Nourishing the Lungs and Spleen for Health
During the Awakening of Insects season, it's easy to experience a dry throat and internal heat. Folk tradition holds that "eating pears during the Awakening of Insects" can "clear the heat from the six organs and nourish the yin of the five viscera." Loquats, lilies, jujubes, tremella, lotus root, and Chinese yam all have the effect of moistening the lungs and strengthening the spleen. Spring belongs to the Wood element, which corresponds to the liver. Therefore, diet should be light, mild, and plain. Eating fresh vegetables, chicken, eggs, and milk often can strengthen the body. In spring, it is crucial to avoid stirring up liver fire. Those with excessive liver fire are advised to temporarily avoid mutton and dog meat and instead choose fish and poultry that clear the liver, reduce fire, and nourish yin, thereby protecting and nourishing the liver, soothing the liver, and regulating qi.
The Ducks Know First When the River Warms
Beyond the bamboo, a few peach branches bloom; ducks on the river know first when the water warms. The ways of preparing duck are as diverse as the hundred flowers of spring, with both northern and southern styles being delicious. Ducks with growing feathers are a rustic sight in the spring countryside and a delicacy on the dining table. After a winter of growth, ducks have strong bones and plump muscles, making it an excellent time to enjoy them and savor a unique flavor.
Warming Chicken with Fragrant Wine in the Chilly Spring
The "Young Scholar's Forest" records Hakami mother wine: "Its fragrance is sweet and beautiful, its color is warm and reddish. Drinking it connects with the spirit of heaven and earth, invigorates the meridians, and is especially beneficial for fitness and beauty." In the chilly yet warming spring, Hakami mother wine chicken warms the heart and stomach, perfectly in tune with the season. As the Hakka people historically inhabited high, cold, mountainous areas with damp and foggy conditions, their food culture favors warmth over cold. Their dishes are known for being "fresh, moist, rich, and fragrant." Hakami mother wine chicken is a prime example. Beloved by the Hakka people for its properties of stimulating appetite, invigorating blood, tonifying the middle, and replenishing qi, a masterfully prepared Hakami mother wine chicken uses quartered chicken pieces, jujube slices, black fungus, and other ingredients, doused with authentic Hakami mother wine and a secret steaming sauce, then steamed at a constant temperature. It is sweet, fragrant, intoxicating, rich, and savory. After the tender chicken is eaten, take a small sip of the soup. When the gentle warmth of the wine sets in, it feels as if the five organs and six bowels are bathed in a hot spring—a truly delightful way to enjoy early spring!
The Fragrant and Savory Flavor of Jiangnan Yellow Wine Sediment
Jiang water big crucian carp, drunken green crabs, braised duck with pork knuckle cooked over a wood fire, zongzi, wontons, tangyuan... These hometown dishes from the land of fish and rice have a familiar and refreshing taste, especially suitable for the bright and sunny early spring. "Yanjia Kitchen" in Wangjing elevates our dining experience from sampling "Hangzhou cuisine" to savoring "Zhejiang cuisine." "Sediment dishes" emphasize the fragrance of wine, while "shrimp oil sauce dishes" emphasize the flavor of the sea. Both types of dishes are effective at removing fishiness, enhancing freshness, and stimulating the appetite. Yanjia's sediment dishes, descended from Ningbo cuisine, use "sediment mud" and "sediment oil"—brewed from premium yellow wine—as the base to make a "sediment brine" for soaking various ingredients. In contrast, Yanjia's shrimp oil sauce dishes, descended from Shaoxing cuisine, use a brine made from shrimp heads, small crabs, and a small amount of Shaoxing yellow wine to soak the ingredients. The flavor is pure, fresh, and clean, allowing one to fully enjoy the leisurely and joyful spring atmosphere of Jiangnan.