Food For Thought

Chinese food-therapy specialist and cupuncture master Zhao Hongbin believes that food therapy is the safest and most effective way of permanently erasing bodily discomforts, including the effects of very cold weather. Winter finds the master almost daily lecturing China's top hotel chefs on how to provide guests with the most warming and nutritious foods to combat coldness.

He highly recommends cooked walnuts and Chinese chestnuts as the best side ingredients, for they can be fried or braised with meats or fish which are equally highly nutritious: pork, mutton, chicken, kidney, duck, beef and carp.

Dr. Zhao calls walnuts "longevity fruit". Apart from their high nutritional value, they also serve, over time, as a tonic in building up one's general health. He says the nutrition contained in a single walnut is five times that of an egg, quadruple that of beef, and nine times of milk. Walnut nourishes the brain, blood and kidneys, and moistens (helps clear) the respiratory tract. It can also be used to counter insomnia.

"Chinese chestnuts nourish the kidneys and spleen," says Dr. Zhao. "A regular intake can help build up a strong body overall, and increase energy."

WARM UP WITH MEDICINAL WINE
The old Chinese tradition of drinking medicinal wine to keep warm in winter has not been overlooked by Xu Tao, beverages manager at Beijing's Guangzhou Hotel. This year he has prepared five medicinal winter wines for consumption in the hotel's second-floor Chinese restaurant.

His winemaking knowledge and skills stem from Chongqing, Sichuan Province, where he once spent a holiday. He found that, by custom, every family there made their own medicinal wine with ingredients that included herbs, seahorses, snakes and turtles. Xu was so fascinated from a professional viewpoint that he visited several families and learned their formulae and methods of production.

Now he produces wines such as Beijing Erguotou, which takes at least six months to reach consumption quality. Along with other of his wines, its base is Chinese spirit into which ingredients are introduced. The popular Erguotou contains walnut, longan, Chinese wolfberries, red dates, western ginseng and crystal sugar. "It's very good for the brain, and makes the body stronger as well as helping to keep it warm," said Xu.
Another wine contains ginseng, Chinese wolfberries, tubers of multiflower knotweed, and black dates. Xu said it helps blood circulation and reduces noxious elements in the body. He reminded customers that the maximum amount of his wines they should drink per day is 100g. At the Guangzhou Hotel, a 50g glass costs 5-10 yuan.

Face The Day With
a Tummyful of These!
Note: Ingredients for these four porridges should be placed in cold water before cooking. Do not place in boiling water.

Porridge Potpourri
(Mixture of cereals, beans, peanuts, lotus seeds, nuts, dates, and raisins.)
The amounts of water and ingredients required depend on the number of people sharing the dish; 100g of rice is usually adequate for three or four people. Cover the rice and ingredients in the pan with about one-third more water than the level of cooked porridge you require, thus allowing for evaporation. After boiling, adjust the gas flame or electric plate to its lowest level and keep the pot covered. Simmer for 30 minutes. If you leave it simmering for longer, the porridge potpourri will be stickier -- and probably tastier.

Walnut Porridge
It nourishes the brain and kidneys, and helps clear your respiratory system.
Rice, 100g; Walnut, 50g.

Longan Porridge
Also nourishes the blood, and helps relaxation. Especially effective during winter.
Rice, 100g; Longan, 20g.

Chinese Wolfberry Porridge
Tones up the liver and kidneys, helps reduce coughing. Improves sight.
Rice, 100g; Seed of Chinese Wolfberry, 30g.

MAIN DISHES
Kidney Fried With Walnut
Main ingredients
Pig kidney, 500g; Walnut, 70g.
Side ingredients
Egg yolks, 2; Starch, 50g;
Cooking wine, 25g; Fresh Ginger, 15g;
Salt, 4g; Sesame Oil, 25g;
Vegetable Oil, 80g.

Chicken With Walnut
Main ingredients
Chicken, 300g; Walnut, 20g;
Seed of Chinese Wolfberry, 10g.
Side ingredients
Chicken broth, 100g; Eggs, 2;
Salt, 4g; Cooking Wine, 20g;
Sesame Oil, 5g; Black Pepper Powder, 2g;
Starch, 30g; Ginger, 10g;
Chinese onion, 10g; White Sugar, 10g.

Pork With Chinese Chestnut
Main ingredients
Chinese Chestnut, 300g; Pork, 600g.
Side ingredients
Ginger, 15g; Chinese Onion, 10g;
Soy Sauce, 10ml; Vegetable Oil, 50g;
Chinese wine, 30g; Salt, 4g;
White Sugar, 5g; Chicken Broth, 150g.

Chicken With Chinese Chestnut
Main ingredients
Chinese Chestnut, 250g; Chicken, 850g.
Side ingredients
Ginger, 15g; Chinese Onion, 15g;
Cooking Wine, 20g; Chinese Broth, 200ml;
Vegetable Oil, 50g; Soy Sauce, 10g.

Doctor Frost's
DOs and
DONT's
No matter how cold it is, don't keep your windows closed all day. Allow the air in your home or office to fully circulate at least thrice daily to expel bad air that might contain 'flu and other germs. Don't have facing windows open at the same time; it would prevent proper circulation.

Protect your back and feet with particular care, using warm, light clothing and non-elasticated stockings. Traditional Chinese medical theory is that the skin of your back is the core of your entire body skin, and that your feet are the "second heart". They are the parts of the body furthest from the heart, so blood does not reach them as easily as to other areas and organs. But the feet have rich blood vessels which need to be protected by adequate warmth.

Clothes should always be as lightweight as possible, consistent with warmth. No extra warmth is provided by a heavy sweater in itself.

From the health aspect, the ideal room temperature is 16-17 degrees Centigrade, though people feel most comfortable when the surrounding temperature is about 24 degrees C. The "gap" between the two temperatures is necessary in preparing your body to more quickly adjust to the cold weather outside. If the temperature in your home or workplace is too high, you stand a greater chance of catching a cold when you venture outside.