Grain Buds Food

The custom of eating bitter herbs during Grain Buds has a long history. The ancient *Book of Zhou* records: “小满之日苦菜秀。” — on the day of Grain Buds, bitter herbs flourish. Bitter herbs were among the earliest wild vegetables eaten by the Chinese. They sprout in autumn, pass through winter and spring, and become edible in early summer, a single vegetable drawing upon “the qi of all four seasons.” The first of the three phenological phases of Grain Buds, “一候苦菜秀” — first, the bitter herbs flourish — is itself a portrait of this food culture.

In the past, Grain Buds arrived during the seasonal interval when old grain stores were running low and the new crop had not yet ripened, yet wild vegetables such as bitter herbs were growing vigorously. Over time, the custom developed of eating wild greens and bitter herbs during Grain Buds. In the old society, when spring brought this difficult interval between harvests, farmers relied on bitter herbs to stave off hunger: “苦苦菜，带苦尝，虽逆口，胜空肠” — bitter herbs taste bitter; though harsh upon the tongue, they are better than an empty stomach. During the Long March, the Red Army also ate bitter herbs to satisfy hunger. According to legend, Wang Baochuan survived by eating bitter herbs for eighteen years in her cold cave dwelling.

Bitter herbs grow throughout China, and methods of preparation differ from region to region. In Ningxia, people like to blanch them to reduce their bitterness and serve them cold, seasoned with salt, vinegar, chili oil, or mashed garlic, producing a dish that is refreshing, spicy, and fragrant. In northern Shaanxi, bitter herbs are blanched and then soaked in cold water for a day before being eaten; cold dressed dishes and stews are common preparations. In some regions, they are pickled in yellow millet broth until they turn yellow, producing a sweet-and-sour flavor. Bitter herbs can also be stir-fried or cooked in soup. In ancient times, when pufferfish came to market, bitter herbs were often served alongside fish milt; during the Song dynasty, Huang Tingjian enjoyed a thick soup made with bitter herbs and yellow chicken.

Bitter herbs carry the dual meanings of clearing heat and internal fire and remembering hardship while appreciating sweetness. A folk saying declares: “春风吹苦菜长，荒滩野地是粮仓。” — when the spring wind blows, bitter herbs grow, and barren fields become granaries. During Grain Buds, a light diet is considered suitable, and eating bitter herbs can help clear heat and internal fire. From “小满食苦，一夏不苦” — eat bitter foods at Grain Buds and summer will bring no bitterness — to the idea of “eating bitterness to welcome sweetness,” bitter herbs are more than a seasonal wild vegetable: they symbolize an attitude toward life — bitterness first, sweetness afterward; when bitterness reaches its end, sweetness arrives.

Eating bitter gourd during Grain Buds is an important expression of the traditional custom of eating “bitter” foods. As one of the representative bitter vegetables, bitter gourd is praised as the “number-one gourd for clearing internal heat.” From Grain Buds onward, the weather becomes noticeably hotter and rainfall increases, making the body more susceptible to damp-heat influences that may cause sensations such as heat in the head, bodily aches, thirst, and abdominal distension. Bitter gourd has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, nourishing the blood and benefiting qi, tonifying the kidneys and strengthening the spleen, nourishing the liver, and brightening the eyes, making it suited to the health needs of the season.

Stuffed bitter gourd embodies the Hakka philosophy of “modest fullness.” As people say: “酿苦瓜就是把这个肉馅一点点塞进去，不要撑破了，把它酿得满满的就叫小满，福气满满。” — when stuffing bitter gourd, the meat filling is placed inside little by little without bursting the gourd; fill it just enough, and that is *Xiaoman* — fullness blessed with good fortune.

Among Hakka people, there is also the saying: “小满食苦，先苦后甜” — at Grain Buds, eat bitterness; bitterness comes first and sweetness follows. The dish is slightly bitter at first, but the fragrance of the meat and a gentle sweetness gradually emerge: “就像我们的日子，把每一天都过得充实满当，盼望着未来能够越来越好、越来越美满，小得盈满就是生活最好的状态。” — just like our lives, we live each day fully and richly, hoping the future will become better and more complete; a modest fullness is the best state of life.

A single stuffed bitter gourd thus contains the wisdom of “modest fullness”: clear bitterness at first, followed by a long sweet aftertaste, carrying the auspicious meaning of bitterness first, sweetness afterward, and sweetness emerging when hardship has passed.

Eating wheat cakes and wheat pastries during Grain Buds is a traditional food custom of southern China. Grain Buds arrives when the wheat is almost, but not yet fully, ripe and the new crop is close to harvest. People use new wheat or flour to make cakes, both as a way of “tasting the new” and as a reminder to eat more staple foods during summer.

This custom is also closely associated with praying for the silkworm harvest. Grain Buds is traditionally regarded as the birthday of the Silkworm Deity. Sericulture has long been widespread in the south, and Grain Buds is a critical period for young silkworms hatching and mulberry leaves growing. To honor the Silkworm Deity and pray for an abundant cocoon harvest, people use rice flour or wheat flour to make wheat cakes and pastries shaped like silkworm cocoons and eat them together.

Rice flour or wheat flour is shaped into wheat cakes or pastries resembling silkworms or cocoons. They are then steamed and eaten, their cocoon-like form symbolizing hopes for an abundant silkworm-cocoon harvest.

Wheat cakes and pastries carry the wish for an abundant silkworm-cocoon harvest. During Grain Buds, “蚕妇煮茧，治车缫丝，昼夜操作” — silkworm women boil cocoons, prepare the reeling wheel, and reel silk day and night. Silk was an important source of clothing material in ancient China, and sericulture was therefore taken extremely seriously. Eating wheat cakes and pastries shaped like cocoons expresses people’s hope that the cocoons will be plentiful and life prosperous.

“小满枇杷半坡黄。” — at Grain Buds, loquats turn half the hillside yellow. Grain Buds is precisely the season when loquats ripen. Loquats are highly seasonal and remain on the market only briefly, so anyone wishing to taste them fresh must seize the moment. At this time, the fruit is sweet and rich in nutrients; it is not only delicious but also beneficial to health. For those wishing to taste the freshness of Grain Buds, loquat is a seasonal fruit not to be missed.

The custom of eating wolfberry shoots during Grain Buds is generally found in Ningxia in northwestern China. At this time of year, wolfberry shoots are growing vigorously and are a vegetable people enjoy eating. Traditional Chinese medicine considers the entire wolfberry shoot plant cool in nature and sweet-bitter in flavor, with the effects of clearing heat and relieving agitation, nourishing yin, and brightening the eyes. It is suitable for treating yin-deficiency fever, wasting-thirst and dry mouth, heat in the palms and soles, liver and kidney deficiency, dry eyes, and toothache caused by deficiency fire.

A common method is to pick the tender wolfberry shoots and cook them directly in soup. They can also be stir-fried with eggs. Cold dressed and lightly stir-fried preparations are equally suitable. The cooking methods are varied, and the shoots are tender and flavorful.

In Hunan, people eat local Ai Jiao and fennel rice around Grain Buds. The custom is associated with warding off harmful influences: people believe that eating Ai Jiao and fennel rice can guard against “龙虫”, dispel miasma, and drive away snakes and insects. Mugwort has long been regarded as a plant capable of warding off evil, while fennel has the effect of warming the middle and dispersing cold. Together, the two accord with the seasonal characteristics of Grain Buds, when damp heat intensifies and snakes and insects become increasingly active.

In Jiangxi, people eat little green dumplings during Grain Buds. Unlike the green dumplings associated with Qingming, those eaten at Grain Buds are smaller and carry a somewhat different meaning: “小满过，盘盘收满” — once Grain Buds has passed, every tray will be gathered full.

Their green color symbolizes vitality and hope, while their small size echoes the name *Xiaoman* itself — nearly full but not overflowing, modestly full and complete. As people eat these small green dumplings, they hope that both the grain in the fields and the blessings of life will be “gathered full, tray after tray.”

During Grain Buds, wheat grows vigorously and produces heavy ears that are approaching the joyful season of harvest. In southern China, few foods are more characteristic of this period than zongzi. Grain Buds falls close to the Dragon Boat Festival, and the custom of eating zongzi has already begun by this time.

There is also a Grain Buds custom of eating wheat zongzi, made by wrapping glutinous rice and wheat grains together, symbolizing abundant harvests of the five grains. In Taiwan, Grain Buds zongzi is a distinctive local variety filled with glutinous rice, red beans, pork, and other ingredients and wrapped in bamboo leaves.

Glutinous rice forms the principal ingredient, combined with various fillings and seasonings, then wrapped in fresh lotus leaves or bamboo leaves. Ingredients are carefully selected, while preparation is straightforward and nutritious. Glutinous rice may be combined with other grains, beans, red dates, or meat before being wrapped and cooked at high temperature. Its sweet, savory, and soft glutinous textures form cherished childhood memories for many people in southern China.

“Tasting the new” is another important food custom of Grain Buds. There is a saying, “小满见三新” — at Grain Buds, one sees three new things: new vegetables, new oil, and new flour. In early summer, fresh peas mature, bright green, soft, and sweet. They are excellent eaten fresh, rich in nutrients, and delicious whether cooked as a dish or made into soup. Lettuce stem, dandelion, and other seasonal vegetables also reach harvest time during Grain Buds.

In some northern regions, wheat that is not yet fully mature is roasted and ground into flour to make “捻转”, a strip-shaped flour food, symbolizing the tasting of the new crop and prayers for blessing. Eating different seasonal foods at different solar terms is not only about tasting freshness, but also about replenishing nutrients and strengthening the body.