1. Rice Cake

It has been a long-standing custom in Beijing to eat " anti-cold cake" in Major Cold. The " anti-cold cake" is a kind of rice cake. Because of the high sugar content of glutinous rice, the whole body feels warm after eating it, which has the effect of moistening the lungs and strengthening the spleen and stomach. Moreover, the pronunciation of rice cake in Chinese is the same as " Yearly High", so people choose to eat rice cake to bring good luck, peace and prosperity in the coming year.

2. Glutinous Rice

As the old saying goes, "The weather is cold without wind in Minor Cold and Major Cold". It is a traditional custom to eat glutinous rice in the morning to drive away the cold. It is believed that glutinous rice has a higher sugar content than rice, which makes the whole body feel warm after eating it. According to Chinese medical theory, glutinous rice has the effect of nourishing and benefiting the qi, so it is most suitable to eat glutinous rice in the cold seasons.

3. Chicken Soup

At the time of Major Cold, people in Nanjing often eat chicken soup. They usually stew old hens and add other ingredients like ginseng, wolfberries, black fungus into the soup. Chicken soup is a real treat in the cold winter.

4. Triple Winters（San Dong）

"Three Winters" refers to winter jujube, winter sugarcane and white gourd. Winter jujube is rich in amino acids and vitamins, which can improve human immunity. Winter sugarcane can relieve heat, replenish blood and moisten dryness, and white gourd can be diuretic and reduce swelling.

Translated by LIU Yu