The Chinese calendar is entering a berry season

As Minor Heat announces the harvest of bay berries, a sweet and sour treat graces tables across the country

Such as the solar term Minor Heat, or xiaoshuarrives on Tuesday, early summer in eastern China is entering its most intense phase. In Taizhou’s Xianju county, Zhejiang province, bay berries have reached full ripeness, marking the culmination of one of the most closely watched seasonal harvests in the region.

Before sunrise – around 3am – the hills of Xianju are already dotted with moving lights. Growers wearing headlamps climb through orchards in the dark, carefully picking fruit at the highest level of ripeness. Wu Yuyong, director of the Specialty Technology Promotion Center of the Xianju County Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau, still remembers the scene vividly.

“From a distance, the entire mountain looks like scattered stars,” he said. “It’s pretty spectacular.”

The harvested fruit is quickly transported for sorting and processing. The main variety is the Dongkui bayberry, which is widely recognized throughout China for its large size, juiciness and balanced sweet and sour taste. When fully ripe, the fruit turns from bright red to a deep purplish black.

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Grower Zhang Hongjun, who has been working with bayberries for almost 30 years, says color is the most important indicator of ripeness.

“Black means it is fully ripe,” he said. “Red berries are still a bit sour, while dark berries are sweeter.”

In the early summer heat, it is generally considered a refreshing seasonal fruit that helps balance the rising temperatures.

Xianju has developed a staggered cultivation system based on height differences. The fruit from lower-lying orchards is now in the process of being harvested, while the mid- and high-altitude areas are entering the high season.

“For every 100 meters of height, maturity is delayed by about two to three days,” Wu said. The system extends the harvest period from early June to midsummer, while the fruit gradually ripens in the mountainous landscape.

Due to its latitude, Xianju is located in an excellent fruit growing belt. The mountainous terrain, humid climate and pronounced temperature differences between day and night help the fruit to accumulate fructose and flavor. The volcanic rhyolitic geology of the region further contributes to the slightly acidic soil that is well suited to bayberry cultivation.

Today, Xianju has about 10,000 hectares of bayberry orchards.

Eating bay berries during Minor Heat is also part of China’s broader tradition of seasonal eating, where diets follow natural rhythms. Sour and sweet fruits are especially favorite in summer, where the acidity stimulates the appetite and the sweetness provides balance.

In Xianju, bayberry season also brings household traditions such as making bayberry wine. Fresh fruit is preserved with sugar or fermented into spirits, extending its seasonal presence beyond the harvest period.

Zhang, the farmer, says the Xianju bayberry brand is “preserved from generation to generation”, reflecting both its economic value and local identity. The fruit represents not only income, but also regional reputation.

The industry has also built a modern logistics system to meet growing demand.

Wu Haojie, head of SF Express’s Xianju bayberry project, noted that “after harvest, the fruit is immediately sent for pre-cooling, sorting and packaging.”

“Then it is transported nationwide through cold chain logistics,” Wu said.

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Sorting standards have become increasingly precise. Premium Dongkui bayberries can weigh over 35 grams each, comparable in size to table tennis balls.

The fruit is then packed in ice bags in insulated boxes to maintain freshness. From Xianju, shipments now reach more than 200 cities across China. Many destinations are delivered next day, while orders are also flown from Shanghai to overseas markets including Singapore, Italy and France, mainly serving Chinese communities abroad.

The expansion of cold chain logistics has transformed Xianju bayberries from a local seasonal product into a nationally distributed – and increasingly global – fruit.

The appeal of Xianju bay berries lies in their balance between sweetness and acidity. Excessive sweetness would weaken their character, while a gentle sourness preserves freshness – a reflection of the seasonal transition itself, when the heat is rising but has not yet reached its peak.

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