Further north, in Yunnan and Sichuan, various cuts of meat are heavily seasoned and hung up to dry, ending up in stir-fries, or simply steamed. Here, the meats are pickled with lots of chilli and Sichuan peppercorns.

In Ningbo, Zhejiang province, a favorite new year delicacy is a type of ham, featuring chopped pork stuffed into a pig's stomach and then cured in brine.

In Hubei, where there are plenty of lakes and ponds, preparations for spring start with fishing for carp. Whole carp are salted and then hung up to dehydrate but a good cured carp stays soft and supple for the Lunar New Year meals.

The Hunting Month may have slowly evolved into the curing month, yet it is still part of a culinary tradition that is a prelude to the most important celebration of the entire lunar year－Spring Festival.

Another major indicator is on the eighth day of the last lunar month, which fell on Jan 2 this year. This is the day when every household will serve a porridge of mixed grains－laba porridge. It is the last bookmark of the previous year's harvest of cereals, pulses and brans.

The colorful mixed grains are cooked together with brown sugar and served to family and visitors. With the eating of laba porridge, the countdown to Spring Festival begins.