On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, temples and households cook porridge with walnuts, pine seeds, small mushrooms, persimmons, chestnuts and so forth. The porridge is called “rice porridge for December Eighth”.
宋/周密·《武林旧事》
Zhou Mi (Song Dynasty):
Past Events of the Martial Arts World
腊八粥者，用黄米、白米、江米、小米、菱角米、栗子、红豇豆、去皮枣泥等，合水煮熟，外用染红桃仁、杏仁、瓜子、花生、榛穰、松子及白糖、红糖、琐琐葡萄，以作点染。
To cook “rice porridge for December Eighth”, boil yellow rice, white rice, glutinous rice, millet, chestnuts, red cowpeas and jujube paste together. When it is done, dot it with walnuts, apricot kernels, melon seeds, peanuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, all dyed red, and white sugar, brown sugar and chopped raisins.
清/富察敦崇·《燕京岁时记》
Fucha Dunchong (Qing Dynasty)
Annual Records of the Capital
