As many know, China doesn’t follow the same type of calendar as the Western world. China’s calendar is much more dependent on the moon and is what’s known as a lunisolar calendar. In contrast, the Gregorian calendar used in the West is entirely focused on the sun. A new month in China begins when a new moon aligns with the Earth and the sun. This is called “Chu Yi” or “Shuo Ri.” In the traditional Chinese calendar, the year progresses through 24 solar terms, with “Liqiu,” the 13th solar term, marking the beginning of autumn.
The lunar cycle in autumn is a special time in China. The season begins with what’s called the “autumn tiger,” a meteorological phenomenon that occurs from late August to mid-September, bringing intense heat. In China, this period is known as “Sanfu,” or the “dog days,” and represents some of the most humid and hottest days of the year. However, after this period, a wonderful time begins in China: the Mid-Autumn Festival. This festival, which coincides with the first full moon of autumn, is one of China’s most important celebrations and is largely about the harvest. The festival has been celebrated for over 3,000 years and rivals Chinese New Year, the country’s biggest celebration.
Autumn in China is therefore a time for harvesting and enjoying good food. In China, food is regarded as the ultimate form of medicine. Traditional Chinese Medicine is a spectrum of medical practices that have been developed and practiced in China for over 2,000 years. It includes various forms, such as herbal medicine through tea, massage (tui na), exercise (qigong), and, above all, dietary therapy.
At its core, traditional Chinese medicine seeks to restore a dynamic balance between two complementary forces, yin (passive) and yang (active), which permeate the human body just as they do the universe as a whole. According to Chinese tradition, a person is healthy when there is harmony between these two forces; illness, on the other hand, arises when the balance between yin and yang is disrupted.
Yin is associated with the feminine, softness, and cooling energy, represented by the “dark” half, while the “bright” half symbolizes the masculine, warmth, and strength. Neither yin nor yang is inherently positive or negative, but both embody the dual aspects of the universe. Nothing is entirely yin or yang, just that some things are primarily one more than the other. In terms of food, ingredients are classified according to their yin and yang qualities. Yin, or “cooling” foods, tend to be bitter, sour, or salty, contain more moisture, and have cool-toned colors such as green and purple. Fish, cucumber, leafy greens, lemongrass, tofu, lotus, and soy sauce are some examples. Yang, or “warming” foods, are dry, sweet, spicy, or pungent, usually grow closer to the soil, and have warm-toned colors like red, yellow, brown, and orange. Examples include meat, potatoes, papaya, chili, galangal, and ginger.
Cooking methods also have yin and yang properties: stir-frying, deep-frying, roasting, and grilling are considered “yang,” while steaming and boiling are “yin.”
How you balance, or rather harmonize, these through the seasons is by eating yin foods during the summer months to cool yourself down and yang foods during the winter months to warm up. Naturally, the dishes on your table should always maintain a balance of yin and yang. For this half of the year, when we need to warm ourselves up, you could, for example, load your table with our pounded beef (new on the menu) and our grilled Jiaoma chicken skewers, balanced with our barbaric radish to bring some yin to the meal. Rice is considered a neutral food and is, of course, always on the table.
The gods know it gets dark and cold in our long country, so make sure to stop by Surfers and find harmony through the intake of plenty of yang foods!
