当季食材
按月看应季蔬菜水果，吃当季最鲜最实惠。
中文介绍
中国人讲究「不时不食」——吃当季的，最鲜、最实惠、也最养人。春吃笋与野菜，夏吃瓜果与小龙虾，秋吃蟹与板栗，冬吃萝卜白菜与柑橘。逛菜市场或超市，按月份挑应季食材，既能吃到最好状态，也避开了反季菜的高价与催熟。
各地差异明显：南方（广东、福建、云南）蔬菜水果上市更早、品种更丰富，一年四季都有绿叶菜；北方冬季以耐储的白菜、萝卜、土豆为主，大棚补足缺口。给外国朋友讲中国菜，当季食材是理解「不时不食」饮食观的一把钥匙——春天那口香椿、秋天那只大闸蟹，都是季节限定的仪式感。
常见问题
春天吃什么应季菜？
春笋、香椿、荠菜、菠菜、韭菜、蚕豆；水果有草莓、菠萝、樱桃。
为什么中国人讲究吃当季？
当季菜最鲜最实惠也最养人，还符合「不时不食」的传统饮食观，反季菜价高且风味差。
秋天必吃什么？
大闸蟹（阳澄湖等地）、板栗、柿子、梨、石榴；还有应季的莲藕、南瓜、红薯。
English
Chinese cuisine prizes the idea of 不时不食 — eat only what's in season. It's freshest, cheapest and at its best: spring bamboo shoots and wild greens in spring, melons and crayfish in summer, crab and chestnuts in autumn, and radishes, cabbage and citrus in winter. Shop the market or supermarket by month and you get produce at its peak, avoiding the high prices and forced ripening of out-of-season imports.
Regions differ sharply: the south (Guangdong, Fujian, Yunnan) gets produce earlier and in more variety, with leafy greens all year; the northern winter leans on storage crops like cabbage, radish and potato, with greenhouses filling the gaps. When explaining Chinese food to a foreigner, seasonal produce is a key to the philosophy of 不时不食 — that first bite of spring toon (香椿) or the autumn hairy crab is a season-limited ritual.
FAQ
What's in season in spring?
Spring bamboo shoots, toon, shepherd's purse, spinach, chives and broad beans; strawberries, pineapple and cherries.
Why do Chinese people insist on eating in season?
In-season produce is freshest, cheapest and best, and matches the 不时不食 tradition; out-of-season items cost more and taste worse.
What must you eat in autumn?
Hairy crab, chestnuts, persimmons, pears and pomegranates, plus in-season lotus root, pumpkin and sweet potato.