Having nourishing foods for good health on Lidong (start of winter). Traditional Chinese Medical science (TCM) believes winter signifies the end of a year and time for storage. Lidong indicates the onset of winter when many animals go dormant or hide to keep warm, while vegetation withered.

For people, winter is the time to store nutrition and build up their energy and vitality for spring. Many Chinese people chose to have a big meal with several of nourishing foods on the day of Li dong (Nov.7) because they believe eating nourishing foods on this day is particularly beneficial to health.

Nowadays, people stew nourishing foods with traditional Chinese herbs, for instance danggui (the roots of Chinese angelica), ginseng, baizhu (root of atractylodes), fuling (fungus in the Polyporaceae family).

Mutton stew, sesame oil chicken stew, ginseng chicken, duck stew with ginger, sparerib stews fortified with Chinese herbs, and shrimp with liquor and herbs are highly recommend during winter.

Editor: Shi Liwei