Suddenly, the warm wind arrived, following the footsteps of Xiaoshu. Xiaoshu, as the eleventh solar term among the twenty-four solar terms, marks the official beginning of summer. During the Xiaoshu season, dampness and heat intertwine, as if the whole world has been put into a steamer. At this time, the human body sweats a lot, consumes a lot of energy, and is prone to loss of appetite and fatigue. However, raw ginger has a spicy taste and can be eaten to invigorate the spleen and stimulate appetite, making it a good choice. Ginger is grown in both the north and south of China. The small yellow ginger produced in the south has little fiber. It can be used to pickle into pickles and serve with Congee. Old ginger harvested after autumn can be paired with brown sugar to make ginger syrup. Ginger produced in northern regions has more fiber and larger body size, often dried to make dried ginger. Ginger has played an indispensable role in people's lives since ancient times, serving as a food ingredient, seasoning, and medicinal herb. There are traces of ancient people's love for ginger. The Analects of Confucius recorded Confucius' dietary preferences as follows: "Do not eat ginger, do not eat too much." This means that Confucius always had ginger in every meal, but did not eat too much. Song Dynasty literati Su Dongpo also loved to eat ginger: "The ginger sprouts from Xianshe are more fat than meat," believing that the freshness and tenderness of spring ginger are better than the taste of meat. During the summer of the Southern Song Dynasty, Lu You enjoyed brewing ginger tea with mountain tea, as evidenced by a poem that goes, 'Jiang Yishan tea is leisurely sipped.'. In addition to drinking tea and pairing it with ginger, Lu You also cooks with a sweet and soft blend of chopped ginger and osmanthus. In the "Compendium of Materia Medica" of the Ming Dynasty, Li Shizhen referred to ginger as "spicy but not meat, dispelling evil and warding off evil", detailing the medicinal value of ginger. Modern people also love ginger. Scientists have not only explored and excavated the traditional medicinal value of ginger, but also discovered new bioactive components and potential applications of raw ginger. The rhizome of ginger contains abundant nutrients, consisting of over 100 chemical components, with gingerol being the most abundant component in ginger. Ginger capsaicin is not only the main flavoring substance of ginger spiciness, but also the main functional factor of various functional activities of ginger. It has a wide range of pharmacological activities and health functions, and has auxiliary anti-tumor, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cardiovascular protection effects. As the saying goes, 'Eating radish in winter and ginger in summer doesn't require a doctor to prescribe medicine.'. Ginger is a seasoning often used in the kitchen, and also a regular health visitor with the same origin of medicine and food. Ginger can be both the protagonist and supporting role. Although ginger is hot and spicy, it pairs best with the Xiaoshu solar term. It is advisable to eat ginger appropriately according to the solar terms, such as drinking a cup of ginger tea in the morning or adding ginger slices and shreds to dishes. This not only resolves heat and dampness, but also nourishes the spleen and stomach, using this unique hot and spicy flavor to resist the scorching heat. Take advantage of the Xiaoshu solar term, let's also eat ginger. 1. Take 3 slices of ginger and 5 red dates, boil them in water instead of tea, and drink them in the morning. There is a saying that 'eating ginger in the morning is better than ginseng soup', but it is not advisable to eat too much at night to avoid affecting sleep. 2. Mix ginger juice with cold dishes, mash ginger, mix it with minced garlic, Century egg and tofu, and pour the sauce. You can also mix it with minced garlic, blanched lotus root slices, bitter gourd, okra and other ingredients, and drizzle with sauce. 3. Mix ginger juice with milk, peel the old ginger and crush it with a blender. Squeeze 15ml of juice and set aside. Milk (water milk is the best) is heated over low heat with sugar until small bubbles appear at the edge of the pot, but not boiling. After turning off the heat, let it dry for 10 seconds. When pounding milk, stir the ginger juice and quickly pour the hot milk into the ginger bowl from a height of 20 centimeters. Let it stand for 5 minutes to naturally solidify. (New Society)