(yuan)黃河流(liu)(liu)域(yu)飲(yin)食(shi)文化傳(chuan)統的(de)(de)(de)(de)一個(ge)分(fen)(fen)支,它既有(you)(you)福州、閩南一帶的(de)(de)(de)(de)飲(yin)食(shi)特點,又有(you)(you)汀州一帶山區客家飲(yin)食(shi)文化風格。因(yin)(yin)此(ci)(ci)(ci)具有(you)(you)濃厚中(zhong)華特色的(de)(de)(de)(de)沙(sha)(sha)(sha)縣(xian)(xian)(xian)小(xiao)(xiao)(xiao)(xiao)吃(chi)(chi)(chi)又分(fen)(fen)為兩大流(liu)(liu)派(pai)(pai)(pai),即口味清鮮(xian)淡甜(tian)、 制(zhi)(zhi)作精(jing)細的(de)(de)(de)(de)城(cheng)關(guan)(guan)小(xiao)(xiao)(xiao)(xiao)吃(chi)(chi)(chi)流(liu)(liu)派(pai)(pai)(pai),代表品(pin)種有(you)(you)扁(bian)肉(面食(shi))、燒麥(mai)、肉包(bao)等,獨具特色;口味咸辣酸、制(zhi)(zhi)作粗放的(de)(de)(de)(de)夏(xia)(xia)茂(mao)小(xiao)(xiao)(xiao)(xiao)吃(chi)(chi)(chi)流(liu)(liu)派(pai)(pai)(pai),以夏(xia)(xia)茂(mao)鎮(zhen)為代表,原(yuan)料以米(mi)、薯、芋為主(zhu),如米(mi)凍、喜粿(guo)、米(mi)凍皮(粳秈(xian)面)、牛系列等。夏(xia)(xia)茂(mao)人(ren)(ren)基本屬于客家,喜外出(chu)。因(yin)(yin)此(ci)(ci)(ci)外出(chu)經營小(xiao)(xiao)(xiao)(xiao)吃(chi)(chi)(chi)較(jiao)早較(jiao)多的(de)(de)(de)(de)是夏(xia)(xia)茂(mao)流(liu)(liu)派(pai)(pai)(pai)小(xiao)(xiao)(xiao)(xiao)吃(chi)(chi)(chi),幾乎(hu)大江南北(bei)都有(you)(you)夏(xia)(xia)茂(mao)人(ren)(ren)的(de)(de)(de)(de)蹤跡,這種流(liu)(liu)動性也(ye)使夏(xia)(xia)茂(mao)流(liu)(liu)派(pai)(pai)(pai)小(xiao)(xiao)(xiao)(xiao)吃(chi)(chi)(chi)的(de)(de)(de)(de)原(yuan)料加(jia)(jia)工(gong)(gong)與經營服務分(fen)(fen)離(li),即加(jia)(jia)工(gong)(gong)的(de)(de)(de)(de)不(bu)經營,經營的(de)(de)(de)(de)不(bu)加(jia)(jia)工(gong)(gong),形成(cheng)低工(gong)(gong)藝的(de)(de)(de)(de)簡單重復勞動。而沙(sha)(sha)(sha)縣(xian)(xian)(xian)城(cheng)關(guan)(guan)人(ren)(ren)則是山區文化,喜歡自(zi)(zi)己(ji)加(jia)(jia)工(gong)(gong)自(zi)(zi)己(ji)經營,即“前店后坊(fang)”的(de)(de)(de)(de)家庭式(shi)經營格局,城(cheng)關(guan)(guan)流(liu)(liu)派(pai)(pai)(pai)沙(sha)(sha)(sha)縣(xian)(xian)(xian)小(xiao)(xiao)(xiao)(xiao)吃(chi)(chi)(chi)制(zhi)(zhi)作精(jing)細,品(pin)種多樣,成(cheng)為沙(sha)(sha)(sha)縣(xian)(xian)(xian)小(xiao)(xiao)(xiao)(xiao)吃(chi)(chi)(chi)的(de)(de)(de)(de)主(zhu)角。因(yin)(yin)此(ci)(ci)(ci),到(dao)過沙(sha)(sha)(sha)縣(xian)(xian)(xian)的(de)(de)(de)(de)人(ren)(ren)必嘗沙(sha)(sha)(sha)縣(xian)(xian)(xian)小(xiao)(xiao)(xiao)(xiao)吃(chi)(chi)(chi),吃(chi)(chi)(chi)了(le)“沙(sha)(sha)(sha)縣(xian)(xian)(xian)小(xiao)(xiao)(xiao)(xiao)吃(chi)(chi)(chi)”都有(you)(you)“沙(sha)(sha)(sha)陽歸(gui)來無小(xiao)(xiao)(xiao)(xiao)吃(chi)(chi)(chi)”之感嘆。中(zhong)國(沙(sha)(sha)(sha)縣(xian)(xian)(xian))小(xiao)(xiao)(xiao)(xiao)吃(chi)(chi)(chi)旅游文化節官方定為每年(nian)公歷的(de)(de)(de)(de)12月8日。
沙(sha)(sha)縣(xian)小(xiao)(xiao)吃(chi)以其品(pin)種繁(fan)多(duo)、風味獨特和經濟(ji)實惠(hui)而(er)著稱,成為福(fu)(fu)建飲食文化百花園中的(de)一朵(duo)奇葩。沙(sha)(sha)縣(xian)小(xiao)(xiao)吃(chi)不但流行在三(san)明市各(ge)(ge)縣(xian)(市、區),而(er)且在南(nan)平(ping)、福(fu)(fu)州(zhou)、廈門也(ye)可常(chang)常(chang)遇(yu)到掛著“沙(sha)(sha)縣(xian)小(xiao)(xiao)吃(chi)”招牌的(de)小(xiao)(xiao)吃(chi)店(dian),甚至北至北京、南(nan)至深(shen)圳,以及在新加(jia)坡、馬來(lai)西亞、美國的(de)太平(ping)洋旅游(you)勝地(di)——塞班島(dao)也(ye)有“沙(sha)(sha)縣(xian)小(xiao)(xiao)吃(chi)”的(de)蹤(zong)跡。足見(jian)沙(sha)(sha)縣(xian)小(xiao)(xiao)吃(chi)影(ying)響之大、傳播之廣。據統計,沙(sha)(sha)縣(xian)各(ge)(ge)類小(xiao)(xiao)吃(chi)有上(shang)百種,常(chang)年供應的(de)有幾十種,蒸(zheng)、煮、炸、烤、腌(a),加(jia)工方(fang)法多(duo)樣(yang),米、面、芋、豆腐原料獨具地(di)方(fang)特色(se),且來(lai)源豐富(fu),家家戶戶都能做上(shang)幾樣(yang),城區街頭(tou)巷(xiang)尾(wei)日夜24小(xiao)(xiao)時都有小(xiao)(xiao)吃(chi)應市,非常(chang)方(fang)便(bian)。