Awakening of Insects Food

A folk saying holds that “惊蛰吃了梨，一年都精神”—eat a pear at Awakening of Insects and stay energetic all year. The custom of eating pears at this solar term is widespread, and its origins are explained on several levels.

Driving away pests through homophony. In Jiangsu and Zhejiang, people eat pears at Awakening of Insects because “梨” sounds like “离”, “to leave” or “to separate.” Eating a pear on this day therefore symbolizes keeping crop pests away and protecting the year’s harvest. Folklorist Xiao Fang has noted that in many parts of both northern and southern China, eating pears at Awakening of Insects carries several meanings: people hope that insects awakened in early spring will stay “away” from the crops, while illness and disaster will likewise remain far from the body. In traditional culture, pears are usually avoided during festivals because of this very homophony with separation; at Awakening of Insects, however, that meaning is deliberately reversed and turned into a blessing—the pear symbolizes separation from pests and disease.

The legend of the Shanxi merchants. In Shanxi, the custom of eating pears at Awakening of Insects is said to be connected with the famous Shanxi merchant tradition. The ancestor of the Qu family, Qu Ji, came from Zhangzi County in Shangdang. In the early Hongwu reign of the Ming dynasty, he took his sons Xin and Yi with him and traded Shangdang hemp and pears for coarse cloth and red dates from Qixian, traveling repeatedly between the two places and gradually accumulating wealth before settling in Qixian. During the Yongzheng reign of the Qing dynasty, the fourteenth-generation descendant Qu Baichuan set out “through the Western Pass” on the day of Awakening of Insects. His father handed him a pear and told him that their ancestor had built the family business by trading pears and had endured great hardship; now, as he himself was about to leave through the Western Pass, eating the pear would remind him never to forget his ancestor and to work hard in business so as to bring honor to the family. Qu Baichuan later became wealthy through trade and named the firm he founded “Changyuanhou.” Others traveling through the Western Pass followed the practice of eating pears, giving it the meaning of “leaving home to establish a business.” Later still, eating pears at Awakening of Insects also came to express the wish to “strive and bring honor to one’s ancestors.”

Seasonal health needs. During Awakening of Insects, the weather turns warmer but remains unstable and relatively dry, making people prone to dry mouth, thirst, and physical discomfort. In traditional dietary theory, pears are considered cooling and sweet, with the effects of nourishing yin, clearing the lungs, generating fluids, and relieving thirst, and are believed to ease the discomfort of spring dryness. At this time of year, they are regarded almost like natural sweet dew, soothing internal heat and refreshing the spirit.

Northern farmers eat pears on the day of Awakening of Insects with the meaning of separating from pests. In Shanxi, the custom is observed across both cities and villages despite the saying that customs may differ every ten li. In northern Jiangsu and Shanxi, entire families traditionally eat pears together on this day. The practice is also common throughout Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Qixian, meanwhile, had many households engaged in pear cultivation during the Ming and Qing dynasties and has since developed into a national-level high-quality crisp-pear production base.

In ordinary households, pears are usually eaten whole and raw, often one per person in the morning or after a meal. Because pears are considered cooling, more particular households may prepare them as soups, desserts, or snacks. One example is rock-sugar stewed snow pear: the core is removed from a snow pear, red dates, goji berries, rock sugar, ginger slices, and other ingredients are placed inside, and the fruit is stewed for about thirty minutes. Pears may also be steamed, juiced, or simmered into pear soup. Among vegetarian dishes of Shanxi cuisine is Ganlu Zhong, while another well-known preparation is fried fresh-fruit rolls, made by peeling and shredding apples and pears, mixing them with osmanthus sugar and flour, wrapping the mixture in an oil-based pastry skin, and deep-frying until cooked.

Eating pears at Awakening of Insects carries three principal meanings: first, separation from pests, using the homophony between “梨” and “离” to keep insects away from crops; second, separation from illness, expressing the hope that disease and disaster will remain far away; and third, leaving home to establish a livelihood, a meaning found especially in Shanxi, where the pear preserves the entrepreneurial spirit and family memory of Shanxi merchants who “went through the Western Pass.” A crisp, sweet bite of pear at Awakening of Insects is therefore a gentle act of protection for the spring season.

Stir-fried beans are among the most widespread foods associated with Awakening of Insects, and their central image is “driving insects away through sound.” When spring thunder arrives at this solar term, it is believed to awaken pests from winter dormancy. People therefore stir-fry beans in the hope that the crackling sound will frighten the pests away and protect the crops from damage.

In parts of Shaanxi, people eat stir-fried beans at Awakening of Insects. Soybeans are soaked in brine and then roasted in a wok, producing a loud crackling sound that symbolizes insects jumping and struggling as they are “fried” by the heat. In the past, people imagined the popping of the soybeans as the sound of insects being cooked, and the ritual expressed the wish to drive away the hundred pests. Another interpretation holds that the round shape of soybeans symbolizes good fortune rolling in.

This custom is known as “炒惊蛰” in places such as Dabu, Guangdong. A type of yellow ant lives locally, and whenever it discovers stored sweets in a household, large numbers gather to consume them. Each year on the evening of Awakening of Insects, families therefore roast soybeans or wheat grains, pounding and roasting them repeatedly while chanting: “炒炒炒，炒去黄蚁爪；舂舂舂，舂死黄蚁公。” Folk belief held that doing so could reduce damage from the yellow ants.

In Shandong and other areas, the practice is known as “炒蝎豆”, “stir-frying scorpion beans.” In Weixian, Laizhou, and elsewhere, it is also called “报捷”, a phrase associated by sound with “爆蜇.” It was said that eating the beans would prevent scorpion stings for the entire year. Children would sing while eating: “吃了蝎子爪，蝎子不用打。” Stir-frying scorpion beans thus symbolically meant frying poisonous insects to death and eliminating their harm.

Among Hakka communities, the custom of “stir-frying insects” similarly served the practical symbolic purpose of pest control. In the old Tingzhou region of western Fujian, Hakka families might roast beans or grains, believing that doing so could destroy many kinds of small insects. A folk saying therefore declares: “炒虫炒豸，煞（煮）虫煞豸。” In some ethnic minority regions, people also stir-fry corn kernels during Awakening of Insects, symbolically “eating the insects” and praying for an abundant harvest.

1. Select large, full soybeans and soak them in brine; star anise, fennel, Sichuan pepper, and other spices may be added.
2. After soaking for twenty-four hours, drain and sun-dry the beans.
3. Roast them in a wok until cooked. The finished beans are fragrant, crisp, and flavorful.

Stir-fried beans carry two layers of symbolism. First, driving away pests and harmful forces: the crackling sound of roasting represents insects suffering in the hot wok, symbolically destroying pests and protecting crops. Second, rolling good fortune: the round shape of the soybeans suggests good luck rolling continuously into one’s life. Whether in Shaanxi’s stir-fried beans, Shandong’s scorpion beans, or the Hakka custom of “stir-frying insects,” the central logic is the same: food becomes a ritual medium through which pests are symbolically expelled.

The custom of eating eggs at Awakening of Insects is closely connected with the folk belief known as “祭白虎”, worshipping or propitiating the White Tiger.

In ancient agricultural society, tiger attacks were not uncommon. According to Guangdong legend, the White Tiger, one of the fierce spirits and commonly called Tiger Lord, also came out in search of food at this time of year. It was believed that the White Tiger would appear during Awakening of Insects and that its sharp fangs could injure people; only after it had eaten its fill would it stop harming them. Because the White Tiger was thought to favor eggs, people offered eggs to it during the solar term and prayed for peace and safety. Today, the idea of the White Tiger physically harming people is no longer credible, but the custom of eating eggs at Awakening of Insects has survived.

Statues of the White Tiger used in such rituals usually depict it with open jaws and prominent fangs. Worshippers believed that if it were fed eggs during the ritual and became full, it would no longer harm people. Traditionally, the egg was supposed to be a duck egg. Today, because duck eggs are harder to obtain, Tiger Lord must make do with chicken eggs instead. Through this evolution, the eggs that were originally offered to the White Tiger have become seasonal food eaten by people themselves.

Eating eggs at Awakening of Insects originates in the ancient belief of offering sacrifice to the White Tiger and praying for peace. Feeding eggs to the symbolic tiger represented the removal of danger, especially the threat of tigers, and over time this evolved into a seasonal custom associated with peace and good health. Today, people also eat eggs during Awakening of Insects to cope with the highly changeable weather, since eggs are considered especially nutritious.

In Hakka regions of southern Jiangxi and western Fujian, eating taro is an important custom during Awakening of Insects. On this day, Hakka families boil hairy, unpeeled taro in hot water, symbolizing the elimination of pests.

The Hakka traditionally sought symbolic pest control through practices such as “stir-frying insects,” boiling hairy taro with the skin intact, roasting beans, or roasting grains. Because the hairy appearance of taro resembles rats or caterpillars, eating taro during Awakening of Insects is taken to represent eliminating pests and rodents from the fields, thereby expressing the wish for an abundant harvest.

1. Place hairy, unpeeled taro in hot water and boil until cooked.
2. Remove the skin after cooking.
3. Dip in sugar before eating. According to traditional Chinese medical theory, liver qi is strong in spring and may harm the spleen, so from Awakening of Insects onward people should consume more sweet foods to nourish the spleen.

Taro carries two layers of meaning. First, driving away pests: its hairy exterior resembles caterpillars and rats, so eating taro symbolically eliminates field pests. Second, auspicious reunion: taro has a fine texture and rich nutritional value and, in local culture, symbolizes good fortune and family togetherness. Eating it at Awakening of Insects therefore expresses wishes for family harmony and a happy life.

According to old Beijing custom, people should eat “Lazy Dragon” on the day of Awakening of Insects. The noted Beijing folklore specialist Cui Puquan has explained that the tradition has been passed down for a long time. After Awakening of Insects, people must begin another year of hard work, and legend holds that eating Lazy Dragon can prevent spring drowsiness, dispel seasonal laziness, and help people throw themselves energetically into the work ahead.

Lazy Dragon, also called Meat Dragon or Reclining Dragon, is a steamed flour-based food. It is made by rolling filling inside a long sheet of dough and coiling the roll inside a steaming basket, giving it the appearance of a dragon lying at rest. Because it also resembles a long insect and Awakening of Insects is precisely the time when spring insects begin to stir, the custom of eating it became associated with the solar term. In addition, during the folk festival “二月二，龙抬头”, people also eat Lazy Dragon to “drive away spring laziness” and pray for favorable signs throughout the year.

1. Mix flour with dry yeast dissolved in warm water, knead into a dough, and leave it in a warm place to ferment.
2. Season minced pork with chopped scallion and ginger, oil, salt, soy sauce, Sichuan pepper powder, and other ingredients.
3. Roll the risen dough into a long, thin sheet and spread the filling over it.
4. Roll it into a long cylinder and coil it inside a steamer basket.
5. Steam until cooked, then cut into portions and share among the family.

Lazy Dragon comes in both sweet and savory versions. Sweet fillings may include red bean paste or sesame paste, while the classic savory version uses pork. As it steams, meat juices soak into the dough, creating the desired effect of dough and meat becoming fully integrated.

Lazy Dragon carries two principal meanings. First, driving away spring laziness: after Awakening of Insects, the year’s work begins in earnest, and eating Lazy Dragon is believed to dispel lethargy, remove “lazy qi,” and restore the energy needed to work hard. Second, driving away pests: because the food resembles a long insect and spring insects are just beginning to awaken at this time, eating it also carries a symbolic meaning of eliminating pests. For many Beijing residents, eating Lazy Dragon at Awakening of Insects reflects both respect for the seasonal calendar and a sense of nostalgia for old customs.

In Tianjin, people traditionally eat Lǘdagun (驴打滚) on the day of Awakening of Insects. After the solar term arrives, all things revive, and folk traditions include many activities intended to drive away pests; eating Lǘdagun became one of these seasonal practices. The snack consists of a long roll made from yellow millet dough and filling. Because soybean flour is spread beneath the roll and the finished piece is rolled through the powder before eating, its appearance resembles a donkey rolling on the ground, hence the name “驴打滚”, “donkey rolling.”

The symbolism of Lǘdagun centers on the ideas of “rolling” and “turning one’s fortunes around.” First, the pests die and the people turn their lives around: the word “滚”, “roll,” evokes pests rolling over and dying, expressing a wish for pest-free spring cultivation. Second, a sweet life: its soft, glutinous, fragrant, and sweet texture symbolizes a life filled with sweetness and comfort. Third, a turn of fortune: the idea of rolling also suggests turning over or turning one’s situation around, expressing the wish that the new year will bring changed fortunes and the fulfillment of one’s hopes. Whenever one sees freshly steamed Lǘdagun coated in yellow soybean flour, it becomes clear that the pastry also carries the Beijing-Tianjin hope that “the pests die and the people rise again.”

With the arrival of spring, the pores of the body were traditionally said to open. In some parts of northwestern China, every household drinks laojiu (醪酒) during Awakening of Insects in order to drive out cold accumulated in the body. In the past, people believed that the weather around this solar term was unstable and that the body was therefore especially vulnerable to cold; drinking fermented rice wine was thought to dispel that chill and warm the body. In some parts of Chengdu, every household likewise drinks laojiu during Awakening of Insects for the same purpose.

Laojiu contains carbohydrates, various amino acids, fats, vitamins, calcium, iron, phosphorus, and other nutrients and is traditionally associated with promoting blood circulation, opening the channels, refreshing the mind, and relieving fatigue. After a warm bowl leaves the whole body glowing, one naturally recalls the children’s rhyme: “惊蛰过，暖和和，蛤蟆老角唱山歌。”

Laojiu is a type of rice wine traditionally brewed in local households. In northern China, it is often served one bowl per person: water is brought to the boil, laojiu is added, and beaten egg is stirred into the mixture. If the flavor is not sweet enough, a small amount of sugar may be added. Homemade glutinous-rice wine may also be simmered with small glutinous-rice balls to make laojiu yuanzi, producing a rich and aromatic flavor.

The central symbolism of laojiu is dispelling cold, warming the body, supporting yang, and seasonal health preservation. Awakening of Insects comes when the weather turns warmer but cold still returns unexpectedly, leaving the body vulnerable to chill. Drinking laojiu is traditionally believed to drive out accumulated cold and support yang qi. A warm bowl brings a spreading sense of heat through the body, offering both physical comfort and one of the simplest ways to welcome spring.

In some parts of Shandong, people make griddle-cooked pancakes during Awakening of Insects. In the past, cooking them required lighting a stove, filling the area with both smoke and fire. This was interpreted symbolically as smoking and roasting pests until they disappeared. People believed that making pancakes at Awakening of Insects could smoke the insects in the fields to death and protect crops from damage. In some rural areas, pancakes made on this day were decorated with dragon-scale patterns, while dumplings were shaped with “dragon teeth,” invoking the idea of “the dragon among the people” and expressing hopes for good fortune and peace.

The symbolism of these pancakes lies in smoke, fire, and the expulsion of pests. The very act of lighting the stove and cooking the pancakes becomes a symbolic pest-control ritual: wherever the smoke and flame reach, the insects are imagined to have nowhere to hide.

In some southern regions, eating Chinese toon during Awakening of Insects is also a seasonal custom. Toon trees put forth young shoots around this time, when their flavor is at its freshest. The tender first shoots are considered especially fine.

Chinese toon can be prepared in many ways, most commonly stir-fried with eggs or deep-fried. Its young shoots are tender, richly flavored, and highly aromatic.

Chinese toon is a vegetable herald of spring during Awakening of Insects. Its young shoots emerge around the solar term, and eating them means tasting one of the first fresh flavors of spring, embodying the dietary wisdom of “不时不食”—eat according to the season.