Battle Cold Dew season with Chinese pastry

Cold Dew season gets its name from the dew which is about to become frost as the weather begins to get chilly.

Cold Dew, the 17th of the 24 solar terms in the Chinese lunisolar calendar, starts on Oct 8 and ends on Oct 22 this year.

Compared with Autumn Equinox, the temperature across the country during Cold Dew significantly drops and, during this period, most parts of northern China welcome autumn.

The 24 solar terms, which indicate both the moon phase and the time of solar year, helped ancient Chinese farmers track the change in climate and correctly arrange their farming work. During Cold Dew, it is harvest time.

There is a farmers' saying: "In Cold Dew, hawthorns are picked". The sweet and sour fruit is ripe at the time in central and northern areas of China.

Chinese love hawthorn. It can be eaten raw, dried out, made into fruitcake and used as medicine. It is also widely known for its ability to boost appetite, allowing you to eat more and put on weight, which is handy for resisting the upcoming winter cold.

The scent of osmanthus flowers can be smelled on the streets of China's south. To keep that delightful scent, the Chinese dry osmanthus flowers and use them to dress food, make teas and wines and even squeeze oil from them for cosmetics.