楊慎《寒朝早起即事》“What happened after I got up early on a cold morning” by Yang Shen (1488-1559)

籬頭篳栗競發，

爐心榾柮通紅。

煨香蹲鴟已熟，

流澌凍醴方融。

小窗一梳新月，

影在梅花樹東。

At the end of the hedge, bamboo flutes compete to emerge;

In the heart of the stove, gnarled roots glow bright red.

A nice roasting smell﹣the crouching-owl [1] is done;

A thin running stream﹣the frozen brew is beginning to thaw.

In the small window is a comb[-like] crescent moon

And a shadow to the east of the tree full of plum blossoms.

*Yang Shen, Sheng’an ji 升蓭集, Yingyin Wenyuange Siku quanshu 景印文淵閣四庫全書 (Shanghai: Shanghai guji chubanshe, 1987), vol. 1270, 40.10a.

[1] Dunchi 蹲鴟 (crouching-owl) refers to taro.

The famous Lipu taro from Guangxi

Some lovely taro buns I had recently. The design looks more like another smaller variety of taro that is also common in the south.