What season is Huangmei? Understanding the early summer plum rain season

There are many magical climate phenomena around us, and they often appear and disappear along with the growth of certain plants. People often talk about Huangmei, Huangmei days, and Huangmei rain. In what season does Huangmei appear?

1. What season is Huangmei

When Huangmei refers to a fruit, it means the apricot. June to August is the period when apricots ripen. Apricot trees sprout and bloom in spring, with the flowering period generally between March and April, lasting about half a month, and the ripening of apricots is affected by temperature. Most ripen in July, around the same time as the wheat harvest, so there is also the saying “when the wheat turns yellow, the apricots are ripe.”

When Huangmei refers to weather, it is generally called Huangmei days, occurring in June to July each summer, when the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River experience continuous cloudy and rainy days. Because apricots also ripen at this time, and in ancient times apricots were called Huangmei, this climate is called plum rain or Huangmei rain.

2. What to pay attention to when eating Huangmei

1. Apricots that are not fully ripe are not recommended for consumption. Apricots contain a certain amount of amygdalin, and this substance is present in high amounts in raw apricots. This type of substance is converted into hydrocyanic acid in the gastrointestinal tract, which is toxic, and eating it can cause food poisoning.

2. Apricots contain amygdalin-type substances, which are toxic, so people with poor liver function, as well as pregnant women, postpartum women, and children, should not eat them.

3. Apricots are high in sugar and should not be eaten in excess, so as to avoid increasing the sugar content in the eyes and gastrointestinal tract and triggering diabetes and obesity.

3. The specific timing of Huangmei days

The first Bing day after Mangzhong marks the beginning of Meiyu, and the first Wei day after Xiaoshu marks the end of Meiyu. The beginning of Meiyu always falls between June 6 and 15, and the end of Meiyu always falls between July 8 and 19. Eastern China has a clearly distinct rainy season with a relatively long rainy period and fairly concentrated rainfall. As for when Meiyu begins, generally the higher the latitude, the later the time. In Taiwan, China, Meiyu generally begins in mid-May and ends in mid-June. In Japan, it generally begins in late May and ends in late July. In the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China, on average Meiyu begins in mid-June and ends in early July each year. But specific places differ somewhat. In the Zhejiang region, Meiyu begins in the fifth month of the lunar calendar; specifically, it begins on the Ren day after Mangzhong and ends on the Geng day after the summer solstice.

The above is a rough introduction to Huangmei. I believe everyone now has a certain understanding of it, and I hope it has some reference value.