Beginning of Autumn Food

The custom of “贴秋膘,” putting on autumn weight, has a long history. According to traditional accounts, it was already popular more than 3,000 years ago during the Zhou dynasty. On the day of Beginning of Autumn, emperors, generals, and high officials would hold rituals to welcome autumn; after the ceremonies, they would feast heartily, regarding this as a way of nourishing the body for the autumn season. This is said to be the origin of the custom.

During the Qing dynasty, it became popular among ordinary people to weigh themselves on the first day of the Fu period and compare their weight with that recorded at Beginning of Summer. Losing weight was known as “苦夏,” the difficult summer. At that time, physical health was often judged simply by whether one was fat or thin, so losing weight naturally meant one needed to “replenish” the body. The remedy was to “restore weight with meat.” For this reason, ordinary households ate stewed meat on Beginning of Autumn, while families with greater means might prepare white-cut pork, red-braised pork, meat-filled dumplings, stewed chicken, stewed duck, braised fish, and other dishes.

The custom of putting on autumn weight is especially widespread in Beijing and Hebei. Old Beijing traditionally favored generous portions of meat to “贴秋膘,” compensating for the losses of summer. Common dishes included white-cut pork, red-braised pork, stewed chicken, stewed pork, and stewed duck. After Beginning of Autumn, Beijingers also enjoyed hotpot-style mutton, which came to be regarded as a ritual marking the arrival of autumn. In Anda, Heilongjiang, noodles are eaten on Beginning of Autumn in a custom called “抢秋膘,” seizing autumn weight; in some other places, eating fruits and meat is known as “填秋膘,” filling out autumn weight. Today, the custom takes even more varied forms, from red-braised pork to mutton hotpot, from stewed chicken to roast duck—all serving as modern ways of “adding autumn weight with meat.”

The core meaning of putting on autumn weight is compensating for the difficult summer and storing energy. During the heat of summer, appetite declines and body weight may decrease. Once the weather cools after Beginning of Autumn, appetite returns, and meat is eaten to restore nutrition and strength and prepare the body for the coming autumn and winter. The custom reflects the Chinese health wisdom of following the rhythms of Heaven: spring brings birth, summer growth, autumn harvest, and winter storage; Beginning of Autumn marks the start of the season of “gathering in.”

The custom of “biting autumn” is said to have originated in Nanjing during the Ming dynasty. According to tradition, people once ate watermelon to cure a skin ailment known as 癞痢疮, and the practice gradually evolved into the custom of eating melons at Beginning of Autumn. The Qing-dynasty text 《津门杂记》 records: “立秋之时食瓜，曰咬秋，可免腹泻。” The Republican-era 《首都志》 likewise states: “立秋前一日，食西瓜，谓之啃秋。”

During the Qing period, people placed melons, steamed preserved eggplant, fragrant glutinous soup, and other foods in the courtyard overnight on the day before Beginning of Autumn and ate them the next day. Over time, eating seasonal melons and fruits became an important solar-term food custom. The practice differed noticeably between town and countryside: farmers often gathered in groups to share fruit and melons, while urban residents commonly sat together as a family.

Biting autumn takes different forms and carries different meanings from region to region:

* Tianjin: People eat watermelon or muskmelon on Beginning of Autumn and call it “咬秋.” The act symbolically “bites hold” of the oppressive heat just as autumn arrives. Tianjin folk tradition also holds that eating melon on this day can prevent diarrhea.
* Jiangsu: Watermelon is eaten on Beginning of Autumn to “bite autumn,” and tradition says it can help prevent autumn heat rash.
* Zhejiang: Watermelon is eaten together with Shaojiu on Beginning of Autumn, traditionally believed to prevent malaria.
* Beijing: There is a custom expressed in the saying “春吃萝卜秋吃瓜.”

Urban residents may simply buy a watermelon on Beginning of Autumn and gather around it as a family—this is “啃秋.” Among farmers, however, the practice is much more exuberant. In melon sheds or beneath the shade of trees, people sit on the ground in small groups, holding red-fleshed watermelons, green-fleshed muskmelons, pale sweet potatoes, or golden ears of corn and eating them heartily. What “gnawing autumn” ultimately expresses is the joy of harvest.

Biting autumn carries the dual meanings of dispelling summer heat and warding off illness and welcoming autumn. People traditionally believed that eating watermelon at Beginning of Autumn could help them remain healthy throughout autumn and avoid diarrhea in winter and the following spring. At the same time, the act of biting autumn symbolizes “biting hold” of summer’s tail while welcoming the coolness of the new season. A crisp, sweet bite of watermelon on Beginning of Autumn is both a farewell to summer and a greeting to autumn.

In Jinhua, Zhejiang, Beginning of Autumn is associated with the custom of eating Cooling Cake. What is it? Sweet potato starch is cooked into a thick paste, poured into a bowl, and left overnight until it sets into a solid piece by the following morning. From a distance, it resembles a rounded, translucent piece of white jade. It is then cut into small pieces and seasoned with white sugar, vinegar, and mint, producing a cool, refreshing, sweet-and-sour flavor that stimulates the appetite. Some people particularly enjoy adding extra vinegar; outsiders may find the combination unusual, but for people in Jinhua it has a distinctive charm.

Cooling Cake serves the practical purpose of relieving residual summer heat and stimulating the appetite. Around Beginning of Autumn, the so-called “autumn tiger” can still bring intense heat. A piece of Cooling Cake both eases the lingering warmth of late summer and helps awaken an appetite dulled by the heat, reflecting Jinhua’s distinctive food wisdom at the transition between summer and autumn.

In earlier times, eating autumn peaches was popular around Hangzhou. On Beginning of Autumn, adults and children alike ate one peach each and saved the pit after finishing the fruit. On New Year’s Eve, the pits were thrown into the stove and burned to ashes, which people believed could protect the household from epidemics for the coming year. The custom cleverly links two points in the annual cycle—Beginning of Autumn and New Year’s Eve—and reflects the distinctive Chinese practice of entrusting blessings to food.

Autumn peaches carry the auspicious meaning of praying for blessings and dispelling misfortune. The fruit is rich in flavor and nutrition and is traditionally associated with auspiciousness. Saving the peach pit until New Year’s Eve and then burning it symbolizes burning away the disasters and epidemics of the year. A single autumn peach thus stretches symbolically from Beginning of Autumn to New Year’s Eve, crossing half the year and carrying deep hopes for health and peace.

Beginning of Autumn falls during the height of the longan season. In Taiwan, Fujian, Guangdong, and other parts of southern China, eating longan at this time is a traditional custom. In Minnan-speaking regions, longan is also called “福圆,” or Fuyuan. People believed that eating longan at Beginning of Autumn could bring success to future generations and help descendants attain high official rank. A folk saying declares: “食福圆生子生孙中状元。” Longans grow in clusters, symbolizing flourishing descendants; each fruit is round, full, sweet, and fragrant, also representing reunion, harmony, and a sweet life.

Longan carries the auspicious wishes of abundant blessings and flourishing descendants. It is both a seasonal fruit of Beginning of Autumn and an auspicious symbol bearing the hopes of the family—“吃了龙眼肉，子孙必做大官”. A single sweet longan expresses the heartfelt wish that the family prosper and future generations achieve success.

In northern China, eating dumplings at Beginning of Autumn is an important seasonal custom. In the northeast, households generally eat dumplings or steamed buns, calling the practice “抢秋膘,” seizing autumn weight. People jokingly say that if you steal a dumpling from someone else’s bowl, you will become strong and sturdy in autumn and make up for the nourishment lost during summer. This playful act of “stealing” dumplings reflects both the straightforward character and the lively humor traditionally associated with northeastern life. In Shandong, families make dumplings on Beginning of Autumn and call the custom “咬秋,” first offering them to the ancestors and praying for an abundant grain harvest before sitting together as a family to eat.

Dumplings carry the dual meanings of harvest abundance and physical strength. Their shape resembles ancient silver ingots and therefore symbolizes prosperity and plenty. In the northeast, eating dumplings at Beginning of Autumn also carries the meaning of “seizing autumn weight”—taking another person’s “weight” for oneself, becoming stronger, and replenishing the nutrition lost during the difficult summer. A steaming bowl of dumplings is both a ritual of welcoming autumn and a way of storing strength for the cooler season ahead.

A folk saying declares: “立夏栽茄子，立秋吃茄子。” Beginning of Autumn is considered an ideal time for eating eggplant. According to folk custom, on the day before Beginning of Autumn people placed melons, steamed preserved eggplant, fragrant glutinous soup, and other foods in the courtyard overnight, then ate them the following day, traditionally believing this to have health benefits. Eggplants harvested in early autumn are known as “autumn eggplants.” They are prized for their distinctive fragrance, tender texture, and flavor considered superior to that of ordinary eggplants.

Eggplant embodies the health wisdom of reducing internal heat and relieving autumn dryness. Traditionally, eating eggplant at Beginning of Autumn is believed to reduce “fire” and ease dryness. Eggplant is also said to clear heat, stop bleeding, reduce inflammation, and relieve pain. Alongside the meat-heavy tradition of putting on autumn weight, eggplant is sometimes regarded as a vegetable substitute because of its meaty texture and savory flavor. Cold-dressed eggplant and steamed preserved eggplant are light and non-greasy, while eggplant cooked together with meat can cut through richness and add aroma, making it an elegant finishing touch to the Beginning of Autumn table.

In Laixi, Shandong, people traditionally eat a dish called “渣” at Beginning of Autumn. It is a type of soft bean curd dish made from ground beans and leafy greens. A folk saying goes: “吃了立秋的渣，大人孩子不呕也不拉。” The custom closely connects food with health and reflects the simple folk belief in “food and medicine sharing the same origin.”

“Zha” carries the auspicious meaning of health and safety. The combination of ground beans and greens is light and easy to digest, fitting the need to regulate the stomach and intestines during the transition from summer to autumn. The saying “不呕也不拉” expresses the heartfelt hope that both adults and children will pass safely and healthily through the change of seasons.

In eastern and western Sichuan, there is a custom of drinking “Beginning of Autumn Water.” At the exact moment of Beginning of Autumn, every member of the family, young and old, drinks a cup of water. Tradition holds that this can clear away accumulated summer heat and prevent stomach troubles during autumn.

Beginning of Autumn Water carries the health wish of dispelling summer heat and preventing illness. Drinking a cup of plain water at the precise seasonal turning point symbolizes washing away the accumulated heat of summer and welcoming autumn in a refreshed state.

Since the Tang and Song dynasties, people in China have observed the custom of swallowing small red beans with autumn water at Beginning of Autumn. In Yiwu, Zhejiang, this practice remains particularly associated with the solar term. Seven to fourteen small red beans are swallowed with well water while facing west, because west is traditionally regarded as the direction corresponding to autumn in the Five Elements system. It is said that doing so can prevent dysentery during autumn.

Eating small red beans embodies the health wisdom of preventing illness and dispelling disease. Small red beans are traditionally associated with promoting urination, reducing swelling, removing toxins, and draining pus, while swallowing them with clear well water adds another sense of purity and freshness. Facing west while taking them corresponds to the traditional association of autumn with Metal in the Five Elements and with the western direction, reflecting the Chinese philosophical idea of following the rhythms of Heaven.