Here’s a traditional recipe for Winter Solstice:
Longan and Lamb Soup ?????
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. Lamb (deboned and cut into chunks)
- Dried longan fruit (???)
- 15g Fresh ginger (peeled and sliced)
- about 20 gScallions (chopped)
- Salt
- Cooking wine
Directions:
- Put lamb in a pot with 3 cups water, bring to a boil and simmer for just about 2 minutes; strain out lamb and discard water to remove the fat
- Place lamb back into pot with enough water to complete cover the meat (6-8 cups), the sliced ginger and scallions, dried longan, and a small amount of cooking wine
- Bring to a rapid boil on high flame, then reduce flame to a low simmer and cook for about 2 hours; remove from heat and add salt to taste
This recipe warms the interior and builds Qi and blood, and nourished the Heart to quiet the Spirit.
In the north of China there is a long tradition of eating dumplings around Winter Solstice. In Japan, where dong zhi is pronounced t?ji (???), a common tradition is to take baths in water scented with Yuzu citrus. One of the foods of choice in Japan is kabocha, where it is commonly stewed together with adzuki beans to create a dish called itokoni (????). The red color, as a symbol of Yang, is thought to ward off evil and confer good luck.
Citation: Dr. Henry McCann