The Frost's Descent solar term marks the deep autumn season, which belongs to the Metal element in the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and to Autumn in the Five Seasons (Spring, Summer, Late Summer, Autumn, Winter). In the human body's Five Organs (Liver, Heart, Spleen, Lungs, Kidneys), it corresponds to the Lungs. According to the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) health preservation, which emphasize different tonification methods for each season—Spring for ascending, Summer for clearing, Late Summer for lightening, Autumn for balancing, and Winter for warming—the focus should be on balanced tonification. It is also important to keep warm and moisten dryness.
For dietary supplementation, one should differentiate foods based on their nature, flavor, and meridian affinity. Autumn is a season prone to stomach ailments and coughs, and a time when chronic bronchitis is likely to relapse or worsen. At this time, the diet should be varied and appropriate, with a mix of coarse and fine grains, and moderate amounts of oil. Sweet foods should be consumed in moderation, salt intake should be limited, meals should be well-balanced, and alcohol consumption should be restrained.
It is advisable to consume foods rich in antioxidants that can eliminate free radicals and harmful substances from the gastrointestinal tract, such as sweet potatoes, fresh fruits, bean products, and seaweed.
Chinese jujubes, tofu, cabbage, milk, and carrots strengthen the spleen and harmonize the stomach;
Apples, pomelos, grapes, oranges, and pineapples prevent fat accumulation, benefit the heart, replenish qi, generate fluids, and quench thirst;
Kelp, nori, black beans, soybeans, mung beans, red beans, millet, and chestnuts prevent vascular sclerosis and promote beauty;
Nuts such as walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, longans, and peanuts provide timely supplementation of trace elements, which is beneficial for bone health;
For TCM spleen and stomach nourishment, one can take Renshen Jianpi (Ginseng for Spleen Fortification), Shenling Baizhu, Sijunzi, or Xiangsha Yangwei.
However, from a TCM perspective, dietary supplementation is better than medicinal supplementation. Even when using medicinal tonics, they must be chosen according to an individual's constitution; one should not supplement indiscriminately. This is especially true for the elderly. As many elderly individuals are frail and suffer from multiple ailments, indiscriminate supplementation not only fails to regulate the body but may also cause unnecessary trouble. For children's health preservation, it is important to follow the seasonal shift by promoting astringency, lowering qi, moistening dryness, suppressing the lung and supporting the liver, and increasing sour foods while reducing pungent ones.
Additionally, in autumn, one should eat less pungent foods like scallions, ginger, garlic, and chili peppers, and fewer cold foods such as sea fish, shrimp, and various cold drinks, to avoid damaging the lungs and causing illness. It is recommended to drink more water, soy milk, and fruit juice. Fresh fruits and vegetables have the function of moistening dryness and promoting bowel movements and are rich in water; consuming more of them can replenish bodily fluids.
Frost's Descent Recipes
● Steamed Ginseng Chicken
Ingredients: 15g ginseng, 1 whole chicken, 10g ham, 10g soaked wood ear mushrooms, 15g soaked shiitake mushrooms, appropriate amount of salt, MSG, scallions, ginger, and chicken broth.
Method:
1. After slaughtering the chicken, pluck it, remove all internal organs, blanch it in boiling water, then rinse with cold water. Slice the ham, wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, scallions, and ginger.
2. Soak the ginseng in boiling water, then steam it for 30 minutes and remove.
3. Place the cleaned chicken in a basin, add the ginseng, ham, wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, scallions, ginger, salt, cooking wine, and MSG. Pour in enough chicken broth to cover the chicken. Steam over high heat until the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
4. Transfer the steamed chicken to a large bowl. Chop the ginseng and arrange it with the ham, wood ear mushrooms, and shiitake mushrooms on top of the chicken. Pour the steaming broth into a pot, bring to a boil, skim off any foam, adjust the seasoning, and pour it over the chicken.
Effects: Nourishes kidney yin, replenishes blood and qi.
Ginseng Chicken
● Pig Kidney with Angelica, Codonopsis, and Chinese Yam
Ingredients: 10g Angelica sinensis, 10g Codonopsis pilosula, 10g Chinese yam, 500g pig kidney, appropriate amount of soy sauce, vinegar, shredded ginger, minced garlic, and sesame oil.
Method:
1. Cut the pig kidney open, remove the membranes and ducts, wash it, and place it in an aluminum pot.
2. Place the Angelica sinensis, Codonopsis pilosula, and Chinese yam in a cloth pouch, tie it securely, and add it to the pot with the kidney.
3. Add an appropriate amount of water to the pot and simmer gently until the kidney is cooked through. Remove the kidney, let it cool, then slice it thinly and arrange on a plate.
4. Mix the soy sauce, vinegar, shredded ginger, minced garlic, and sesame oil with the kidney slices and serve.
Effects: Nourishes kidney yin, replenishes blood and qi.
Stir-fried Pig Kidney
● Five-Spice Beef
Ingredients: 2500g beef, 90g salt, 24g sugar, 60g dark soy sauce, 2 pieces of ginger, scallions, cooking wine, star anise, cassia bark, and red rice water as needed.
Method:
1. Use lean beef from the shin. First, cut along the muscle fibers, then into 500g pieces. Use the back of a knife to pierce holes all over each piece. Sprinkle a little salt on a cutting board and rub the beef pieces vigorously until the salt dissolves (a process called "sweating"). Then place the beef in a crock to marinate for 3-4 days (or 1 day in summer), turning it frequently until it turns red, firm, and aromatic.
2. Fill a pot with a large amount of water and bring to a rolling boil. Add the beef pieces, stir them a few times, then remove and scrub them clean.
3. Place a steamer rack at the bottom of the pot. Put the beef pieces on the rack, add star anise, cassia bark, scallion knots, ginger pieces, cooking wine, sugar, soy sauce, and red rice water. Bring to a boil over high heat. When the beef turns red, add more broth to cover it, add salt to taste, cover, and bring back to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer for about 2 hours, or until a fork can easily pierce the beef. Remove the beef, let it cool completely, and slice it against the grain.
Effects: Nourishes kidney yin, replenishes blood and qi.
Five-Spice Beef
● Braised Pig's Trotters with Peanuts and Chinese Jujubes
Ingredients: 1000g pig's trotters, 100g peanuts (with skin), 40 Chinese jujubes, 25g cooking wine, 60g soy sauce, 30g sugar, 20g scallion sections, 10g ginger, a little MSG, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, and fennel, and salt to taste.
Method:
1. Clean and soak the peanuts and Chinese jujubes in a bowl of water.
2. Clean the pig's trotters, remove the hair, and boil them until 40% cooked. Remove and coat with soy sauce.
3. Heat oil in a wok until it's 70% hot. Deep-fry the coated trotters until golden brown, then remove. Place them in a cooking pot, add water, along with the prepared peanuts, jujubes, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat until the trotters are tender.
Pig's Trotters with Peanuts