泡腊八蒜是北方尤其是华北地区的一个习俗。腊八蒜顾名思义， 就是在腊八这天泡制的蒜。其做法十分简单，就是将剥了皮的蒜瓣儿放到一个可以密封的罐子里，然后倒入醋，密封后放置于阴凉处。泡在醋中的蒜慢慢地就会变得通体碧绿，如同碧玉。腊八蒜味道独特， 是吃饺子的最佳佐料，拌凉菜时也可以用。

Soaking La Ba garlic is a custom in the north. On the day of La Ba festival, peeled garlics are soaked in vinegar and sealed in a jar. Store the jar in a cool place. Gradually, the garlics become as green as jade. La Ba garlics have a special flavor and they are the best companion for jiaozi.

泡腊八蒜的习俗源于腊八蒜的“蒜”字，和“算”字同音，早年各家商号要在腊八这天拢账，把一年的收支算出来，可以看出盈亏，即“腊八算”。在腊八这天，吃吃腊八醋， 算算—年的盈亏结余，接下来的新年应该怎么过心里也就有数了。

The Chinese character for garlic shares the same pronunciation with “calculate”, suan. In early times, every store would calculate their account and check the balance at La Ba, which was called La Ba Suan, so this is how the custom originated. On this day, eating La Ba garlics and check the balance of the year. one may have a clear idea about how much to spend on celebrating the new year.