As the saying goes, "Replenishing your body during the Sanjiu period of winter will keep you free from illness next year." The practice of winter supplementation has a long history in China. The ancients believed that winter is a season of "latent vitality and hidden yang energy," making it the best time to nourish and store energy. One should follow the principles of "nourishing storage," supplementing at the right time to better utilize the effects of foods and medicinal ingredients, thereby enhancing the body's resistance to disease.
Different Constitutions, Different Foods
There are many foods suitable for winter supplementation, which can be broadly divided into three categories: neutral, warming, and nourishing. Generally, warming foods are used for those with qi deficiency, nourishing foods for blood deficiency, and neutral foods for those without either, which is known as neutral supplementation.
Neutral Supplementation
Pork and its liver, kidneys, lungs; eggs; hens, ducks; tofu; celery, radish, longan, mushrooms; honey, royal jelly, etc.
Nourishing Supplementation
Soft-shelled turtle, crucian carp, mussel, kelp, jellyfish, pear, tangerine, apple, banana, lily, sesame, mung bean, red bean, pea, daylily, tremella, bird's nest, etc.
Warming Supplementation
Lamb, beef and their offal; dog meat; rooster; goose; sea cucumber; cuttlefish; venison; jujube, walnut; hyacinth bean; yam and taro; green onion, garlic, chive, ginger; fava bean; wheat flour; alcoholic beverages, etc.
In addition to paying attention to food selection, one must also consider cooking methods: Nourishing foods are best prepared by clear stewing, steaming, or simmering in soup, with a light taste. Warming foods are best prepared by braising or soy-simmering, with a rich and heavy taste. Neutral foods can use either method, with a mild and balanced taste being preferred.
Seasonal Foods Vary by Region
There is a folk saying: "Replenish on the winter solstice, and you'll be strong enough to fight a tiger in spring." Winter solstice foods across the country, whether it's dumplings or wontons in the north, or tangyuan and red bean congee in the south, are mostly related to dietary supplementation during the coldest days of winter.
1. Dumplings
Legend has it that the famous Henan physician Zhang Zhongjing, concerned for the poor people, set up a medical tent at the east gate of Nanyang on the winter solstice. He distributed "Quhan Jiao'er Tang" (Cold-Dispelling "Jiao'er" Soup) to the poor. "Jiao'er" are what we now know as dumplings. After eating it, people felt warm all over and their ears became hot.
Tips Quhan Jiao'er Tang
To make it, first boil lamb, chili peppers, and some cold-dispelling medicinal herbs in a pot. Once cooked, remove the lamb and herbs, chop them, and wrap them in a dough skin to form "jiao'er" shaped like ears. Then, boil them again. Serve each person a large bowl of soup with two servings of "jiao'er".
2. Wontons
Old Beijing has the saying, "Wontons for the winter solstice, noodles for the summer solstice." The "Yanjing Shiji" (Record of the Seasons in the Capital) states: "The shape of wontons is like an egg, somewhat resembling the chaos of the universe, which is why they are eaten on the winter solstice." Besides the shape similarity, the word "wonton" (hundun) is a homophone for "chaos" (hundun).
3. Tangyuan
In the Jiangnan region, tangyuan is an essential food for the winter solstice. This is a round dessert made from glutinous rice flour. The "round" symbolizes reunion and completeness. Tangyuan eaten during the winter solstice is also called "Winter Solstice Balls" (Dongzhi Tuan). An ancient poem says: "Every household pounds rice to make tangyuan, knowing it will be the winter solstice tomorrow." Tangyuan is also divided into two types: "Fen Tuan" (powder ball) and "Fen Yuan" (powder round). The "Qing Jia Lu" (Record of Fine Customs in Qing) states: "Those with filling and large are Fen Tuan, eaten when offering to ancestors on winter solstice night; those without filling and small are Fen Yuan, offered to the gods on the morning of the winter solstice."
4. Lamb
In many northern regions, there is a custom of eating dog meat and lamb on the winter solstice. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that lamb and dog meat both have the effect of strengthening yang and nourishing the body. In fact, in the Jiangnan region, people in Suzhou also begin their supplementation on the winter solstice, and what they eat is the world-famous Wuzhong Cangshu lamb.
5. Radish
There is a folk saying: "Radish in winter, ginger in summer; eat them in season and you'll be free from illness." Another saying goes: "A winter radish is better than a ginseng." On the night of the winter solstice, it is perfect to simmer a pot of hot and hearty radish and pork rib soup for the family to reunite and celebrate this long-standing "sub-solstice" festival.