Facts about Cordyceps - Dong Chong Xia Cao

Some knowledge about this Dong Chong Xia Cao has to be clarify here. This herb is very precious because it is consider as a delicacy even for some. This herb is also very expensive these days as it is hard to get and no doubt become precious. But believe me, long time ago this Dong Chong Cao was not as expensive as it is today.

Now what I need to clarify about this herb is that according to the TCM practitioner, they told me that if you consume this herb once in a while, it has no effects whatsoever. It is only when consume continuosly for a period of time then this herb and nutrition will be proeperly absorb by our body. In other words to consume this herb one must prepare to spend some money on it.

Simple Chicken herbal soup

This dish can be consume almost every other day unless you find it boring. It is a simple Chicken herbal soup with only 3 Chinese herb ingredients, which is Solomon's seal, wolfberries and Chinese Yam. It is nutritional and you can consume the meat of the chicken as well. This soup can be made either from chicken or lean pork meat as well; it is entirely up to your preferences. I choose to cook with a skinless chicken and it must be cut up to at least 4 big pieces, well this is also up to your preferences. You can leave the whole chick in it and let it cook as well. If using pork, it is a tradition that to cut the lean meat in big chunks rather than slice it thin, and normally, I do not consume the meat at all and only drink the soup as all the nutrition is already in the soup.

Simple Chicken Herbal soup (serves 4)

1 about 900g     Whole Chicken

or 

600g                  Lean pork

15g                    Solomon's seal 玉竹-Yuk Chuk

15g                    Chinese yam 山藥-Shan Yau
2 tbsp                Wolfberries 枸杞子-Gei Zhi

1 litre                 Water

1tsp                   Salt (optional)

1. Rinse the herbs properly.
2. Remove the excess fat in the meat if necessary, you do not want your soup to be full with oil later.Clean the meat by rubbing some salt then rinse it off after a few minutes. This adds some taste to the meat so you do not need to add salt later in the soup.
3. Combine all ingredients in a pot and simmer for about an hour.
4. Please remember to wait till the water boil first before you put in the ingredients.

Alternatively, I scald the meat first with hot water before I add it into the soup as this method will reduce the fatty oil in the soup.

Huang Jing Tea (黄精茶)

I drink this tea occasionally as my body is not used to the heat and the weather is here does not permit me to drink this everyday; it is summer throughout the year. If you drink this tea in cold days like autumn or winter it would be just perfect. I only drink this tea once in a week or for some choose to drink it once every fortnight. It all depends on how your body works with the herbs. As this drink will warm up your body. It has the properties to boost your energy, improves 'Qi' and improves blood circulation. Accordingly to Chinese medicine practitioner, he drinks this tea everyday and now he is nearly 70 years old and he as healthy as ever and his energy level can be compete with a 40 year old person. Well, the ingredients such as Astralagus root does improves 'Qi' in the body while Solomon seal's root (Siberian Solomon Seal Rhizome) improves the blood circulation.

http://tcm.health-info.org/Herbology.Materia.Medica/huangjing-properties.htm

Huang Jing Tea 黄精茶 (serve 1-2)

5g     American Ginseng 西洋参

10g   Chinese Wolfberries 枸杞子

15g   Astralagus root 黄芪

10g   Solomon seal's root 黄精

1. Place all ingredients in a mug/ cup with a lid.
2. Pour hot water in it and cover the mug.
3. Let it stand for 5-10 minutes before drinking it.
4. After finish drinking it, you can keep on pouring hot water and let it stand and drink it again and again.
5. You may drink it for at least 2-3 times.

Alternatively, you may boil all the ingredients in a pot with 4-5 cups of water for 15 minutes. 

Ginseng Tea (洋参茶)

Now here's the simplest ginseng tea ever. You can consume this if you feel fatigue or drink it daily like coffee or tea. This tea is mild and does not interfere with your other food diet at all. I recommend that you  drink this early in the morning so it will boost your energy level; if you drink this tea before sleep, some might not sleep during the night.

Ginseng Tea 洋参茶

6pcs     Shredded American Ginseng
One mug of hot warm water

1. Place the ginseng pieces on the mug and pour in the hot/ warm water.
2. Cover the mug with a lid and let it stand for 5-10 minutes.
3. Drink the tea while it is warm.

One can also repeat the process and have a second drink later after the first but the effects will be reduced same like teabags, if you pour a second cup whatever taste in it will be reduced.
Some may choose to chew and eat the rest of the ginseng or just plain suck the ginseng till it is dry.

Black Date Longan tea (大枣圓肉茶)

Well, there are lots of versions for this tea. My recipe here is the easiest one I guess with the same effect'; as in to keep the body warm. This tea is usually drink during confinement month as you know the Chinese are not allow to drink plain water during this confinement month. It is said that the stomach is full of 'wind'. Basically, this tea would serve as a lovely dessert as well with an egg in it. Drink it in the morning or late at night before sleep. Please remember that this tea is not advisable for Men to drink. It is strictly for Women only, as there is Dong Gui in it.

Black Date Longan Tea 大枣圓肉茶 (serves 4)

20         Black dates (pitted)大枣

20         Dried Longans

30g       Dong gui 当归

1.5litres Water

4           Eggs (shelled)

1. Wash and rinse all ingredients.
2. Combine all into a slow cooker or otherwise in a double boil pot for at least 4 hours.
3. Alternatively, you can cook this in low heat for at least 3 hours.
4. If you are adding eggs please remember to pre-cooked it and peel off the shell before you combine it into the pot to cook.

Dang Shen Tea (黨參茶)

This Dang Shen tea has the abilty to rejuvinate your 'Qi' in your body. Dang Shen is considered as a poor's man ginseng, accordingly it is considered as a weaker version of ginseng. Do remember that if you consume Dang Shen it is best to avoid carrots as these 2 are opposites. If you feel a little fatigue and has no appetite this tea does help. It has also been proven to rejenerate red blood cells as well. For me myself I just drink this tea so that my body blood circulation will improve.

This tea can be consume during confinement, after birth.

For more information about this tea do refer to this website:  http://alternativehealing.org/dang_shen.htm

Dang Shen Tea 黨參茶(serves 4)

150g     Dang Shen 黨參
12         Red dates
20         Dried longan
1.5litres Water
2           Eggs (optional)

1. If adding eggs, do boil the eggs and peel off the shell and set aside
2. Rinse the dang shen, red dates and longan with water. Flatten the red dates and core the seeds.
3. Bring water to boil then combine all ingredients into the pot.
4. Simmer for at least 3 hours in low heat.

Hearty Red Bean Soup (紅豆湯)

I think I have consume more of this when I was a young child, at least once in a fortnight. There are many variations on how to cook this, but I adopt the easiest way as I do not want to waste time in preparing it. I am now cooking this for my family as they love this dessert serve once in a while after dinner.

Red Bean Soup (serves 4)

250g     Red beans (Adzuki beans)

4 pcs    Dried Tangerine peel (small)

10g      Glutinous Rice (soaked)

2 litres  Water

150g     Rock sugar (to taste)

1. Wash red beans thoroughly. Soaked tangerine peel and wash off the impurities.
2. Soaked the glutinous rice for at least an hour. Rinse.
3. Boil the water then add the glutinuos rice. Simmer for 15minutes over medium heat till soft.
4. Add in the beans and simmer for another hour till soft.
5. Add in the rock sugar, when it has dissolved put in the tangerine peel.
6. Simmer for about another 15 minutes then it is done.
7. Serve hot or cold.

If you have a pressure cooker, this can be cooked faster. Sometimes I use rice cooker to cook as well if I just want to leave it and let it cook slowly. Any other cooking method can be use for your own convinence.

Favourite Red dates & Longan Tea (桂圓紅棗茶)

Every year during the First day of Chinese New Year, my family would brew this tea early in the morning and the fragrant is just so ever pleasing to me. I love this tea as a young child because we only have this tea during Chinese New Year and it really meant something special. We will normally drink this tea early in the morning for breakfast, all the younger members of the family would offer a cup of Longan Tea for the elders first before they would consume one for themselves. This is what we still practice till today and as usual we only have it during the first day of Chinese New Year.

Red dates & Longan Tea 桂圓紅棗茶(serves 4)

150g     Dried Longan flesh

40         Red dates

4pcs      Dry White fungus 白木耳 (Bai Mu Er)

             Soaked

16-20    Gingko Nuts

2 litres   Water

100g     Rock sugar (add to taste) or Brown sugar

1. Wash longan flesh remove grit. Rinse the gingko nuts and red dates.
2. Soaked the white fungus, if it is too big do not worry as when it cooked will dissolved a little.
3. Combine all ingredients into a deep pot and simmer for about an hour.
4. You can serve this hot or ice cold. 

Please do note that this tea has a warming effect. If you feel there's heat in your body, I do not advise you to consume this tea.

Chrysanthemum Tea (菊花茶)

Simple tea such as Chrysanthemum Tea can be consume daily, but for me I only drink this tea when I feel the weather is really hot or when I feel my body is heating up as it is said to have some 'cooling' effect. Some people like to drink it by simply pour hot water over it but I like to drink it with some sugary taste.

2 litres Water
30g     Dry Chrysanthemum flowers
100g   Rock sugar (add to taste)

Boil the water then add in the dry flowers.
Cook for about 5 minutes till the water turn a bit yellowish then add in the rock sugar.
Continue to simmer for about another 20 minutes then leave to cool for another 10 minutes in the pot.
Pour out the tea and set aside till a bit cooler then drink.

You must strained off the flowers before drinking. I do not consume the flowers.
Additional tea can be placed in a jug  or store in a refrigerator if you like it cold.

In the Beginning

From a very young age, I have already started consuming chinese herbal soups which include bird nest and ginseng and stuff; but I have not realized that it really helps until I was about to go study abroad that I realized I miss those herbal teas, soups, desserts and cooking that my mother used to force me to consume and the various good properties that strengthen my body. 

Since then I started to get interested cooking using the chinese herbs in those delicious teas and soups. My faith with chinese herbs has increase over the years especially during my confinement months and so forth. I love food and most of all I want food that are healthy for me and my family. I am not a herbalist but I believe that the food we consume are who we are and healthy food meaning a healthy life. I am not a good cook but I try my best to cook for my family.

I would love to share the recipes that I have tried and consume and hopefully some of you will find it useful. Do know that I am not a professional Herbalist or TCM practitioner but just a simple mother cooking for her family.