It is said that Cantonese people "cannot have a meal without soup". Cantonese folk tradition advocates that soups made with chicken, duck, pork ribs, and other meats should be "simmered for three hours and stewed for four hours". Data shows that 80% of Guangzhou residents love "slow-cooked soups", and 60% of them have high uric acid levels related to this.
If food is stewed for too long, the purine and fat content in the soup become very high. After drinking it, people are prone to hyperuricemia, which can lead to gout, kidney disease, etc.
"Different soups have different simmering times and methods, so they cannot be generalized!" Jiang Baoquan, director of the Nutrition Department at Daping Hospital, told reporters that soup is a very nutritious food that is easy to digest, so drinking soup is beneficial. The longer you simmer soup, the better it is not, but the time cannot be too short. This needs to be determined by the temperature and the type of ingredients. The more substances from the ingredients dissolve into the soup, the higher its value. However, the longer the soup is simmered, the easier it is to destroy amino acids in the food, increase purine content, and cause a large loss of nutrients. Generally speaking, it is advisable to control meat soups within 2 hours. Simmering for too long not only may cause nutrient loss, but drinking rich soup for a long time can also damage the kidneys.Different Voices
A chef insists that the older the soup, the better. Regarding the claim that long-simmered meat soups can harm health, Chef Zhou told reporters that the slow-cooked soups in restaurants nowadays are generally carefully simmered for four or five hours. Some even contain various ingredients beneficial to the human body, such as American ginseng, Chinese yam, and cordyceps. These ingredients must be simmered for a long time to achieve a delicious taste and rich nutritional effect. He has never heard of anyone getting sick from drinking them. He believes that as long as any food is eaten in moderation, it is good for the body, and there is no need to worry.
A Tip for You
How to Simmer Soup for Delicious and Nutritious Results
1. It is best to use cold water for simmering soup. If you pour hot water into the pot from the beginning, the sudden high temperature will cause the outer layer of protein in the meat to solidify, preventing it from fully dissolving into the soup.
2. Add enough cold water at once and do not add more midway. Heat it slowly, so that the protein can fully dissolve into the soup.
3. Do not add salt too early when simmering soup. Salt can cause the moisture in the meat to escape quickly and also speed up the coagulation of protein, affecting the fresh taste of the soup.
4. Simmer soup with the lid on the pot.
5. If you want a clear, not cloudy soup, you must use low heat, so that the soup only simmers but does not boil vigorously.