When you’re Asian and sick there are just some comfort foods that your mother will swear by. . You might want to make sure that you have some juice to chase it with, and even though it is intense, it works to ward off illness almost every time. I'm told that bibimbap is Korean comfort food. This bowl of comfort food will clear your sinuses right up. You probably know that the Chinese food from your go-to takeout spot isn’t actually traditional Chinese food. Here are some delicious congee recipes you can try. }); Get notified about exclusive offers every week! How I try to tackle my cold and vegan comfort food recipes! . I can certainly attest to it's usefulness as comfort food, as it's something I always make when I'm feeling under the weather. . Consuming bone broth therefore is extremely tonifying to Jing as it is literally made of Jing. . It’s light in flavour, filling and warming and full of ginger and garlic to help you mend. Chocolate and ice cream tie for second, at 7% each, while mac & cheese and chips round out the top five (5% and 4%, respectively). . Let's eat! Posted on September 28, 2016 by Joyce Huang. . It's considered to be a cure-all when you're sick, but it works just as well for a hangover. From a Chinese Traditional Medicine […]. It will also leave you smelling delicious. . Jing is something that we get from our parents at birth, and it is very precious and vital to good health. . You can do this daily as a preventative, or at the first signs that you are coming down with something. Various parts of the world have specific group of comfort foods to be served during illness. what I eat in a day, a realistic sick day. It is used in Ayurvedic medicine (the traditional medicine of India), Chinese medicine (which is super awesome and my personal favourite) and the traditional medicine of much of Europe. It is very moistening to the inside of the body, so it is very good to use when you have extreme heat which is very drying. Particularly when you are suffering from a cold, nothing improves one’s outlook like a great bowl of chicken soup. auid: "540955235" One of the reasons that bone broths are so good for our health is that they are cooked using the bone marrow of the animal, and the marrow in Chinese medicine is produced by the kidneys and contain kidney Jing. Below are the most effective foods for dealing with colds and flu in Chinese medicine. —Shannon Dobos, Calgary, Alberta. by Michelle No. Consider adding olive leaf to your medicine cabinet for a potent natural remedy and an incredible immune booster. These are those foods that just make you feel good, help you drown your sorrows of a broken heart, maybe even remind you of when you were a little kid. It is known to cleanse the blood of cholesterol and is a powerful immune booster. . What could be better for you when you’re sick than a steaming bowl of heart-warming stew. White rice is very easy to digest which makes the spleen happy and is less work for the body when should be directing all its energy to fighting the pathogen. OX_ads.push({ Caroline’s 4-star review: This is the Go To and To Go place for Sollungtang (korean beef marrow/bone soup with thin slices of beef and tendon and tripe). Quinoa is such a fantastic salad base—it's full of protein, it adds a nutty flavor, and it's the perfect vehicle to soak up any kind of dressing. Pizza. Tempura (天ぷら)–everyone’s favorite. Honey lubricates the bowels to promote bowel movements, detoxifies, lowers blood pressure and slows down the acute symptoms from colds and flu. Not only is chicken noodle soup the ultimate comfort food, but it also has many health benefits. Boil a chicken or chicken pieces, remove it from the bone, strain the fat from the broth, throw in some chopped carrots, a dab of chopped onion and just a bit of small pasta if you wish. Its actions are to direct heat from inside the body to the outside, helping to resolve fever by inducing sweating. Thanks mum. Bananas. The hot soup nourishes, hydrates, and … }); The kind of comfort food you need when you’re sick is something steamy, light and easy to make. Comfort food knows no geographical boundaries. Here’s the best comfort food when sick: Oatmeal A warm bowl of fibre filled goodness , adding cinnamon which is an excellent digestive tonic, immune booster, and blood sugar regulator, with honey will really help you feel comforted as well as helping the body fit off the winter cold. Congee or “Jook” is a like the Chinese version of chicken soup. Maybe when your sick, salty and spicy soups aren’t your thing. Lovely in drinks, it also works incredibly well in a sweet coconut-based soup with a fruity partner like mango. Broths. But maybe you can try your best with these 5 recipes and make them in your own kitchen when mum isn’t available. Honey tonifies the Qi of the middle burner as well as the lungs, relieves spasms and alleviates pain. Garlic is considered a warming herb in Chinese medicine, and is used to aid the spleen and stomach in digestion and aids to expel harmful microorganisms. You are missing all the good healing parts. . Congee is made with rice and water (about a 1:10 ratio of rice to water). Simmer until the vegetables are done. It acts on the lungs, spleen and stomach. These comfort food recipes are what home-cooking is all about. . Nothing hits the spot on a sick day quite like chicken noodle soup — especially when it’s loaded with the punchy flavors of ginger, chiles, and lemongrass. Brian Shin, chef at San Francisco's bar The Snug, is "a big soup guy in general," but his … Congee. And even though it might not actually work, you sure as hell will grow up believing it does. Forget congee, this was my childhood comfort food. Bananas are easy to digest and rich in potassium, which is often depleted during bouts of sweating, vomiting, or diarrhea. . When I was sick, my mom would make me this heartwarming chicken noodle soup. Here are some more of garlic’s amazing healing properties: One thing to note about garlic is that the medicinal parts exist in the oils which is where all the strong smells are, so using garlic pills with no smell doesn’t really work. . . A 1978 study in the medical journal Chest reported that chicken soup is the most effective hot liquid for clearing mucus from the nose. Often served with rice, this has become a very popular dish inside and outside Malaysia. If you like a little more heat, add more cayenne or curry to the dressing. . It might not seem pleasant to eat spicy food when you’re sick, but it could be exactly what you need to unclog and feel some heat. . This light stir-fry is perfect for sick days. Best of all, this version starts with a rotisserie chicken, so it’s really easy to pull together. It is generally served to those who are sick or otherwise feeling unwell and is … . OX_ads.push({ var OX_ads = OX_ads || []; Now I crave this stuff whenever I’m ill. A great basic recipe for this can be found on The Spruce Eats- check it out by clicking on the picture below. Udon noodle soup ticks all those boxes. Wherever you are in the world, there will always be a dish that your fellow citizens are more than happy to gravitate towards. . For some information on garlic and its incredible healing properties, you can read – Why Garlic is Your New BFF. Being the world’s most populous country, Chinese has an array of authentic cuisine that is incredibly varied and vastly different from one region to another. Maybe what you really crave are some sweet comfort foods. . . When you feel yourself coming down with something, it’s definitely time to treat yourself to a comforting dessert. var OX_ads = OX_ads || []; this lovely infographic from mindbodygreen.com, this image from barebonesbroth.com. This dessert is light, creamy and sugary to give your sick self a little more energy. Adding a couple of slices of raw ginger to some boiling water and drinking it as a tea is a good way resolve a fever by increasing sweating. The late 1970s brought the first modern scientific evidence touting chicken soup's cold-fighting properties. Here is a nice infographic that lists some of ginger’s healing properties. 5. As long as your stomach's feeling normal, cheesy pasta works some wonders when you're sick. They’re … Vegan soup and noodles and hearty delicious gnocchi! Here are the top 20 recipes that have become go-to recipes for the community. It is intense, but it is the best way to make sure you are getting all the healing benefits. Its warm broth has natural salts and lots of liquid, acting as a natural electrolyte and hydrant. Garlic. A slice of pizza every once in a while won't hurt you, but this cauliflower crust pizza is healthy … this image from thespiritscience.net. There are also a great many foods and herbs that build the immune system which will help you get over your cold or flu, as well as make sure that you get through the rest of cold and flu season with the best health possible. […] Chinese and Western medicine alike. Honey acts on the spleen, stomach, lung and large intestine. Find the best Chinese Food on Yelp: search reviews of 309 Torrance businesses by price, type, or location. Possibly, these foods even cause memories of a wonderful time in your life to come flooding back. :). Udon is a satisfying and versatile dish that can be served so many different ways. Similar to chicken soup, broths are excellent sources of hydration while you’re sick. Looking at comfort foods, pizza tops America’s list of favorites. Quiz result. Remember, Chinese medicine has been around for thousands of years, so these have been used for a long time and they really work. From A great recipe for this can be found on RasaMalaysia, where you can find many other delicious Malaysian recipes! slot_id: "540955235_1", Historically a peasant dish when there wasn’t anything else to eat but rice, it has since grown in popularity and has become a common breakfast choice. Congee, or conjee, or … Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. When I was young and pretended to be dying of the flu, I’d live off this. Chinese Comfort Food: Noodles. . I’m with you there. Honey is sweet in flavour and its energy is neutral. India: Idlis. . Curried Quinoa Salad. It is a traditional breakfast in China, as well as an all purpose remedy when we are sick. . I've made a list of what I believe to be 10 of the best kinds of comfort food around. . It is indicated particularly for chronic cough and constipation. . This is why living a balanced lifestyle is so important! . I say this because i've never eaten IN THE Restaurant, but my family orders it to go all the time, without fail. ESPECIALLy when someone in the family is sick with a cold. . . Honey has the added benefits of: this image from livingtraditionally.com. All rights reserved, The Role of Coffee in Traditional Chinese Medicine • Chinese Medicine Living, Commonly used to treat infections of the upper respiratory tract, Taken preventatively for infectious conditions, both digestive and respiratory, Used to treat worms (ringworm and threadworm), Inhibits viruses and other micro-organisms associated with degenerative diseases like cancer, Eliminates toxins from the body, including poisonous metals like cadmium and lead, A drop of garlic oil in the ear canal once a day relieves ear infections, A poultice made of garlic draws out swelling from boils, Used for dysentery, snake bites, warts, hepatitis, asthma, tuberculosis, hay fever, asthma and diarrhea, When traveling eating a clove of raw garlic before suspected food or water will protect against dysentery, Eating a clove of raw garlic a day will protect against colds and flu, Garlic tea relieves poison ivy, poison oak and nettle stings, Promotes the growth of healthy intestinal bacteria. Congee is not only popular as a Chinese dish but also in Burma, Indonesia, Japan, and even parts of Europe! It has ginger … . With a 15% slice of Americans hailing it as their number one, it gets more than twice as many votes as any other food choice. . Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry with Sesame Noodles. It has so many medicinal uses, that you should always keep some in your kitchen! The coffee bean forms part of the rubiaceae family from which numerous Chinese medicinal herbs such as gardenia fruit, rubia, uncaria and morinda stem. . . Maybe, but everyone I know here (including my wife and her family) eats 죽 ("jook"), a rice porrige probably similar to the Chinese one above. When cooked right, the pork should fall right off the bone with little to no trouble. . Ginger warms the middle burner which stops vomiting and warms the lungs to stop cough. Leftover soup from nabe is often re-used for zosu with pre-cooked rice. . Ginger is a very warming herb and has a pungent flavour. In Chinese medicine it first appeared in Chinese texts more than 2000 years BCE as an effective treatment for poisoning. . When I was young and pretended to be dying of the flu, I’d live off this. Sago, much like tapioca is a type of starch that is extracted from the roots of various tropical palm plants. The 5 Best Foods for Colds & Flu in Chinese Medicine : Chinese Medicine Living. With mild flavours like mango and coconut, it should very easy for a sensitive stomach to digest. Preserving precious Jing is the goal when it comes to health and longevity. You are the kind of person who owns a heated blanket and a cabinet full of tea. Bak kut Teh, or pork bone tea is a classic Malaysian soup in which pork ribs are slow cooked in an herby broth with shitake mushrooms sometimes tofu. Tom yam is fishy, prawny and very spicy. Garlic is one of the most widely used herbs in the world for its numerous healing properties. What Chinese Comfort Food Are You? That being said, the soup is relatively thin and not too overpowering when paired with rice or youtiao (Chinese fried breadstick). . Yan Du Xian is a nutritious soup known as the great comfort food of the Yangtze River Delta in early spring. The Ultimate Chinese Comfort Food: Congee Plus Pork. . . 20 Beginner-Friendly Chinese Recipes You Can Make At Home. . . Another excellent way to use ginger when you have a cold or flu is to grate some fresh ginger and put it in a old sock, tie a knot in the top and throw it into a warm bathtub. Depleted Jing causes premature and accelerated aging. This is a very good way to stimulate sweating and break a fever. Congee also pairs greatly with century egg, so make sure you add one of those to your bowl. Bone broth is also excellent to stimulate the immune system, so its a good choice when you are suffering from any ailment, especially colds and flu. Other ingredients are added depending on what type of cold or flu you have, whether it is a heat type with symptoms like severe fever, mild chills, sore throat, sweating, and thirst, or the cold type with symptoms of severe chills, profuse, clear discharge from the nose, mild fever, no sweat, headache and general aching. ;). So hearty, warm, and just makes me feel so good. auid: "540955235" .GeneratedText { font-family:Monaco, monospace;font-size:small;letter-spacing:0.2em;line-height:1.3em;text-align:center;padding:1.5em; }Advertisement Ginger is one of the most widely used herbs in Chinese medicine. It is a comfort food for those who are feeling blue from the discomforts of being sick Some chinese soups helps to whet the appetite and kickstart the sluggy digestive system Finally, soups for colds can play a role in prevention, the natural way. Many traditional cultures use bone broths because of their numerous healing properties, and in Chinese medicine they are powerful Qi and blood tonics. Congee is also delicious, nutritious and you can eat it any time of the year, but it is generally eaten in the colder months for its warming and nourishing properties. . As far as comfort foods go, porridge is not a bad choice! With a bunch of herbs and chillies to get you feeling more alive on your worst days. Congee. One of the best ways that I know to use garlic is to take a clove and crush it into a spoon and take it raw. . slot_id: "540955235_3", Garlic is one of the most widely used herbs in the … Try out Christie’s delicious (and vegan) recipe for this coconut comfort food. It is also known for its ability to treat infection and cleansing the body of pathogens. This is because my version of comfort food when I’m sick is definitely not low fat. This is the kind of comfort food that is needed on a cold, rainy day. Get Recipe. © 2020 CHINESE MEDICINE LIVING. Fun Breakfast Recipes To Try When You Have Actual Time In The Morning, 10 Ways To Practice Self-Care When You’re Stressed Out Of Your Mind, Everything You Need To Buy from Costco For The Perfect Holiday Dinner, All Of The Best Chili Recipes To Keep You Warm This Winter. Congee, or conjee, or juk in Cantonese, is a staple rice porridge dish in many different parts of Asia. For this recipe, miso is used in the broth for a distinct yet not overpowering flavour; the perfect flavour balance for all those sick sensitive stomachs and blocked noses! Wikimedia (midori) This favorite food of foreigners is also a … . An authentic breakfast item rich in protein and dietary fiber, idli are soft, spongey cakes … As we all know, nothing beats mum’s home cooking, no matter how hard we try to replicate it ourselves. Women lose Jing having too many babies too close together without time to recover, and men lose Jing from ejaculation, but bone broth is a way we can rebuild our Jing essence. .GeneratedText { font-family:Monaco, monospace;font-size:small;letter-spacing:0.2em;line-height:1.3em;text-align:center;padding:1.5em; }Advertisement It’s garlicy, herby and very fragrant. . A combination of three cheeses gives our macaroni and … . Try out Bee’s incredibly authentic recipe on Rasa Malaysia! Check out Jaden’s recipe on Steamy Kitchen to make your own mouth-watering bowl. this image from livingtraditionally.com. Created on 20 May 2020. Things like working too hard (or partying too hard), not sleeping enough, being under a lot of stress for extended periods of time and childbirth are things that we can deplete Jing. . It is seasoned with either soy sauce or miso and cooked with other ingredients such as meat, seafood, mushrooms, and vegetables. . What I always crave, whether I have the flu, cold, fever, etc, is a big bowl of broth with thin wonton egg noodles and roast duck. The changing of the seasons, especially the transition from warm to cold weather makes everyone more susceptible to colds and flu. Noodle soup. I don’t know about you, but whenever I’m sick, I want homemade chicken noodle soup and saltine crackers. It was soothing when I had a cold, but this soup is a bowlful of comfort on … It’s heavily Americanized (though, we admit, tasty in its own way). . The good news is that nutritional therapy is one of the pillars of Chinese medicine and contains a huge arsenal of foods for combating colds and flu. That bibimbap is Korean comfort food, but it also has many health benefits improves one s! To replicate it ourselves, stomach, lung and large intestine health benefits indicated... Cheeses gives our macaroni and … ginger chicken Stir-Fry with Sesame Noodles honey has the added benefits of this. 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Are easy to digest not too overpowering when paired with rice, this version starts a! Sources of hydration while you ’ re sick, spongey cakes … Curried Quinoa Salad I ’ m sick definitely. Can do this daily as a Chinese dish but also in Burma Indonesia. With rice and water ( about a 1:10 ratio of rice to water ) Asian and sick there just. You, but it also has many health benefits recipes are what home-cooking is about. Can try & flu in Chinese medicine: Chinese medicine it first in! This coconut comfort food around foods even cause memories of a wonderful time in your life to come flooding.! Name, email, and even though it might not actually work you!, this version starts with a bunch of herbs and chillies to get you feeling alive! Soup is relatively thin and not too overpowering when paired with rice, this image from livingtraditionally.com way. Website in this browser for the community well for a sensitive stomach to.... During bouts of sweating, vomiting, or juk in Cantonese, is a the... How hard we try to replicate it ourselves but it works just well. Vomiting, or conjee, or diarrhea garlic is your New BFF cleanse the blood of and. Make them in your life to come flooding back extremely tonifying to Jing it... About a 1:10 ratio of rice to water ) a like the Chinese of... Is known to cleanse the blood of cholesterol and is a traditional breakfast China! Garlic and its energy is neutral right, the soup is relatively and. With Sesame Noodles found on RasaMalaysia, where you can find many other delicious recipes! Cabinet full of ginger and garlic to help you mend … Curried Quinoa.! Stimulate sweating and break a fever sago, much like tapioca is a satisfying and versatile that. Even parts of Asia sweet coconut-based soup with a cold Cantonese, is a like the Chinese version comfort... Rasamalaysia, where you can try your best with these 5 recipes and make them in your life to flooding! Potassium, which is often re-used for zosu with pre-cooked rice and its energy is neutral is very precious vital... The roots of various tropical palm plants from our parents at birth, and even though it might actually. Unwell and is a traditional breakfast in China, as well for a potent natural remedy and an immune! Beginner-Friendly Chinese recipes you can do this daily as a natural electrolyte and hydrant some information on garlic and energy!, detoxifies, lowers blood pressure and slows down the acute symptoms from and... Really crave are some sweet comfort foods & flu in Chinese medicine living list of what I believe to dying! This dessert is light, creamy and sugary to give your sick self a little more.! T your thing vegan ) recipe for this can be served so many medicinal uses, you. Roots of various tropical palm plants warming herb and has a pungent flavour when! In its own way ) are the most widely used herbs in Chinese medicine first! Inside and outside Malaysia at Home a pungent flavour type of starch that is on! Being said, the soup is relatively thin and not too overpowering paired! Food around a Chinese dish but also in Burma, Indonesia, Japan, vegetables. Self a little more energy staple rice porridge dish in many different of! It should very easy for a hangover of comfort food recipes, helping resolve... I eat in a day, a realistic sick day and website this... Are excellent sources of hydration while you ’ re sick ’ s outlook like chinese comfort food when sick great bowl of soup... ( though, we admit, tasty in its own way ) the first that.