The currently airing "Dae Jang Geum" not only makes people anxious for her fate, but the most fascinating part is probably the complex and visually appealing royal court cuisine. Whether for main meals, side dishes, main courses, or small dishes, each dish has its unique combination and medicinal properties. Some of these dishes can be made in our daily lives, so this newspaper will introduce some nutritious and functional dishes to its readers, with a nutritionist interpreting each one. Plot
The princess, who had not eaten or drunk for six consecutive days, worried everyone in the palace, especially the Royal Kitchen. Head Cui specially made the egg custard that we eat every day for the princess, but the princess only took two bites and refused to eat any more. The next day, Jin-yeong brought the princess a simple rice porridge. Just as the Queen was complaining to Head Cui about why she made such a simple meal, the princess drank all the porridge. Only when everyone asked did they find out that the previous meal had a strange smell due to moisture, but the porridge made by Jin-yeong after treating it with charcoal had no strange smell at all. Jin-yeong was praised, and she told the Head Lady that it was Jang-geum who told her that charcoal can remove odors. Plot
Jang-geum's mother, Myung-eung, was framed by someone and was force-fed poison by the Head Lady—aconite soup. But her good friend, Han Saeng-gung, mixed mung bean soup with it for Myung-eung to drink in a critical moment, and Myung-eung was saved. Jang-geum's father found Myung-eung and still made her mung bean soup. Myung-eung was revived again. Interpretation: Mung bean soup can detoxify. Expert: Dr. Yang Guohua, Director of the Department of Internal Medicine, Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences.
Clinically, mung beans do have the effect of detoxifying from poisons. Aconite is a type of Chinese medicine that is toxic. When taking Chinese medicine, it should be taken as prescribed by a doctor. If you experience numbness around the mouth, palpitations, etc., after taking it, you should use mung beans to detoxify immediately or seek medical attention promptly.
The most effective detoxifier is mung bean milk, followed by mung bean soup. The method for making mung bean milk is similar to that for soybean milk.
The mung bean soup we drink in our daily life is most suitable for drinking in the summer. Because summer is the plum rain season, the summer heat and dampness are relatively high, and mung beans have the effect of resolving damp-heat, so it is not suitable to drink it frequently during the drier spring, autumn, and winter seasons. For people with urinary tract infections, such as those with yellowish urine or frequent urination, it can be consumed appropriately regardless of the season. Plot
Little Jang-geum, as she wished, entered the palace to become a court lady. To find her mother's "Food Secret Notes," she secretly came to the Emperor's kitchen at night and broke the Emperor's midnight snack. Han Saeng-gung, without thinking about punishing her, used only ginger and lotus root to make a simple midnight snack for the Emperor. When the Emperor learned that the snack was made with ginger, he was very displeased. This was because the Emperor disliked the taste of ginger. But because he had neck problems, his imperial physician had specifically required him to eat ginger, so he reluctantly tried a piece and was very happy because this dessert had no ginger taste at all. Interpretation: Ginger can warm the meridians and dispel cold. In traditional Chinese medicine, ginger has the effect of warming the meridians, dispelling cold, and warming the blood vessels. However, the drama did not specify the character's specific neck symptoms. If the neck pain was caused by an external cold, then ginger would be effective. Tip: Using chicken with ginger can reduce the ginger flavor. Plot
On her first day as the Head Lady, she personally cooked breakfast for the Emperor. The main dish was "Charcoal-grilled Pork." Because the pork made by the Head Lady was marinated with miso instead of soy sauce, the "Charcoal-grilled Pork" was refreshing and not greasy, and was praised by the Emperor. Interpretation: It's okay to eat grilled meat for breakfast. Eating grilled meat for breakfast is not a problem for the body, but it is not practical in real life because it's too troublesome. Grilled meat, like toast, the key is the grilling temperature. It should not exceed 200°C, as higher temperatures are more likely to produce carcinogens, and the higher the temperature, the more carcinogens are produced. It is recommended to grill below 150°C, and also not to use open flame grilling, as that also easily produces carcinogens. Plot
Everyone gathered together to celebrate the new Head Lady's inauguration. The Head Lady asked Jin-yeong to taste the dishes she made and name the seasonings. Jin-yeong confidently named them all. The Head Lady then asked everyone to taste them and make corrections. Only little Jang-geong corrected Jin-yeong's "white sugar" to "tomato," and for that, she was praised by the Head Lady. The Head Lady explained the benefits of tomatoes to everyone, such as preventing colds and sobering up. Interpretation: Tomatoes can sober you up. Because tomatoes come from the West, there are currently no records of their medicinal effects in traditional Chinese medicine pharmacopoeias.
Tomatoes are rich in vitamin C, which is a main component in treating colds and flu. Moreover, they are rich in organic acids, which can help with iron absorption. For some people who get colds due to a lack of vitamin C, it might be effective.
Its sobering-up effect also comes from vitamin C. Vitamin C can promote the metabolism of alcohol, and its organic acids can also combine with ethanol. Also, tomatoes are sour, and generally, sour foods have a sobering-up effect. Plot
In the royal cuisine competition, because Jang-geum did not answer the written test, she could only pick ingredients last in the cooking competition. Jin-yeong was the first to finish the written test, so she was also the first to pick ingredients. Jin-yeong picked the best part of the beef—the brisket, while Jang-geum could only pick the beef rump. Interpretation: Different parts of beef have different nutritional values. From a traditional Chinese medicine perspective, beef can nourish essence and blood and warm the meridians. The parts of an animal with a lot of activity have high protein content, more muscle fibers, and lower fat content. Tip: Different parts of beef are cooked differently. For example, beef brisket is best for stewing, beef shank for braising, and beef tail for braising in soy sauce. Dae Jang Geum Food Guide Keywords—Charcoal
Soy sauce + Charcoal: Makes the taste mellower.
Vinegar + Charcoal: The vinegar taste is not pungent.
Old rice + Charcoal: No strange smell. Keywords—Seasoning
Bitter and astringent foods + sweet seasonings—can blend the bitter and astringent tastes.
Fragrant and sweet foods + salty seasonings—make the fragrance sweeter.
Whether in Korea or China, when people are sick, they make this ordinary egg custard and rice porridge. Why is that? Is the nutrition in these foods enough for a patient?
Professor Li from the Beijing Military Region General Hospital told reporters: These are easily digestible foods. For people with poor appetite, they can replenish nutrients in a timely manner, but at the same time, they should try to eat more appetizing meals to restore their strength.
Professor Li said that rice porridge can be emptied from the stomach in one hour, and egg custard can be digested in an hour and a half. Since both foods are easily digestible, it is recommended to eat them separately. When eating rice porridge, pair it with appetizing side dishes like meat floss or fermented tofu. Egg custard is mainly protein and lacks carbohydrates, so it should be paired with staple foods like noodles. Director Yu Kang, head of the Nutrition Department at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, said: "In the human body, egg custard is more tolerable than eggs. Some people feel bloated after eating one egg, but this situation rarely happens after eating egg custard."
Professor Li also mentioned that for some elderly and weak patients, the dietary principle is to eat small, frequent meals. Six meals a day is appropriate, with three main meals and three supplementary meals. Tip: How to make egg custard.
The protein in eggs solidifies at 60 to 70°C. If the steam is too strong when steaming, the temperature of the outer layer of the egg liquid will rise rapidly, causing a large temperature difference between the inside and outside. When the inner egg solidifies, the outer layer dehydrates and becomes honeycomb-like. Therefore, to make good egg custard, you must master three points:
1. Temperature.
Use warm water to beat the eggs, and steam over medium heat after the water comes to a boil.
2. Time.
Steam for another 8 minutes after the water comes to a boil.
3. Ratio.
The ratio of egg liquid to cold water is 1:2. (The cold water for steaming egg custard can be replaced with chicken broth or milk broth).