How to eat and understand the history of some of China’s culturally significant fruits
In China, fruits are not just part of a healthy diet, they have entered the language as expressions of emotion and values. In Classic of Poetry (《诗经》), China’s earliest existing collection of poetry compiled around the 1st century BCE, a love poem simply titled “Mugua (《木瓜》, Chinese quince)” says “if you throw me a mugua, I would return it with jade.”
Likewise, during the Tang dynasty (618 – 907), women were said to have adored pomegranate so much that even their favorite skirt color was pomegranate red. The vibrant shade apparently represented their freedom and bravery during a time where they had relatively broad scope to engage in activities like archery and horse riding. Today, when a man falls for a woman, he is said to have “fallen under her pomegranate-red skirt (拜倒在石榴裙下 bàidǎo zài shíliúqún xià).”
China’s vast territory provides the climate for all kinds of fruits, including rare and exotic species, and the cultural significance behind them is just as broad. But knowing when and where to find the best fruits requires some specialist knowledge. Our guide introduces the best fruits for each season, and tells the stories of the cultural significance that make each juicy morsel taste all the richer.
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