yangmei are a quintessential fruit of Jiangnan—the land once known as Wu-Yue. As Su Dongpo, a gourmet of impeccable taste and integrity, once wrote:
“Grapes of Xiliang, lychees of Fujian and Guang—none can rival the 杨梅 of Wu-Yue.”
Though he also famously claimed that he’d “gladly stay in Lingnan eating three hundred lychees a day,” his highest praise was reserved for Jiangnan’s yangmei .
六月是杨梅的季节——也是江南梅雨的季节。初夏时节,细雨带着淡淡的酸甜气息,浆果在柔和的雨中成熟。当果实膨胀、变淡,然后慢慢泛起红晕时,一种微妙的思念感开始弥漫在空气中——“山坡上,杨梅盛开,香气如昏暗的兰花。”
有些人等不及浆果完全成熟和甜美。他们提前采摘,深知这些浆果大多适合酿酒。然而,这种不耐烦本身就是仪式的一部分——一种等待了一整年的渴望。
没有其他水果在江南承载如此情感的分量——一种甜蜜与渴望的融合,深受当地人民的珍视。杨梅季节是一个非正式的民间节日,而节日,最重要的是,成为回家的借口。
When yangmei turn red, those who have wandered away come back to taste them. The red berries are like another kind of red bean—“May the tree bear plentiful fruit; this, too, speaks of相思 (xiāngsī—longing).”
Having lived close to 杨梅 for thirty years, I still feel the warmth of village life in this season—the joy of visiting relatives and friends, all accompanied by the iconic sweet-sour taste of the fruit.
I once wrote: “As the old saying goes, 杨梅 can cure a hundred illnesses.” In my hometown, this belief is widely held. 杨梅 are gentle on the stomach, and bayberry wine is often used as a folk remedy for summer digestive ailments.
For generations, making bayberry wine has been a vital June tradition. Those who have bayberries naturally welcome friends and family from near and far, sharing the year’s harvest.
买家和卖家,东道主和客人——所有人都参与到六月充满活力的社会交织中。有些人成为终生的朋友,每年都被邀请到六月的山中。这种围绕杨梅的年度交流,促进了持久的联系。
我记得有人说过,世界上有两种世界级的水果:山竹和杨梅。使它们卓越的原因在于甜味和酸度的完美平衡、精致的香气以及持久的余味——那种让我们想起大自然奇迹的余味。
今天,越来越多的人梦想着江南六月杨梅的味道。当谈到最优质的品种——那种平衡甜度、酸度、香气以及柔软多汁的口感——没有什么能超越来自舟山的 Wandao yangmei。
一旦品尝,便难以忘怀。随着六月的临近,渴望愈发强烈——轻柔而稳定,如同梅雨本身——直到那颗黑暗、成熟的浆果终于落在你的舌尖上。
中国最大的杨梅消费地实际上在江南——这里种植着数百万颗杨梅。人们种植它们的时间越长,就越能理解它们。他们吃它们、分享它们、赠送它们——因为在那甜酸的味道中蕴藏着一种渴望的滋味。
Come to Jiangnan in June. Taste the bayberries.
Author: Lisa Cheng