MICROPOETRY / CULINARY POETICS

Are You Ready for Entry to the Wintry Heart?

Catching the Lesser Snow solar term 小雪節氣

Rosebuds and tangerine peel aged 20 years, with calming and warming properties. Chef Tam’s Seasons / image © Pseu Pending (Seu)

her tender pink
wakes up sleepy snow now
smiling elation~~
warm brew graces lesser snow
through heart to belly
ready

did Chef go hunting?
soft shell turtle the aquatic queen
for nourishing yin
ahh~~rich collagen~~
caresses my lips~~
boosts defense~~joins
venison the fine king
of yang

Mid-course tea preparation. Chef Tam’s Seasons / image © Pseu Pending (Seu)

tea sommelier rolls out
terra cotta treasures
white cockscomb oolong of wuyi¹ fame
lightly roasted deeply kneaded
releases mountain fragrance
unrivaled
wild rock drifts~~
orchids
long
mellow

Vegetables for the Lesser Snow solar term. Chef Tam’s Seasons / image © Pseu Pending (Seu)

Chef returns full of earth jewels
crisp fresh lily bulbs
cuutchsh~~
sparkling rouge tomatoes
looking for playmates
southern sand ginger
nutty nuggets
giant kale of the lotus pond
rules in fleeting harvest
happy spongy yellow ears go
boinn~~boinn~~

rollicking southern winter
wraps in lush quilt
brocade

Crispy walnut custard. Culinary creation by Chef Tam Kwok Fung / image © Pseu Pending (Seu)

© Pseu Pending (Seu) 2023

Rounding up Xioaxue (Lesser Snow) solar term in grace

November 22~December 6, 2023

At Xiaoxue, the 20th of the 24 solar terms in the Chinese lunar
calendar, lower temperatures are accompanied by less rain and
snow, but the cold can leave a chill that weakens the body.
Nutritious high-protein foods will provide energy to boost your
immune system and your metabolism.

~Chef Tam’s Seasons 譚卉. dinner degustation menu

everything nature provides is adequate and current

Chef Tam saunters over, hands clasped, pleased. He knows I loooove Cantonese cuisine. The freshness. The philosophies. The simple yet incredibly intricate techniques of the three mainstream Cantonese culinary schools: Guangzhou, Chiuchow, and Hakka. The respect for seasonal ingredients. The gratification of care. The satisfaction of well-being.

Seasonality though, he goes, is not only eating local. It’s sourcing the now of what’s in season the world over. Tasmanian truffles from Australia in June, for example, rivals top European winter varieties when nothing shows in summer. The southern and northern hemispheres complete each other.

¹ Wuyi — 武夷岩 a mountain range in Fujian, famous for its oolong teas with varied oxidation and characteristics of “rock tea” (岩茶）