White Dew, the 15th solar term in the Chinese lunar calendar, fell on September 7 this year, marking the arrival of cool autumn and its seasonal flavours.

(CFP file photo)

The star on the autumn dining table — Taihu Lake hairy crabs from Wuzhong District, Suzhou — are expected to reach the market from the end of September. Taking advantage of the lake’s quality waters, Dongshan Town in the district has established a vast area of crab farms. Its total output is expected to reach about 550 tonnes, with market prices staying roughly the same as in previous years.

Early autumn in Suzhou also brings Dongshan chestnuts, known for their natural pale-yellow hue flesh.

A chestnut tree of about 370 years old in Dongshan, Suzhou.(Photo/CFP)

Chestnut cultivation in Dongshan can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Once ripe, the spiny green burrs split open, and with a gentle tap of a bamboo pole, the nuts fall to the ground with a soft soothing sound.

Dongshan is also home to a wild variety known as the white-haired chestnut, which ripens later, around the end of the tenth lunar month. Once air-dried, it can even be eaten raw, offering a refreshing and crisp sweetness.