Minor Cold | Explore 24 solar terms along the Tropic of Cancer

Minor Cold (Chinese: 小寒) is the 23rd solar term of the year and the fifth solar term in winter, which starts on January 5 to 7 every year. After the Winter Solstice, the cold air frequently moves southward, the temperature continues to drop, and the cold air has accumulated for a long time. The feature of the Minor Cold is coldness, but not extremely cold.

The most important thing in cold weather is to get enough food and wear warm clothes. Cold weather is the best time to eat glutinous rice. Glutinous rice is one of the traditional staple foods in China. It is fragrant and sticky, and it can strengthen the spleen, enrich the blood, and nourish the body. Different families in different regions usually have a variety of ingredients and methods for making glutinous rice, forming various and unique flavors.

In Guangdong, people will add mushrooms, small shrimps, scallops, and cured meat in the glutinous rice. In the years when supplies were not abundant, these were the good ingredients that the elders had accumulated for a year to keep the family warm and nourish their bodies in winter. The rich materials are full of love for the family. Some older people say that people will steam glutinous rice or fry it, but the cooked rice is all connected together, just like family members staying together, caring for each other, and settling down.