What traditional foods should we eat during the Lesser Heat? A comprehensive review of the food customs of various regions during the Lesser Heat

The Lesser Heat solar term of 2017 is coming soon. Do you know what is good to eat during this solar term? What traditional food do people eat? Next, let’s quickly learn about it together.

What traditional food do you eat in Xiaoshu?

Eat lotus root in the Lesser Heat

In the Jiangnan region, there is a tradition of eating lotus root during the Lesser Heat. In addition, as early as during the Xianfeng period of the Qing Dynasty, lotus root was designated as a tribute to the imperial court. Because lotus root has the same pronunciation as “偶” (Ou), people eat lotus root to wish for a happy marriage. Also, because lotus root grows out of the mud but remains unstained, it, like the lotus flower, is a symbol of integrity and noble character. Whenever the Lesser Heat comes, people are accustomed to eating lotus roots.

New Food for Lesser Heat

Eating new food during the Lesser Heat is a folk custom of the Hakka people. Hakka people are the main component of the indigenous people in Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Taiwan and other places. After the Lesser Heat, the Hakka people will taste the new rice. After grinding the newly harvested rice into rice, they will make rice to offer to the God of Grains and their ancestors, and then everyone will eat and taste the new wine. It is said that "eating new" means "eating spicy food", and it is the first spicy day after the Lesser Heat Festival. Generally, a small amount of new rice is bought to cook with old rice, and newly-coming vegetables are added. Therefore, there is a saying among the people that "eat millet in the Lesser Heat and eat grain in the Greater Heat".

Eat dumplings during the Lesser Heat

As the saying goes, "It's cold in the 39th day of winter and hot in the 3rd day of summer." People have poor appetite during the 39th day of winter and are often thinner than usual, which is commonly known as the bitter summer. The 39th day of winter is around the Lesser Heat solar term, and for northerners during this period, dumplings are the perfect food to whet their appetite. Moreover, most of the dumplings eaten on this day have vegetarian fillings. The refreshing vegetables are wrapped in the fragrance of buckwheat, which effectively improves people's poor appetite.