Autumn Eating Guide: Do’s & Don’ts

The season brings both its forbidden and its favored foods!
Autumn has arrived—with leaves turning golden and flocks of geese flying southward. This vivid image, drawn from a cherished elementary school textbook, remains one of niniyucao’s most enduring impressions of the season. (If you recall which grade you learned it, feel free to share your memory in the comments.) Its unpretentious language so beautifully captures the very essence of autumn.

In the North, autumn is all the more precious for its brevity. Take Beijing, for example—autumn there is arguably the most enchanting season, with each day graced by clear, crisp air. Yet while such invigorating weather is delightful, too much of that briskness can lead to a harsh, drying sensation. Our bodies are far more perceptive than our minds; one dear friend from the Northeast, affectionately known as “Happy Every Day,” recently confided that the early autumn days left her with a parched mouth, dry skin, and even some friends have begun to experience nasal dryness and an irritating cough.

Returning to our theme: what is the one food that should be avoided in autumn? One particularly dedicated reader, who faithfully follows every article by niniyucao, raised their hand with an enthusiastic “I know—I know! The food to avoid in autumn is ginger!” And they are absolutely correct: ginger is the one ingredient best left aside this season.
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Ginger, though a common spice with countless benefits—so many, in fact, that niniyucao could sing its praises for days—was once celebrated in a devoted article about ginger-jujube tea. In that piece, she adorned ginger with the most exquisite language, inspiring readers to indulge in this miraculous, cost-effective elixir.
However, after a summer of savoring ginger-jujube tea, autumn calls for a pause. Now, niniyucao must stress: do not continue to treat ginger-jujube tea as your daily morning tonic during autumn!

A thoughtful young lady in our group even furrowed her brow and inquired, “Why is it that only in autumn must we refrain from consuming ginger?” Ponder this for a moment—the answer, which awaits you at the end, may just align with your own reasoning.

If ginger is to be shunned in autumn, then what should one embrace? According to the ancient wisdom of the Huangdi Neijing, the prescription is elegantly simple: reduce the pungent and enhance the sour. In autumn, our diet should favor foods with a sour taste.

One reader, utterly perplexed, asked, “niniyucao, you once explained that the five flavors correspond to our five organs—with pungent foods nourishing the lungs, and autumn being the season of the lungs—so why not consume more pungent foods to fortify them, instead of opting for sour ones which benefit the liver?” Such questions, posed without hesitation, are most welcome.

The confusion arises from not yet fully grasping the profound principles of yin–yang balance and the dynamic interplay of the Five Elements. First, maintaining a harmony between yin and yang is essential—when balanced, all ailments vanish. The art of healing, after all, lies in restoring that equilibrium. In autumn, our lung qi is already robust; further stimulating it with additional pungent foods would be akin to adding fuel to a fire. It is therefore wise to allow the lung qi to recede and consolidate.

Secondly, as previously noted, the liver corresponds to wood while the lungs represent metal—and in the intricate dance of the Five Elements, metal overcomes wood. An excess of lung energy can, therefore, compromise the liver. To counterbalance this, autumn calls for a gentle nourishment of the liver through sour foods.
And what is the quintessential sour food of autumn? Consider the fruit that blossoms early yet ripens late, offering a delicately tangy sweetness—the pear, which most truly embodies the autumnal spirit.
niniyucao repeatedly emphasizes the importance of consuming seasonal fruits and eschewing off-season imports. Pears are the fruit of autumn; while they might be optional in other seasons, in autumn they are indispensable. Their natural cooling properties help moisten the lungs and nourish yin, effectively combating the dryness of the season.

But what if you have a tendency toward a cold stomach? Remember, pears are inherently cooling, and those with a sensitive stomach should exercise caution. The simplest test is to try a small bite: if you feel discomfort or a sense of heaviness, then pears might not be the best choice for you.
Yet if your heart still yearns for their taste, or if you require relief from a parched cough, there are two alternatives: opt for autumn pear syrup or savor a stewed pear juice.

In addition to sour foods, autumn also favors white foods—such as daikon radish, lotus root, white fungus, and lily bulbs. These foods, known for their ability to moisten the lungs and nourish yin, are invaluable in alleviating the season’s dryness and ensuring you enjoy a calm and comfortable autumn.

Now, let us reveal why ginger is best avoided in autumn. First, as a pungent food, ginger is counter to the autumnal guideline of reducing pungency. Second, the essence of autumn wellness is about “gathering” or consolidating; it is a time when our qi and blood must withdraw inward rather than dispersing further—a retreat perfectly mirrored by nature as trees shed their leaves and the landscape readies itself for winter. Ginger, being a dispersing agent, runs contrary to this principle.
Finally, a word of caution: the recommendation to avoid ginger in autumn pertains only to its use as a daily health tonic. It does not preclude its occasional use—for instance, to remedy a cold or as a flavor-enhancing spice in your cooking. Flexibility is key in traditional Chinese medicine.

In summary, let autumn be a time to moderate the dispersing qualities of pungent foods like ginger, while embracing the restorative benefits of sour and white foods that harmonize with the season’s intrinsic balance.