Solely eating food that is in-season is a dietary philosophy many ancient Chinese people adhered to, and which expresses China's dietary concepts in their most traditional form.
Seasons and Solar TermsWorld Federation of Chinese Catering Industry
Seasons and solar terms comprise a system of time measurement that ancient Chinese people formulated based on their observations of the natural world and agricultural production. It is a calendric concept and related to the farming activities of sowing, growing, and harvesting crops, making it closely connected with people's daily lives.
Seasonal DishesWorld Federation of Chinese Catering Industry
When it comes to a seasonal-only diet, there are four main precepts:
Summer Time in VillageWorld Federation of Chinese Catering Industry
1) Only eat food made of seasonal ingredients. This is because ingredients that are in season follow the natural law of growth.
Sliced Raw FishWorld Federation of Chinese Catering Industry
For example, Huaiyang cuisine mandates that people not eat certain foods after Qingming Festival, such as tapertail anchovies and freshwater mussels. And after Dragon Boat Festival is Reeves shad. This is because tapertail anchovies and freshwater mussels have the highest nutritional value before Qingming Festival, while the same is true of Reeves shad before Dragon Boat Festival.
Caramelized Frozen PersimmonWorld Federation of Chinese Catering Industry
2) Only cook certain dishes based on the season and solar term.
Each solar term and festival has its corresponding seasonal food that is at its most fresh, nutritious, and palatable, thus better meeting the human body's needs than when out of season. The passage of time has given rise to a wide variety of dietary customs.
Colorful DumplingsWorld Federation of Chinese Catering Industry
One such custom is eating "spring pancakes" at the beginning of Spring to signify "taking a bite out of spring". Others include eating cold noodles at Summer Solstice, "plumping up in autumn" at the beginning of Autumn and eating dumplings at Winter Solstice.
A Scene in AutumnWorld Federation of Chinese Catering Industry
"Plumping up in autumn" refers to gaining body fat. As the temperature drops in autumn, it's believed that people should increase their meat intake to compensate for any deficiencies resulting from poor appetite and perspiration in summer and strengthen immunity.
JARDIN DE MONETWorld Federation of Chinese Catering Industry
3) The same ingredients should be cooked differently depending on the season.
慈禧樱桃肉 (2020) by Jiao SongtaoWorld Federation of Chinese Catering Industry
For example, pork is eaten in Suzhou all year round, but it's prepared in different ways depending on the season. There's Cherry Pork for spring, Steamed Pork with Rice Flour in Lotus Leaf for summer, Braised Ham in Honey Sauce for autumn, and Stewed Marinated Pork for winter. This is to accommodate changes in people's nutritional needs and immunity season by season.
EggWorld Federation of Chinese Catering Industry
4) Pay attention to dietary restrictions.
Roasted Chicken by World Federation Of Chinese Catering IndustryWorld Federation of Chinese Catering Industry
An improper diet can lead to illness. Ancient people specified some dietary restrictions to keep healthy. For example, they advised against overeating at night, as it could impede digestion and encourage disease, as well as against consuming alcohol while recovering from an illness, as it could heat the diaphragm and harm one's health.
Sunset MountainsWorld Federation of Chinese Catering Industry
Major changes in food ingredients, science and technology, sanitary conditions, and cooking techniques have reshaped how modern people perceive dietary concepts. For instance, technological advancements now allow people to enjoy food from any season throughout the year. Nevertheless, the ancient concept of consuming only seasonal foods is still valuable and worth learning from.
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