Twenty-Four Solar Terms – Beginning of Summer (Li Xia)
According to the “Book of Rites, Monthly Orders,” the Beginning of Summer is described as: “The cicadas chirp, earthworms emerge, the king melon grows, and bitter herbs flourish.” As all things thrive and temperatures gradually rise, people may feel irritable and experience a decrease in appetite. The dietary principle for the Beginning of Summer is to nourish Yang in spring and summer, with a focus on nurturing the heart. Here, we recommend two simple and easy-to-make health recipes for this season.SUMMERSolar Term – Beginning of Summer
1. Lotus Seed Chicken Soup
Introduction: 
Lotus seeds contain vitamins, amino acids, and proteins. Regular consumption can strengthen the spleen and kidneys, nourish the heart, and calm the mind, making it suitable for those with irritability, insomnia, palpitations, forgetfulness, nocturnal emissions, and frequent urination. Lotus Seed Chicken Soup is a delicious medicinal dish; drinking a bowl an hour before bed can calm the mind and help improve insomnia and vivid dreams.
Ingredients: Lotus seeds (remove the heart) 50gFree-range chicken 350gRed dates 4 piecesGoji berries 10gCooking wine 30mlGreen onion, ginger, and salt to tasteCooking Steps: 1. Soak the lotus seeds and remove the hearts, wash the red dates, and slice the ginger and green onion;2. Drain the chicken pieces;3. Heat the pot, add oil, and sauté the ginger and green onion;4. Stir-fry the chicken pieces over high heat until they change color;5. Add boiling water and cooking wine to remove the fishy smell, skimming off the foam;6. Add the red dates and lotus seeds, and simmer on low heat for about an hour;7. Finally, add salt and goji berries to taste.Precautions: 1. The lotus seeds must have their hearts removed, as the bitter taste of the lotus seed heart affects the soup’s flavor;2. Lotus seeds have the effects of tonifying the spleen and kidneys, and astringing to stop diarrhea; those with dry stools and abdominal distension should use with caution.
2. White Hyacinth Bean Porridge
Introduction: White hyacinth beans are rich in minerals and vitamins, serving as both a common ingredient and a medicinal herb. They can tonify Qi, transform dampness, dispel summer heat, nourish the five organs, and strengthen the body, making them useful for those with spleen deficiency and excess dampness, fatigue, poor appetite, diarrhea, edema, and excessive vaginal discharge in women. In daily life, we can use white hyacinth beans for health maintenance.
Ingredients: White hyacinth beans 25gRice 50gCooking Steps: 1. Clean the white hyacinth beans and soak them for 8-10 hours;2. Clean the rice and soak it in water for 1 hour;3. Place the rice and white hyacinth beans in a clay pot or rice cooker;4. Add an appropriate amount of water to the clay pot, bring to a boil, or select the porridge setting on the rice cooker;5. Simmer on low heat until the beans are soft.Precautions: 1. Should be cooked thoroughly before consumption;2. Overconsumption may lead to Qi stagnation and abdominal distension; those with Qi stagnation and fullness should avoid eating.
【END】Planting melons and beans before and after the Beginning of Summer
Contributed by | Traditional Chinese Medicine Pharmacy Service Center
Layout by | Bi Mingshuang
Reviewed by | Li Beibei