Ham and chicken play important roles in Dog Days cuisine in Hangzhou. Photo provided to Hangzhoufeel
Seasonal treats
By Jin Yingying
The plum rain season bids us farewell on July 11, making way for the Dog Days, or the Sanfu month in Chinese. Get ready for an extra-long stretch of the scorching heat, as it is expected to last for about 40 days this year, from July 11 to August 20, ten days longer than usual.
During this period, the Hangzhou locals will have some seasonal delicacies and seek for the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) therapies for their chronicle diseases.
Sanfu diets to relieve summer heat
Hangzhou is renowned for its rich culinary heritage. There is a local saying that during Toufu (the first ten days of Sanfu), indulge yourself with ham; during the Erfu(the second ten days), enjoy yourself with chicken; during Mofu (the last ten days), savor you the golden and silver hooves."
Whether boiled, stir-fried, or steamed, ham never fails to rouse the appetite that is suppressed by the scorching summer heat. The term "golden and silver hooves" refers to the ham and fresh pig feet stew, as the ham gilds the white pig feet when being cooked. The result is an enticing golden hue for the ham's pig's hooves, while the fresh pig's hooves exhibit a shimmering silver-white appearance.
There is a veggie version of this saying, "During Toufu, enjoy you the wax melons; during Erfu, have some eggplants; during Mofu, indulge yourself with unpeeled pumpkins." It is believed that these juicy vegetables are stomach-soothing, detoxifying, nourishing and vitality boosting.
Treating winter diseases in summer
Summer days are also the time to treat "winter diseases" based on TCM theory of "nourishing yang in spring and summer, nourishing yin in autumn and winter," by taking advantage of the high summer temperatures and abundant yang energy in the body to adjust the balance of yin and yang, achieving the dual purpose of treating the root cause and preventing illness.
Winter diseases may not only refer to respiratory diseases that are more common in winter but also include uncomfortable conditions caused by excessive exposure to wind, coolness, and cold food.
The Sanfu paste, or sanfutie, is a treatment method in TCM that adapts to the characteristics of the four seasons by applying herbal medicine to specific acupoints to promote the flow of meridians, balance yin and yang, alleviate cough and asthma, and harmonize the organs during the "Sanfu" period. Do you want to give it a shot?