Minor Snow Customs

There is a folk tradition summed up in the phrase “冬腊风腌，蓄以御冬” — curing food in the winter wind and storing it against the cold. During Light Snow, temperatures fall sharply and the weather becomes dry, making it an ideal time for preparing cured meat, sausages, and pickled vegetables. Households begin pickling and air-drying vegetables and meat: in the north, Chinese cabbage, potherb mustard, and radishes are commonly pickled, while in the south there is greater emphasis on cured pork, sausages, and preserved fish. Meat and vegetables stored by traditional methods are then ready to be enjoyed around the Spring Festival.

In northern China, Chinese cabbage is the most common pickled vegetable. The cabbages are washed, stacked inside large jars, salted layer by layer, packed tightly, and weighed down with stones, allowing them to ferment slowly under the action of the salt until they become a staple of the winter table. Potherb mustard is another common northern pickle and is often chopped and stir-fried with soybeans for a salty, appetizing dish. Southern cured meats involve more elaborate preparation: carefully selected pork belly is rubbed repeatedly with salt, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, and other spices, left to cure for several days, then hung to dry in the air. When the meat becomes firm and slightly translucent and the fat begins to emerge, the cured flavor has reached its richest state. Hunan cured pork develops its intense character through smoking, while Guangdong cured meats favor the clean sweetness of natural sun-drying. In Sichuan, chili and Sichuan pepper are often added during curing to create a numbing and spicy flavor. Preserving meat and vegetables in these traditional ways not only solved the problem of winter shortages but also created distinctive tastes that became part of the Chinese sensory memory of “the flavor of home.” As the saying goes: “小雪腌菜，大雪腌肉” — pickle vegetables at Light Snow and cure meat at Heavy Snow.

The history of pickling vegetables and curing meat is extremely ancient. The *Rites of Zhou* already records the office of the Hai Ren, officials responsible for preserved foods, showing that the Zhou court had specialized positions devoted to curing and pickling. The *Book of Songs · Bei Feng · Pao You Ku Ye* contains the line “我有旨蓄，亦以御冬” — I have fine stores, enough to withstand the winter. The Han-dynasty *Monthly Ordinances for the Four Classes of People* also records: “九月藏茈姜、蘘荷，作葵菹、干葵” — in the ninth month, store purple ginger and myoga and prepare pickled and dried mallow. The term “旨蓄” refers to preserved vegetables, showing that early communities had already mastered the wisdom of winter storage: food was preserved during seasons of abundance in preparation for scarcity during winter. Low temperatures and low humidity around Light Snow make cured foods less prone to spoilage, and the custom reflects the precision with which the ancients observed natural laws and used environmental conditions to improve everyday life.

During Light Snow, Chinese cabbage, radishes, potherb mustard, and other vegetables can be purchased from local markets and pickled at home. Many northern households still preserve the tradition of pickling cabbage and potherb mustard around this time. In southern China, cured pork and sausages can be bought or prepared at home. This is one of the most accessible Light Snow customs.

Around Light Snow, fishermen in coastal regions begin drying fish. Schools of mullet arrive in the Taiwan Strait around this time, along with swordfish, sharks, and other species. Along the coasts of central and southern Taiwan, fishermen dry their catches into preserved fish for use as an important winter food reserve. Dried fish is not only a source of income but also carries the auspicious symbolism of “surplus every year.”

Drying fish is a craft that requires care. Freshly caught fish are opened, cleaned, salted, and left to dry naturally in the sun. Sea wind and sunlight gradually remove moisture from the flesh while concentrating and preserving its savory flavor. In some places, fish are first marinated with sugar, wine, and spices before being dried, producing more complex flavors. Finished dried fish can be steamed, simmered in soup, or stir-fried and remains an indispensable source of marine flavor on the winter tables of coastal communities.

The custom of drying fish developed alongside coastal fishing and has a long history. Before refrigeration, drying was one of the most effective ways to preserve seafood. Around Light Snow, temperatures fall, humidity decreases, and sea winds grow stronger, creating ideal conditions for drying fish. The custom reflects the rational use of marine resources by coastal communities and their sensitive understanding of natural conditions. Along the coasts of central and southern Taiwan, drying fish has long been a winter production practice passed down through generations of fishing families.

During Light Snow, visitors can travel to coastal areas of Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, and elsewhere to observe scenes of fish drying. Some fishing villages are open to visitors, who can learn about the process and purchase dried fish to taste. Dried fish can also be bought at markets as a “gift carried by the sea breeze.”

Around Light Snow, Tujia communities begin the annual custom of “slaughtering the New Year pig and welcoming the New Year.” At this time, the freshest pork, still carrying the warmth of slaughter, is carefully cooked into Paotang, bringing a lively atmosphere to the cold winter season. Slaughtering the New Year pig is an important household ritual for the Tujia, serving not only to store meat for winter but also as a major occasion for relatives and friends to gather.

Eating Paotang is a Tujia custom. Freshly slaughtered pork, pig blood, and offal are cooked together with seasonal vegetables such as Chinese cabbage and radishes in one large pot, producing a rich broth and tender meat. Neighbors are invited to share the meal, sitting together, raising cups, and enjoying the warmth of company. Eating Paotang signifies that the old year is nearing its end and a new one is about to begin. The custom not only provides a solution for winter meat storage but also strengthens ties and mutual assistance within the community. The Tujia have a saying: “When the New Year pig cries, the New Year is near.” The bustle of slaughtering the New Year pig at Light Snow is one of the most human and convivial openings to winter.

The Tujia custom of slaughtering the New Year pig has a long history and is closely linked to Tujia agricultural culture and traditions of community mutual support. In a self-sufficient farming society, raising pigs was an important household sideline and source of meat. As temperatures fall around Light Snow and pork becomes easier to preserve, this is an appropriate time for slaughter. The custom brings together seasonal timing, agricultural production, and community ties, reflecting the wisdom and warmth with which Tujia people supported one another and lived together under difficult conditions.

During Light Snow, visitors can travel to Tujia-inhabited regions to experience a Paotang feast. Local farming households often invite relatives and friends to share Paotang around this time, and visitors may have opportunities to join. It is advisable to check specific arrangements in advance through local cultural and tourism authorities.

Brewing wine during Light Snow has been a tradition since ancient times. By this point, the autumn harvest is complete and the grain has entered storage, making newly harvested grain readily available for brewing. Wine made after Light Snow was traditionally known as “Light Snow wine.” The water at this time is exceptionally clear, said to rival melted snow. Since brewing depends heavily on water quality, the cold weather, slower flow, and reduced impurities of Light Snow produce water that is particularly clear and sweet. Wine brewed with such water is clear in appearance, mellow in taste, and can be stored until the following year, retaining a pure color and crisp flavor.

After being stored until the next year, Light Snow wine becomes clear, crisp, and especially pleasant to drink. Together with spring brewing at Beginning of Spring, summer brewing at Beginning of Summer, and autumn brewing at Beginning of Autumn, it forms part of the traditional Chinese seasonal system of brewing. In Zhejiang, some breweries begin production around Light Snow, using newly harvested glutinous rice, sorghum, and other grains and following traditional methods. The finished wine is sealed in jars, buried underground or stored in cellars, then opened and drunk the following spring or during important festivals.

The custom of brewing at Light Snow has a long history. The *Book of Songs · July* records: “八月剥枣，十月获稻，为此春酒，以介眉寿” — dates are harvested in the eighth month, rice in the tenth, and spring wine is made from it to pray for longevity. The ancients considered the water quality during Light Snow to be at its best and therefore especially suitable for brewing. The custom closely joins the seasonal calendar with brewing techniques and reflects the Chinese wisdom of “following Heaven and responding to the proper time.” Xiaogan had already begun brewing xiaomajiu, the predecessor of Xiaogan rice wine, during the Song dynasty; in Anji, Zhejiang, every household traditionally brewed Anji rice wine.

During Light Snow, visitors can travel to Zhejiang and other regions to observe the brewing process. Some breweries open to the public around the solar term. Rice wine can also be made at home with glutinous rice and fermentation starter: steam the rice, mix in the starter, seal it for fermentation, and after several days a homemade Light Snow wine can be tasted. This is one of the most direct ways to experience traditional seasonal brewing culture.

In some parts of southern China, there is also a custom of eating ciba, glutinous-rice cakes, during the tenth lunar month. Ciba are made by steaming glutinous rice and pounding it into a paste and are popular across many regions of southern China. In ancient times, they were traditional festival offerings in the south and were originally used by farmers as offerings to the Ox Deity. The folk saying “十月朝，糍粑禄禄烧” refers precisely to this sacrificial custom.

The process of making ciba is elaborate. Carefully selected glutinous rice is washed clean, thoroughly steamed, and while still hot poured into a stone mortar, where several strong workers take turns pounding it with wooden pestles until the grains completely merge into a fine, elastic mass. The finished ciba can be pinched into small pieces and rolled in sesame powder and crushed peanuts, or pressed into round cakes and pan-fried until golden on both sides, crisp outside and soft and glutinous within. Their round shape symbolizes reunion and a plentiful harvest. Freshly cooked ciba have crisp golden surfaces and a rich fragrance of rice. In southern regions, households make ciba around Light Snow, using them both as offerings to the gods and as foods to share with relatives and friends.

The custom of eating ciba has ancient roots. They were originally offerings to the Ox Deity in southern China and gradually became important foods for festivals and solar terms. The saying “十月朝，糍粑禄禄烧” shows that the custom of using ciba in sacrifice around the first day of the tenth lunar month, the Cold Clothes Festival, had already become widespread. Their preparation reflects the value working people placed on food: repeatedly pounding simple glutinous rice until it becomes a delicate, dense delicacy is itself a form of everyday wisdom that “turns the ordinary into the extraordinary.”

During Light Snow, visitors can travel to Hakka regions of southern China to taste ciba. Local farming households often make them around this time, allowing visitors to observe the lively pounding process and taste the finished cakes. A simple version can also be made at home with glutinous-rice flour: mix the flour with water, steam the dough, knead until smooth, and serve with sesame sugar.

In northern China, Light Snow is an ideal time for mutton hotpot. Mutton is warm in nature and has the effects of nourishing deficiency, resisting cold, and warming qi and blood. As the weather grows colder after Light Snow, people gather around steaming copper pots, briefly swish thin slices of mutton through boiling broth, dip them in sesame sauce, and eat them hot, warming the body from stomach to heart. The custom is both a response to cold weather and one of the warmest forms of winter social life.

There is a northern saying: “Eat mutton during Light Snow and you will not fear the cold in winter.” People believe that mutton warms the center, nourishes deficiency, stimulates the appetite, and strengthens the body, making it an excellent food for resisting winter cold. Mutton hotpot is therefore more than a dish; it is a winter ritual of everyday life. Family members or several close friends gather around the pot, charcoal glowing red and broth bubbling with the fragrance of meat, while cold winds howl outside and the room remains warm as spring.

The custom of eating mutton in winter has long existed in northern China. Traditional Chinese medicine considers mutton warm in nature, with the effects of benefiting qi, nourishing deficiency, warming the center, and warming the lower body, making it especially suitable for cold winters. The method of swishing mutton in hot broth originated among Mongol people during the Yuan dynasty and entered both courtly and popular cuisine during the Qing, gradually becoming one of the most representative winter eating styles of northern China. As temperatures fall sharply around Light Snow, eating mutton hotpot both dispels cold and warms the body while providing nourishment and supporting qi.

During Light Snow, mutton hotpot can be enjoyed at northern Chinese hotpot restaurants. Copper-pot mutton hotpot in Beijing and Inner Mongolia is especially representative. It can also be prepared at home with a clear broth, fresh sliced mutton, sesame sauce, chive-flower sauce, fermented bean curd, and other condiments, shared around the table with family.

In Hakka tradition, Light Snow is an important season for brewing Hakka niang wine, a sweet wine made from glutinous rice. Hakka communities consider the water at Light Snow to be especially pure and the climate suitable for fermentation, producing particularly fragrant and mellow wine. A Hakka saying goes: “小雪酒，藏到冬，越藏越香浓。” — Light Snow wine stored into winter grows richer and more fragrant the longer it rests. The finished niang wine is sealed in jars and kept until the New Year or a family celebration, when the jar is opened and the fragrance fills the air. Niang wine can be drunk directly and is also used in cooking; the famous Hakka dish niang wine chicken is a nourishing dish prepared with it.

Hakka niang wine has a long brewing history closely connected with the history of Hakka migration southward. Throughout long periods of migration and settlement, Hakka communities accumulated extensive brewing experience and developed their own distinctive traditions. Brewing wine at Light Snow reflects the Hakka wisdom of “following Heaven and responding to the proper time” and forms an important part of Hakka food culture.

During Light Snow, visitors can travel to Hakka regions to taste niang wine. Local farming households often brew it around this time, allowing visitors to learn about the process and sample the finished wine.

In some rural areas, Light Snow is also associated with a tradition of praying for snow. Farmers hope to see snowflakes on this day and believe that snowfall during Light Snow foretells favorable weather and abundant grain in the coming year: “小雪雪满天，来年必丰年” — if the sky is full of snow at Light Snow, the coming year will surely be abundant. Auspicious snow can not only freeze and kill overwintering pests but also provide sufficient water for winter wheat. The saying “小雪不见雪，来年长工歇” expresses the opposite idea — if there is no snow at Light Snow, drought and a poor harvest may follow, leaving even hired farmhands without work. By observing snowfall during Light Snow, people sought to predict the harvest of the year ahead.

The tradition of praying for snow arose from agricultural society’s dependence on winter snowfall. Snow cover is especially important for overwintering crops such as winter wheat: the layer of snow acts like a quilt, protecting crops from frost damage, while meltwater provides an important source of moisture for spring growth. As the earliest solar term whose name contains the character for “snow,” Light Snow was regarded as an initial sign from which the prospects of the coming agricultural year could be read. The custom reflects the farming experience accumulated through long observation and the straightforward outlook of those whose livelihoods depended on the weather.

On the day of Light Snow, simply watch the weather. If snow falls, enjoy the beauty of the first snow. This is one of the simplest and purest ways to experience the solar term.

In addition to pickling vegetables, northern China also has a tradition of storing large quantities of fresh vegetables for winter around Light Snow. Chinese cabbage, potatoes, radishes, scallions, and other vegetables that keep well are purchased in bulk and stacked in vegetable cellars, on balconies, or in corridors, becoming a family’s source of vegetables and vitamins throughout the winter. Before the age of greenhouse-grown produce, preparing winter vegetables was one of the most important household tasks before winter. Today, although supermarkets provide fruits and vegetables year-round, many older people still preserve the habit of storing winter vegetables. Rows of neatly stacked cabbages are both a form of practical wisdom accumulated over generations and a distinctive winter scene in northern China.

The tradition of storing winter vegetables is closely connected with the long, cold winters of northern China and the historical scarcity of fresh produce during the season. Before greenhouses became common, winter vegetables were a material guarantee that families could safely make it through the cold months. Around Light Snow, temperatures fall to around freezing, creating the best time to place winter vegetables into storage. The custom reflects the survival wisdom and everyday art that northern communities developed through long experience under harsh natural conditions.

During Light Snow, Chinese cabbage, potatoes, radishes, and other vegetables can be purchased at local markets and stored on a balcony or in a cool place at home. Many northern families still preserve this tradition, and methods can also be learned through conversations with neighbors.

Different regions have their own food traditions for seasonal nourishment during Light Snow. In the north, mutton hotpot and dumplings are common. In the south, local produce shapes distinctive practices: in Lingnan, people prepare warming soups to regulate the body; Nanjing has the saying “小雪腌菜，大雪腌肉” — pickle vegetables at Light Snow and cure meat at Heavy Snow — and people begin preparing potherb mustard, dried radish, and other preserved foods; in Sichuan, spicy warming foods such as hotpot and skewers are popular; in Zhejiang, people eat mutton and drink rice wine. North or south, the food of Light Snow revolves around a single idea: warmth — warming the body, warming the stomach, and warming the heart.

The custom of nourishing the body during Light Snow comes from the traditional Chinese medical principle of “nourishing yin in autumn and winter.” As cold intensifies during Light Snow, the body requires more energy to resist low temperatures. Different regions developed distinctive forms of nourishment according to local produce and climate, reflecting the dietary wisdom of adapting to local conditions.

On Light Snow, choose foods suited to the region: mutton hotpot and dumplings in the north, soups, hotpot, rice wine, and other seasonal foods in the south. This is one of the easiest Light Snow customs to take part in.