Frost’s Descent, 23 October to 6 November
The journal

Knowledge

Seasons, herbs and the Chinese tradition: a plain letter, following the 24 breaths of the solar calendar.

  1. Goji berries (枸杞子 Gǒu Qǐ Zǐ), rubies of the late season Frost’s Descent 23 October to 6 November

    Goji berries (枸杞子 Gǒu Qǐ Zǐ), rubies of the late season

    Wrinkled ruby of Ningxia (宁夏 Níngxià), goji is picked until the first frosts and runs through all of Chinese cooking, from congee to fragrant broths. A portrait of Goji berries - 枸杞子 (Gou Qi Zi), between terroir, poet...Featured October 28, 2026 4 min read Current breathRead the article
  2. Frost’s Descent (霜降 Shuāngjiàng): the last breath of autumn - BotaQi Frost’s Descent 23 October to 6 November

    Frost’s Descent (霜降 Shuāngjiàng): the last breath of autumn

    One morning, the dew no longer beads: it whitens. From 23 October to 6 November, Frost’s Descent (霜降 Shuāngjiàng) closes the autumn of Me...October 23, 2026 3 min read Current breath
  3. The grower’s autumn: harvest, drying, storage - BotaQi Cold Dew 8 to 22 October

    The grower’s autumn: harvest, drying, storage

    While the cities count the shortening days, the fields live their most intense season: harvest, drying, sorting.October 15, 2026 4 min read
  4. Cold Dew (寒露 Hánlù): covering up, drawing in - BotaQi Cold Dew 8 to 22 October

    Cold Dew (寒露 Hánlù): covering up, drawing in

    From 8 to 22 October, the Cold Dew (寒露 Hánlù) thickens the mornings: we cover up, we draw in, and the warm aromatics return to the kitche...October 8, 2026 4 min read
  5. Monk fruit (罗汉果 Luó Hàn Guǒ), an autumn sweetness - BotaQi Autumn Equinox 23 September to 7 October

    Monk fruit (罗汉果 Luó Hàn Guǒ), an autumn sweetness

    A small brown sphere, surprisingly light, that rustles when you shake it: one of the most intense sweetnesses of the plant world. A portr...September 28, 2026 5 min read
  6. Autumn Equinox (秋分 Qiūfēn): gathering and sorting - BotaQi Autumn Equinox 23 September to 7 October

    Autumn Equinox (秋分 Qiūfēn): gathering and sorting

    Around 23 September, day and night stand equal: 秋分 (Qiūfēn), the Autumn Equinox, a time for gathering, sorting and celebrating the moon a...September 23, 2026 4 min read
  7. The autumn table: sweetness, at the hour of dry air - BotaQi White Dew 8 to 22 September

    The autumn table: sweetness, at the hour of dry air

    In September, the kitchen changes its smell: compotes, dried fruit, steaming bowls held in both hands. The autumn table cultivates sweetn...September 14, 2026 4 min read
  8. White Dew (白露 Báilù): dry coolness arrives - BotaQi White Dew 8 to 22 September

    White Dew (白露 Báilù): dry coolness arrives

    From 8 to 22 September, the morning grass wears pearls: this is the White Dew (白露 Báilù), when the air tips towards dry coolness.September 8, 2026 4 min read
  9. Autumn, the season of the Lung: Metal, the pungent, dry clarity - BotaQi White Dew 8 to 22 September

    Autumn, the season of the Lung: Metal, the pungent, dry clarity

    One morning, the air takes on a new sharpness: autumn is here, a season the tradition entrusts to Metal (金 Jīn) and to the symbolic Lung;...September 5, 2026 4 min read