During the cold winter season, business in restaurants of all sizes is booming, and medicinal cuisine is also very popular. Braised Chicken with Astragalus, Pineapple Chicken Slices, Deer Head Soup, Crystal Sugar Lotus Seeds... many customers choose these dishes with health benefits as their first choice for nourishment. However, you may not know that since medicinal ingredients are incorporated into food, they should not be consumed indiscriminately. Especially when taken long-term, not only do they fail to promote health, but they may also be detrimental to the body. Sellers are糊涂 (confused) and customers are糊涂 (confused) in their consumption.
Ms. Li heard that medicinal cuisine was beneficial to her health, so she tried some Ginseng Chicken. As a result, she felt thirsty with a dry mouth that night after returning home. She had to drink two or three glasses of water to quench her thirst, but she couldn't sleep well the entire night. This was actually a case of "internal heat" from eating, which caused irritability and affected her sleep. Experts warn that young people who are in good health should never take random supplements.
Regarding medicinal cuisine, the current situation is that consumers blindly pursue health, eating things they should and shouldn't; while businesses, for the sake of profit, make things they should and shouldn't. In fact, there is a great deal of knowledge involved in eating medicinal cuisine. Not every chef can prepare it, and even fewer people are suitable to eat it.
Take these four common medicinal dishes, for example: Braised Chicken with Astragalus, Pineapple Chicken Slices, Crystal Sugar Lotus Seeds, and Deer Head Soup. There are many specific rules for their consumption. Braised Chicken with Astragalus is best eaten in spring, Pineapple Chicken Slices are a summer delicacy, Deer Head Soup is best consumed in winter, and Crystal Sugar Lotus Seeds are most suitable for autumn. Regardless of the season, the functions of these four dishes are also very different. Pineapple Chicken Slices and Crystal Sugar Lotus Seeds are suitable for people with balanced yin and yang and good health. Braised Chicken with Astragalus is a medicinal dish to boost immunity. Deer Head Soup is suitable for those with yang deficiency who are afraid of the cold, while those with yin deficiency and excess internal heat must absolutely avoid it.
There are also regulations for medicinal cuisine. Since the 1970s, the Ministry of Health has successively announced only 79 types of medicinal materials that are both edible and medicinal. The number used in the market today is much larger, over a hundred. Some medicinal ingredients are incompatible with certain foods and must never be eaten indiscriminately. For example, when consuming Lily and Pomelo Syrup for treating chronic bronchitis, one must avoid eating rapeseed, radishes, and fish or shrimp.
Of course, some common medicinal dishes have long entered the homes of the people. Eating them is not harmful at all and is particularly beneficial to health. For example, Stir-fried Lily (clears the lungs and relieves cough), Chrysanthemum Tea (clears heat and brightens the eyes), Longan Congee (strengthens the spleen and benefits the kidneys), Hawthorn Cake (reduces stagnation and nourishes the blood), Red Bean Congee (strengthens the spleen and detoxifies), and Mung Bean Congee (clears heat and promotes urination), etc. These medicinal dishes can be eaten by ordinary people as well as those with various illnesses. However, some medicinal dishes are specially formulated for patients and are not suitable for consumption by the general public.