If you are reading this, you signed up for a publication that does not yet exist in the way you might expect one to exist. There is no media company behind it. There are two people. One who reads the old texts. One who builds the things.
We started SolShí because the calendar most of us live by is good at counting and not very good at noticing. Monday and Friday are bookkeeping. Spring and Summer are weather forecasts. Neither one tells you what your body is doing or what the world around you is doing.
The Chinese seasonal calendar does. It divides the year into twenty-four solar terms, each about fifteen days. Each term names a real shift in light, temperature, and growth. Today is Xiăo Măn. Grain Buds. The grain in the field is filling but not yet ripe. The air is warmer. The body is moving outward.
SolShí is a publication on this calendar. Every fifteen days, on the day each term begins, we send a short piece. Foods to favor. Foods to set aside. A cooking method that fits the term. A small practice you can do in five minutes.
We're writing from Massachusetts. The local crops, weather, and timing reflect the Northeast right now. Other states are coming as we grow.
Read the full Xiăo Măn entry, with the historical quote, agriculture, TCM organ focus, and seasonal patterns, at solshi.co/xiaoman
The name. Sol is Latin for sun. Shí is 時, Mandarin for time or season.
Xiăo Măn, in brief
The literal meaning of 小满 is "small full." The grain is starting to fill but is not yet ripe. The land is warm but the heat is not yet at its peak. There is rain. There is humidity. The body sits between two states. Spring's expansion is over. Summer's full heat has not arrived.
For most readers in the northern half of the United States, this is the term where the season pivots. Mornings are still cool. Afternoons run warm enough that the body sweats lightly. Greens are everywhere. The first berries are starting.
What to favor this term
Lightly cooked greens. Foods with mild bitter notes, which the old texts say help clear the building heat. Barley. Cucumber. Mung bean. Mint. Asparagus while the local season holds. Strawberries.
What to set aside, or moderate
Cold from the freezer. Heavy fried food. Too much sweet at once, especially in the afternoon when the body is already running warm.
A cooking note
The method that fits this term is brief. Quick blanch. Light sauté. Light steaming. Cooking that respects the food's color and texture. Longer braises stay useful at night when the air cools. The daytime stove should feel fast.
A small practice
Before the day gets going, drink something warm. Warm water with a slice of ginger is enough. The body warms from inside before the day asks it to.
Watch the season. Watch the body. Choose the next small thing well.
Frederica and Hy