How the Solar Term “Grain in Ear” affects your everyday food!

“Grain in Ear (芒種mong4 zung2)” is one of the important terms in the 24 solar terms in the Chinese lunar calendar. The starting and ending times may vary slightly each year but approximately fall around June 6th. “Grain in Ear (芒種mong4 zung2)” is a typical summer solar term, indicating that the weather is going to become “hot.” The term “Grain in Ear (芒種mong4 zung2)” means that at this time, rice has already formed grains, and fine awns grow on the grains that are full and ripe, hence the name**” Grain in Ear (芒種mong4 zung2)” .**

We will publish some articles about interesting Chinese culture, Cantonese cuisine, or Cantonese interesting slang from time to time, so as to increase everyone’s interest in learning Cantonese.

“Mong4 芒” refers to the harvest of crops with awns, such as wheat, while “zung2 種” refers to the sowing of grains and millets. “Grain in Ear “ is the only solar term among the 24 solar terms that combines both harvest and sowing. There is an agricultural saying: “During the Grain in Ear, harvest and sow together” (芒種芒種，連收帶種), and “If you don’t sow during the Grain in Ear, it’s useless to sow later” (芒種不種，再種無用). This means that during “Grain in Ear (芒種mong4 zung2)” , one should hurry to harvest summer crops and quickly sow for the autumn harvest, as any delay will affect the timing of the autumn harvest.

The season of “Grain in Ear (芒種mong4 zung2)” also marks a dividing point for crop planting. By this time, the rainy season known as “Plum Rain (梅雨)” is coming to an end, and the weather becomes hotter and drier. The survival rate and growth rate of most crops unsuitable for summer planting decrease. The weather transitions from continuous drizzles during the Plum Rain season to summer-like afternoon thunderstorms.

The Plum Rain is a rainy season, also known as “Yellow Plum Rain (黃梅天)” in Cantonese, and is a period of continuous drizzle with humidity levels reaching 100%. It leads to mold growth on furniture, leather goods, and walls, and brings down people’s moods, which is very unpleasant!

There is an agricultural proverb that says, “Beautiful year if thunder during the Grain in Ear, rainy in Dragon Boat means a wealth year” (芒種逢雷美亦然，端陽有雨是豐年). It means that during the hot season of “Grain in Ear (芒種mong4 zung2)” if there is a heavy thunderstorm, it is a good omen for a bountiful harvest. Entering the season of “Grain in Ear (芒種mong4 zung2)” means that farmers are ready to start harvesting.

During the season of “Grain in Ear (芒種mong4 zung2)”, fishermen can catch a large number of small squids in the open seas of Keelung and Penghu. In addition, there are abundant bonito schools in the offshore waters of Kaohsiung in the south of Taiwan. Furthermore, flying fish can be caught in the offshore waters of Suao in northeastern Taiwan.

“Grain in Ear (芒種mong4 zung2)” is the time when Japanese plums (梅子) ripen. Japanese plums have many benefits for the human body, such as reducing blood lipids, beautifying the skin, and eliminating fatigue. However, freshly picked Japanese plums are very sour and bitter, and not suitable for direct consumption. Therefore, they are usually processed before consumption, a process known as plum boiling. It is recommended to drink some plum vinegar (梅子醋) during this season to relieve summer heat.

This season is when various summer vegetables and fruits officially hit the market. Watermelons, lychees, mangoes, pineapples, and other popular fruits are in season. Watermelon, in particular, is often considered a representative fruit of summer. It can be made into various frozen treats and provides a refreshing and cooling sensation. If you enjoy watermelon, now is the time to indulge!

The saying **” Grain in Ear to Summer Solstice, mangoes start to set fruit” 「芒種夏至，芒果落蒂」**means that the tropical fruit of southern Taiwan, mangoes, will be harvested and available on the market around the time of “Grain in Ear (芒種mong4 zung2)”. Mango lovers should not miss out on this delicious fruit!

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