Chinese traditional herbs

You can call me racist or maybe old soul.. but i intend to keep some of the chinese heritage and culture alive in me.. Doing so doesn't mean that i'm any less malay than you are. I'll add more colors to my life and to me! ^^V

I'm going to start with cooking.. Living far from home, i miss home cooked food so much.. Due to the cross culture, the food prepared are non monotonous. Curry, soup, vege, meat, chicken are prepared in different ways and method. Western? That's very very seldom in the menu. Does't mean i dislike it. Just not that into my liking. In love with Asian food too much i think! ^^

I bet i can't do good curry. So i'm gonna put some effort on soup and vege. Pa gave me few ingredients and recipe for the herbs soup. 

Chinese angelica root 当归 (dang gui)

Pa said this one that gave the herbal smell when u put into the soup. Mama n bro don't really like it. Too 'ubat' for them. According to this, it is good in treating women related illness and improve reproductive system. I think i bought it RM 3+ for 50g. Only insert one or 2 piece. If more, it will taste so like soup 'org dalam pantang"

Chinese wolfberries (枸杞子 gou ji zi)

Instead of gou ji, pa mentioned "ling ji". Ntah la.. 1 spoon full of this for 1 serving. I love the taste of the soup with this in. But i don't indulge them too much after they are cooked. Only like it it as it enhances the sweetness to the soup taste. They'll turn lembik after they are cooked. So u can ignore them! The same website also relates this to improve eye sight and beneficial to the liver. 

Chinese yam 淮山 (huai shan)

Nothing so special about this. Chalky looked. And brittle. Doesn't contribute to the taste of the soup. Basically it is tasteless. But the benefits are shocking man! "enhance vigour, promote muscle growth and repair worn-out tissue, and alleviate bodily weakness after a long-term illness." daebak!!!

Codonopsis root 党参 (dang shen)

I was told that to insert only 1 / 2 piece of this. It promotes general health. According to Pa again, Dang shen is seldom eat after it is cooked. If u intend to eat, peel off the outer coating layer. And the inner lining is eatable. 

Dried lily bulbs 百合 (bai he)

This is my mother's fav. If she's the cook of the soup, she'll dump in 2x my father's amount! It taste like nuts after it is cooked. "It is believed to be good for the lungs and it appears in many anti-flu recipes."

Red dates (红枣 hong zao)

This is another sweetening agent. Around RM 2+ for a pack of 100g from Giant (i think!but it is quite cheap). Can be obtained widely in supermarket or chinese herbs shop. You can so called it a multi-vitamin and minerals agent. 

"Tonic soups made from a combination of red dates, astragalus, dried goji berries, ginseng, and dang gui were fed to those recovering from surgery to improve immunity, strengthen the body and prevent relapses." 

Usually, all these ingredients or mixing of this and that will be mixed together while boiling the soup. Chicken and meat can do the wonders (pork too!). I would personally prefer chicken, coz meat gave out too heavy taste to the soup. While chicken are a bit light. As easy as throw them in, close the cover, let the heat dance around them. Maybe u want to add some dried mushroom in it (pre-soak it please!). 

Voila!! A tonic soup consists of all the health beneficial item ready to serve. Peeps! these are only theories. Have not done any practical yet. I'll post on the result if.. only if.. i manage to make them look like eatable!