At Donglaishun, a time-honored Beijing mutton hotpot brand, autumn can be tasted before it is felt. The copper pots return to the center of family tables, their clear broth simmering over charcoal.
Hand-cut mutton replaces some of the lighter foods favored in summer. Cabbage, frozen tofu and glass noodles go into the pot, while sweet-and-sour garlic and sesame sauce wait on the side.
For Chen Lixin, a national-level intangible cultural heritage inheritor of Donglaishun's mutton-processing technique, the change is part of an old Beijing rhythm.
As autumn arrives, mutton consumption at the restaurant rises noticeably, Chen says.
During the hotter months, diners tend to favor cold dishes, tripe, grilled foods, and smaller portions. Once the weather turns cooler, copper-pot mutton becomes a familiar choice again, particularly for family gatherings.
"Putting on autumn fat is not about forcing yourself to eat lots of meat," Chen says.
"It is about gathering around a pot when the autumn wind rises, eating good seasonal meat together, and enjoying a flavorful meal."
The custom, known in Chinese as tieqiubiao, is traditionally associated with eating richer foods as summer gives way to autumn. But Beijing's mid-autumn food culture has never been limited to mooncakes.
In old Beijing, Mid-Autumn Festival was commonly known as bayuejie, or the "eighth-month festival", and tuanyuanjie, or the "reunion festival". It marked the harvest, involved moon worship and appreciation, and brought families together for a meal. Seasonal fruits and other foods shared the table with mooncakes.
Historical accounts mention pomegranates, dates, walnuts, and lotus roots among foods associated with the festival. Mooncakes themselves came in different Beijing styles, including tijiang, known for its syrup-based crust; zilaihong and zilaibai, with their darker and paler crusts respectively; and fanmao, a delicate, flaky pastry made by repeatedly rolling and folding layers of dough and pastry fat.
