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Showing posts from July, 2006

Chinese Herbs in TCM

Here are some links to Chinese related sites with a herbal glossary or index where you can click to find out about individual herbs. If you know any great site, please share your links too! http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/herbcentral/c.html http://www.foodsnherbs.com/the_superior_herbs.htm http://www.senhealth.com

Old Cucumber and Pork Rib Soup

This is a favourite soup of mine. It's clear and very soothing. And when you're simmering this soup, your neighbours would probably know you're having Old Cucumber (Lou Wong Kua in Cantonese) Soup. Old cucumber is actually matured cucumber. It has a brownish hard skin on the outside. It looks like a melon because it is fat and squat. My vegetable-seller tells me that the older the cucumber, the better it tastes! Many people shy away from using pork ribs for this soup; they prefer to use chicken thighs without skin. But I like my soups to be robust and flavourful so I tend to use pork ribs. Chicken-based soups taste completely different from pork-based soups. I am fundamentally Chinese in this aspect. Old cucumber is not only cooling for blistering hot days but is also good for the skin. I read somewhere that it helps to prevent aging! Now that's enough reason for us all to run to the nearest wet market to get some old cucumbers! Anyway, some people prefer to cut the cuc