We are now in a relatively comfortable season.
This time we will talk about Kanro, the 18th season in the 24 solar terms.
What is Kanro?
Kanro refers to the period from around October 8th to October 23rd .
The air is clear and the moon looks even more beautiful when you look up at the night sky.
It varies depending on the region, but in some places it starts from September. The rice harvest begins.
The cold dew comes just as the rice harvest ends. It will be around that time.
Farmers are extremely busy with the harvest of other crops.
Cold dew food
Chestnuts are a special treat that can only be enjoyed at this time of year.
They are delicious steamed and eaten as is, or made into chestnut rice.
There are four types of chestnuts cultivated as fruit trees.
There are Japanese chestnuts (Waguri), Western chestnuts, Chinese chestnuts, and American chestnuts.
And in fact, varieties There are over 40 types, each The taste also seems to be quite different.
It would be interesting to compare the tastes.
There is also persimmon .
It is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium, and is said to have skin-beautifying effects and reduce swelling, plus it's perfect for the morning after a hangover!
Cold dew flower
The flower of the cold dew is the chrysanthemum .
They come in a variety of colors and shapes.
This is the season when the sophisticated charm of chrysanthemums is overflowing.
Chrysanthemums are believed to have the power to bring longevity.
It is said that on the Choyo Festival, which falls on September 9th of the lunar calendar ( mid- October in the Gregorian calendar), there was a custom of drinking chrysanthemum wine, which has been infused with the scent of chrysanthemums, to pray for longevity.
It was also the season of harvest, so it came to be celebrated in conjunction with the autumn harvest festival.
Also, the seven autumn herbs * may not be well known.
The seven herbs of spring are eaten as rice porridge with seven herbs to pray for good health, while the seven herbs of autumn are enjoyed for their beautiful flowers and were once used as medicinal herbs.
※Hagi (bush clover), Platycodon grandiflorum (bellflower), Kudzu (kudzu), Fujibakama (fujibakama), Ominaeshi (lady's mantle), Obana (cattail), Dianthus
It is also one of the seven autumn herbs .
Fujibakama ( Fujibakama ) It blooms during the cold dew season .
When dried, the leaves have a scent similar to that of sakura mochi leaves, and were enjoyed as an aroma . It is now rare to see wild Fujibakama.
72nd generation
- Kogankitaru : The wild geese begin to fly in.
- Chrysanthemums blooming (Kiku no hana hiraku) Chrysanthemum flowers bloom
- A cricket is chirping around the door.
*The 72 seasonal divisions (shichijunikou) are a system of representing the seasons devised in ancient China. They refer to the 24 solar terms further divided into three periods of approximately 5 days each.
It's the season of comfortable cold dew!
Why not go outside and experience the many autumnal sights?
Let's look for the seven autumn herbs.
Author: Mizuguchi Edited by: Yui, Sekido, and Kambara
