What are the characteristics of the Bailu solar term? What are the customs of Bailu?

The White Dew solar term is between September 7th and 9th. There are some beautiful customs on this day. For example, old Nanjing people are very fond of "White Dew Tea". At this time, the tea trees have gone through the hot summer, and it is an excellent period for growth around the White Dew. White Dew tea is neither as fresh and tender as spring tea, nor as dry and bitter as summer tea. Instead, it has a unique sweet and refreshing fragrance, which is especially loved by old tea drinkers.

Contents of this article

1. What are the characteristics of the Bailu solar term?

2. What are the customs of Bailu?

3. White Dew Festival Health Recipe

What are the characteristics of Bailu solar term?

The White Dew solar term is between September 7 and 9. During the White Dew solar term, rainfall decreases, sunlight is sufficient, the climate is mild, and the temperature difference between day and night is large, which is very suitable for the growth of vegetable crops. We must seize the favorable opportunity to plant and manage field open-field and autumn and winter vegetable facilities well, and also do a good job in raising seedlings of winter vegetable protected land.

What are the customs of Bailu?

Picking Dates

Farmers start harvesting dates around the time of White Dew. Most of the time, they use bamboo poles to hit the dates, but the force should be gentle to reduce the damage to the date trees, otherwise the yield of the date trees will be worrying next year. The old people vividly call this "beating the deaf". The skill of hitting the dates is to hit the big branches a few times at first to shake some of the dates off. For those that have not fallen off, use the pole to stroke along the direction of the branch growth, similar to stroking.

The three main principles of picking dates are: first, to protect the date trees; second, to pick the dates cleanly; and third, to make the dates fall under the shade of the trees. The dates cannot be hit too far away, otherwise they will be lost.

Eat longan

In Fuzhou, Fujian, people eat longan as a tonic on the day of Bailu, because longan itself has many benefits, such as invigorating qi and spleen, nourishing blood and calming nerves, moisturizing skin and beautifying, and can also treat anemia, insomnia, neurasthenia and many other diseases. Moreover, longan before Bailu is large, with small core and sweet taste, so it is not surprising that eating fresh longan is popular.

White Dew Tea

Old Nanjing people are very fond of "Bai Lu tea". At this time, the tea trees have gone through the hot summer, and the period around Bai Lu is the best time for growth. Bai Lu tea is neither as fresh and tender as spring tea, nor as dry and bitter as summer tea. Instead, it has a unique sweet and refreshing fragrance, which is especially loved by old tea drinkers.

Brewing rice wine

Old Nanjing people from southern Jiangsu and Zhejiang have the custom of brewing their own Bailu rice wine. In the old days, when Bailu arrived every year, every family in the countryside in Jiangsu and Zhejiang would brew wine to entertain guests.

White Dew Festival Health Recipe

1. Kumquat and radish drink: 5 kumquats, 1/2 radish, and appropriate amount of honey. Wash the kumquats, remove the seeds, and mash them. Wash the radish, cut it into strips, and squeeze out the juice. Mix the kumquat puree and radish juice, add honey and mix well. It has the benefits of soothing the liver and regulating qi, clearing dryness and moistening the lungs.

2. Coix seeds and water chestnut porridge: 50g coix seeds, 150g water chestnut, 100g brown glutinous rice, 5g tangerine peel. First chop the water chestnut, put it in a casserole, add water and cook, then put it in cold water, then remove the shell and take out the meat, grind it into rice grains for later use. Soak and wash coix seeds and glutinous rice. Put the washed glutinous rice into a casserole with boiling water and boil it, then simmer it over low heat, add coix seeds and tangerine peel, and when the rice is cooked until it blooms, add water chestnuts and cook until the rice is very soft and the porridge is thick. It has the benefits of soothing the liver and relieving depression, strengthening the spleen and replenishing qi.

3. Lotus seed and Poria cocos cake: 500g each of lotus seed, Poria cocos and Ophiopogon japonicus, appropriate amount of sugar and osmanthus. Grind lotus seed, Poria cocos and Ophiopogon japonicus into fine powder, add sugar and osmanthus, mix well, and steam the cake with water and flour. It has the benefits of nourishing yin, moistening dryness, calming the mind and strengthening the spleen.

4. Tremella, wolfberry, lotus seeds and jujube soup: 100g each of Tremella, wolfberry, jujube and lotus seeds. Add water and cook into a paste. It has the benefits of detoxification, nourishing yin and calming the mind.

5. Stewed lean meat with figs: 10 figs, 250g lean meat, 15g Chinese yam, 10g lily. Wash the lean meat, cut it into pieces, wash the figs, Chinese yam and lily, put them into a casserole, add appropriate amount of water, boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for about 2 hours, add refined salt and it is done. It has the benefits of clearing heat and moistening the lungs, strengthening the spleen and regulating qi.