🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Every year on January 5th or 6th, when the sun reaches 285° of ecliptic longitude, it marks the "Minor Cold," and today happens to be this solar term. According to *Monthly Ordinances: Seventy-Two Solar Terms Collection*, "The twelfth month is a seasonal period; at the beginning of the month, cold is still mild, hence the name 'Minor Cold'; by mid-month, it becomes 'Major Cold.' After Minor Cold passes, northern regions enter the 'walking on ice' period of the three nine-cold days, marking the coldest season in the north. Beijing's average temperature generally hovers around -5°C, and in colder years, it can drop as low as -15°C.
Folk sayings go: "Minor Cold, Major Cold, freezing into a solid block." In ancient times, farmers across the Yellow River region would traditionally use the "Nine-Nine Cold-Defying Chart" during Minor Cold to ward off cold. Nowadays, various modern trends have dulled the excitement surrounding seasonal transitions. In bustling cities, no one specifically celebrates Minor Cold, but meals are still eaten and soups still drunk. As our ancestors said: "Supplementing through the three nine-cold days ensures no illness throughout the following year."
Our bodies, having endured three consecutive seasons of consumption—spring, summer, and autumn—have been worn down by work and daily struggles. The winter, with its frozen earth, is naturally a time to enjoy the fruits of labor. Shouldn't we nourish ourselves then? We should. Thus, when Minor Cold blankets the land, our bodies, having labored all year, long for tonification, rest, smooth qi and blood circulation, and abundant body fluids. Nothing seems more direct than a clay pot brimming with warm, delicious, steamy, richly fragrant nourishing soup. Prepare a few classic yet simple nourishing soups for yourself and loved ones, allowing your heart and body to savor warmth and nourishment in this cold weather, while dreaming of the next spring.
Shan Yao Lamb and Goji Berry Soup
Ingredients: 500g lamb, 150g Shan Yao (Chinese yam), about ten high-quality goji berries, appropriate amounts of ginger, green onion, pepper, Shaojiu (Chinese cooking wine), and salt.
Method: Wash lamb, cut into chunks, blanch in boiling water to remove blood residue; wash ginger and green onion, crush with a knife; soak Shan Yao slices in water, then combine with lamb in a pot, add sufficient water, place all seasonings in, but add salt only before serving; bring to boil over high heat, then simmer gently until tender.
Efficacy: Tonifies spleen and stomach, benefits lungs and kidneys.
Lotus Root, Jujube, Octopus, and Pork Tail Soup
Ingredients: 500g lotus root, 4 jujubes, 1 dried octopus, 50g mung beans, 500g pork tail meat.
Method: Remove seeds from jujubes, rinse mung beans, soak briefly in water; clean dried octopus, soak in warm water for half an hour; wash lotus root, remove joints, cut into chunks; wash pork tail, blanch in boiling water to remove blood residue, then combine all ingredients in a clay pot, start with high heat, then simmer gently for two and a half hours, add appropriate salt to finish.
Efficacy: Nourishing without drying, moistening without greasiness, richly flavorful, beneficial for strengthening vital energy, nourishing blood, strengthening bones, and moisturizing skin.
Wild Mountain Mushroom and Black-Boned Chicken Soup
Ingredients: 10g black fungus, 20g dried shiitake mushrooms, 50g fresh white mushrooms, 50g water chestnuts, 150g carrots, half a black-boned chicken (~250g), a pinch of refined salt.
Method: Soak black fungus and shiitake mushrooms separately in water until soft, then wash thoroughly; wash white mushrooms; peel and wash carrots, cut into chunks; peel and wash water chestnuts, halve them; wash chicken, cut into pieces; place chicken, black fungus, shiitake mushrooms, and carrots into a clay pot, add water, bring to boil, then simmer gently for one hour; add white mushrooms and water chestnuts, bring to boil again over high heat, then simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, adjust with refined salt.
Efficacy: Can be consumed 2–3 times per week; tonifies qi and nourishes yin, resolves stasis and promotes circulation, beneficial for heart health.
Cordyceps, Cinnamon, and Jujube Chicken Soup
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken, 3g Cordyceps sinensis, 6g dried longan flesh, 8 jujubes, appropriate amounts of refined salt and monosodium glutamate.
Method: Wash chicken and Cordyceps with warm water; remove seeds from jujubes, place together with Cordyceps and longan flesh inside the chicken cavity, then put the chicken into a clay pot, add water, simmer gently for about 3 hours, add salt and MSG to taste.
Efficacy: Warmly tonifies spleen and kidney, dispels cold and strengthens yang. Suitable for those with aversion to cold, cold hands and feet, and other sub-health conditions; especially beneficial for those also suffering from impotence, premature ejaculation, or lower back and knee pain.
Apricot Kernel and Pig Lung Soup
Ingredients: 10g apricot kernels, 250g pig lung, appropriate amounts of ginseng and angelica, salt and MSG as needed.
Method: Wash apricot kernels; wash pig lung, cut into chunks, blanch in boiling water, remove; prepare another pot, add pig lung, apricot kernels, and seasonings, simmer for two hours.
Efficacy: Stops coughing and dissolves phlegm, generates body fluids and quenches thirst, moistens intestines and relieves constipation—especially beneficial for those with fragile respiratory systems.