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May 10, 2012

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HomeCity specialsHangzhou

Delicious medicinal dishes especially for Mom

MEDICINAL food therapy has a long history in traditional Chinese medicine which holds that people can eat their way to good health and treat or cure specific conditions and ailments.

In every season, as the yin-yang energy shifts in the universe, people are supposed to get in tune with the energy by modifying diet and lifestyle. One does not need to take pills or bitter herbs - delicious cuisine combines food having certain energy properties, fresh ingredients and sometimes herbs.

Chinese food therapy or medicinal diets can build strength and improve vigor, improve mood, delay symptoms of aging, improve skin quality and complexion and in general promote beauty and well-being.

Huqingyutang in Hangzhou is a renowned traditional Chinese medicine store established in 1874 by renowned businessman Hu Xueyan.

Today the old pharmacy is part of a museum of traditional Chinese medicine, one of the few of its kind in the country.

The pharmacy also operates popular and charming Huqingyutang Medicinal Diet Restaurant on Nanshan Road and another in Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province. They are filled with ambience of traditional Chinese culture as well as fine cuisine.

The first Huqingyutang Medicinal Diet Restaurant opened in the 1980s, incorporating elegant Chinese cuisine with traditional Chinese medicine food therapy in a charming setting.

It became popular immediately and became a magnet for connoisseurs and ordinary diners alike. A second restaurant was opened in Wuyi County, Jinhua City.

Every dish is prepared by professional chefs using the freshest ingredients and high-quality herbs in combination prescribed by TCM doctors.

The decor is traditional as well as trendy, featuring stone guardian lions at the gate, a pond of lotus and gold fish, palace lanterns and couplets of auspicious sayings. Delicately carved doors and window frames are painted red. Furnishings include old-fashioned carved furniture, together with modern lamps and other contemporary elements.

As Mother's Day is coming, Shanghai Daily visits the restaurant and recommends delectable medicinal dishes for women.

Pork Liver Marinated in Juice of Fallopia Multiflora (Heshouwu Ganpian)

浣曢涔岃倽鐗

This is a cold dish especially good for women because pork liver is high in protein and vitamins A, B1 and B2, which promote blood circulation and is used to treat anemia. Fallopia multiflora (heshouwu), also known as Chinese knotweed, is known to raise immunity.

Chinese knotweed is a common herb probably best known for preventing (it is said) hair from turning white or falling out.

The herb promotes formation of blood cells, benefits the kidneys (reproductive system) and liver and is said to delay cognitive decline.

Pork Belly Braised with Preserved Vegetables and Covered in Gold Foil (Jinbo Kourou)

閲戠當鎵h倝

In TCM, gold has long been associated with preserving youth and improving the complexion. Edible gold foil is considered a powerful medicine that calms nerves and promotes healthy sleep.

This dish is ordinary pork belly braised with preserved vegetables, which is served in many restaurants in eastern China. Pork, of course, is high in protein and used to promote blood cell formation. But this dish is covered in gold.

The gold is tasteless and has virtually no texture, simply melting into the savory meat and vegetables.

Four Refreshing Treasures (Qingliang Sibao)

娓呭噳鍥涘疂

Chinese people talk a lot about excessive internal heat, or yang (hot) energy that is often a problem in summer.

The Four Refreshing Treasures - lily's root, gingko, asparagus and carrot - are known to clear internal heat, reduce blood pressure and replenish moisture, especially in the lungs.

Astragalus Fried with Shrimps (Huangqi Hexia)

榛勮姫娌宠櫨

Astragalus root (huangqi) is a famous tonic used to build energy (qi), boost the immune system and treat numerous problems, including night sweats. It's anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. For women it also has important anti-aging properties.

In TCM, shrimp helps detoxify the system, promote blood circulation and treat blood stasis. Thus, it is often used to help new nursing mothers. When shrimp is stewed with astragalus, their benefits are combined, improving skin quality and complexion and improving blood circulation.

Dendrobe Stewed with Bird's nests (Shihuhua Dun Baiyan)

鐭虫枦鑺辩倴鐧界嚂

Dendrobium (stems of an orchid species) helps nourish yin (cold) energy, replenish fluids and clear internal heat.

Bird's nest soup is both a culinary delicacy and a tonic, one of the most expensive herbs in the world. The nests, known as the "caviar of the East," are built by cave swifts using their saliva.

Together dendrobe and bird's nest help women remain youthful and maintain skin quality.



Huqingyutang Medicinal Diet Restaurant

Address: 146-1 Nanshan Rd

Tel: (0571) 8706-1117, 8707-7008

Opening hours: 11am-1:30pm, 5pm-9pm

Website: www.hqytgyh.com


 

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