January 20 marks the arrival of the last of 24 solar terms of the year - Dahan (Greater Cold). So far, the annual cycle of the 24 solar terms has come to an end and a new one is about to begin. Dahan falls in the fourth nine-day periods following the Winter Solstice when most parts of China are hit by cold wave and freezing wind. North China is largely covered in snow.

Dispelling Cold Cake／Daoxiangcun

Food choice during Dahan should be altered according to seasonal changes. As winter is turning to spring, a season of revitalization and renewal, more stimulating food is preferred to boost energy. For example, people in Foshan, Guangdong province have the custom of cooking glutinous rice in pottery pots during Dahan; people in Anqing, Anhui province make fried spring rolls, and Nanjing residents make stewed chicken and drink chicken soup during Dahan period. For Beijingers, Dahan is a time to eat "dispelling cold cake", a kind of glutinous rice cake that dispels cold, nourishes lungs and tonifies spleen and stomach. In Chinese, the word "rice cake (niangao)" has the same pronunciation with the word "higher in a new year", which symbolizes good luck, peace and continual promotion.

Laba Porridge

This year's Dahan solar term happens to fall on the same day as the Laba Festival. It is said that Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, attained enlightenment on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, so Buddhist temples commemorate him on this day every year. According to Dongjing Meng Hua Lu (The Eastern Capital: A Dream of Splendor) of the Song dynasty, "Buddhist temples hold Buddha Bathing Ritual and offer seven-treasure five-flavor porridge to Buddhist disciples, known as Laba porridge. Residents of the capital also cook porridge with a variety of fruits, grains and nuts, which they call the Buddha porridge."  Nowadays, people still keep the custom of eating Laba porridge, which is generally made of grains, peanut, chestnut, red jujube, lotus seed and so on. Considering China's vast territory and diverse food culture, the time-honored custom of Laba porridge has developed various recipes and flavors.

Video provided by China Xinhua News Network Corporation

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