Every year, Liqiu — the solar term marking the official start of autumn — falls between August 7 and 9 in the Gregorian calendar. In 2025, it arrived on August 7. But don’t be fooled by the name. From Liqiu until the following solar term, Chushu, we’re still in the sweltering “dog days” of summer. The heat lingers, the sun blazes, and this season of lingering warmth even has a nickname in Chinese: qiū lǎo hǔ (“Autumn Tiger”). As the old saying warns: “The Autumn Tiger bites!” Its dry heat can deplete the body’s fluids and energy, making people more susceptible to illness.
Traditional Chinese culture pairs Liqiu with specific wellness practices, aimed at helping the body shift from the exuberance of summer into autumn’s cooler, more restrained energy. So, how should we nourish ourselves in this transitional season?
Understanding autumn wellness
1. Nurturing yin
In traditional Chinese health philosophy, the ideal way to care for yourself is to live in sync with seasonal changes. Autumn marks a shift from the outward growth of spring and summer toward a more inward “collecting” phase. Nurturing yin means replenishing the body’s fluids, blood, and moisture to keep both body and mind balanced.
2. Strengthening the lungs
From the perspective of the Five Elements theory, autumn corresponds to the lungs. This season is inherently dry, making it especially important to nourish lung function and replenish body fluids. Symptoms like dry mouth, cracked lips, parched nasal passages, sore throat, chapped skin, and constipation are common signs of autumn dryness. Prevention starts with strengthening lung health.
3. Moistening dryness
During the period from Liqiu to Chushu, the weather can be both hot and increasingly dry. Avoid overly spicy, drying foods — like lamb, scallions, and ginger — which can “burn up” precious body fluids. Instead, lean toward sour fruits and vegetables, which help prevent lung qi from becoming too dominant and harming liver function, while also supporting digestion. Moisture-rich, yin-nourishing foods will help you glide through autumn comfortably.
4. Gentle, balanced nourishment
Autumn isn’t the time for heavy tonics. Summer heat often weakens the stomach and spleen — especially if cold drinks were overindulged in — so overly rich foods can burden the digestive system. Light, balanced nutrition is key in early autumn.
Autumn’s best ingredients
White foods to soothe dryness and support the lungs
In the Five Elements, white corresponds to the lungs. Many white foods have a cooling nature and can help counteract dryness. Commonly recommended by traditional Chinese medicine are lotus seeds, lotus root, pears, white fungus (tremella), Chinese yam, lily bulbs, peanuts, mushrooms, cabbage, and sugarcane. Goji berries, black fungus, honey, and sesame seeds are also accessible yin tonics.
However, people with cold constitutions or allergies should avoid excessively cooling foods, instead choosing white ingredients that are mildly warming and qi-boosting — such as fish, soy milk, lily bulbs, almonds, fritillaria, codonopsis, or American ginseng. Consult a professional before adding herbal remedies.
Sour foods to ‘gather’ lung qi
Sour flavors have an astringent effect — they help “collect” the abundant lung qi of autumn, prevent energy loss, and nourish the liver. Pineapple, pomelo, dried plums, and lemon all make excellent seasonal additions.
Mild tonics to replenish without burdening
After Liqiu, it’s best to reduce raw and cold foods while favoring warm, soft, and easily digestible ingredients. Mildly tonic foods — like wild rice shoots, pumpkin, lotus seeds, longan, black sesame, honey, goji berries, red dates (only if your constitution isn’t overly warm), Chinese yam, hyacinth beans, and lily bulbs — all help moisten lungs, nourish the stomach, and generate fluids.
A ‘supreme’ tonic in TCM: Thick rice porridge
The Ming and Qing dynasties recorded rice porridge as a beauty-enhancing, blood-nourishing, body-strengthening food. In the Supplement to Compendium of Materia Medica, the rice “cream” that floats atop porridge is described as a yin-nourishing delicacy. Renowned Qing physician Wang Shixiong even considered thick rice porridge on par with ginseng soup for treating weakness.
Modern traditional Chinese medicine practitioners often recommend it, especially for busy people who can make it in a rice cooker — using a water ratio between thick and thin porridge, adjusted to taste. A bowl in the morning leaves the mouth moist all day.
Recipe spotlight: White fungus and lotus seed soup
This classic “moisturizing yin” dish is perfect during the “Autumn Tiger” period. Lotus seeds calm internal heat and support digestion, while white fungus — known as the “plant bird’s nest” — is rich in natural collagen and gentle on the system.
Ingredients
- 1 dried white fungus (fresh if available)
- 30 lotus seeds
- 15 pitted red dates
- 2 tbsp goji berries
- Rock sugar or honey to taste
Steps
- Soak dried white fungus until soft (skip if fresh), trim off the tough stem, and tear into small pieces for a thicker texture. Soak dried lotus seeds for 2 hours and remove the bitter green core. Pit the red dates. Rinse all ingredients.
- In a rice cooker, combine 1 liter of water with the white fungus, lotus seeds, and red dates (reserve goji berries). Add 3 cups of water to the outer pot. Start cooking.
- When the cooker switches off, check for thickness. If ready, add the goji berries and let them sit for 5 minutes. Then, stir in the rock sugar until it is dissolved.
If you prefer honey, let the soup cool to about 50°C before adding it to preserve its beneficial properties.
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