The Soup Queen

We Chinese pay particular attention to the yin and yang balance of our bodies. Our concept of eating has to be balanced with the changes in weather. Although in Malaysia , the weather is tropical all year round and we don’t experience snow or fall, the fluctuations between hot, humid and warm can take a toll on how we feel and taxes our bodies too. It must be global warming because the weather in Penang right now is very hot! The mornings start off extremely warm and the heat increases during noon . My skin literally burns when I get out into the sun. It’s a searing heat that can be quite lethal. The sun keeps this dry heat going on the whole day until dusk sets. When evenings come, the day’s heat has become heavy rain clouds, pregnant with rain and thunder. The evenings are stormy and rain comes often. It is these two very extreme ends of the weather that causes many people to feel uncomfortable. Hot in the day and cold in the night. To combat this hot weather, I remember the...

This week I am going to talk about a Traditional Chinese Herb in the form of a root. We Cantonese call it “wai san” but it is also known as “shan yao ”. It is a root that is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine – dried white slices which are added to soups. It is also called Chinese yam, Japanese mountain yam and Korean yam ( Radix Dioscoreae Oppositae ) . The wai san that I usually know is in the form of dried slices which is not very tasty even though it has been boiled and simmered in soups. When I was in the wet market, I chanced upon the fresh version of wai san when I asked my vegetables-seller what this funny-looking root was. Here’s a little bit about this humble herb which actually is very good for the body. Wai san is an anti-ageing herb (that should be enough to get you scrambling to your nearest wet market in search of this root) and is particularly beneficial for the stomach, spleen and lungs. According to Alternative Healing http: //al ternativehealing.org/huai_...

This week, I made a super easy soup. This soup is beautifully delicious and soothing because of the natural sweetness of corn and carrot. Dried oysters are added to give more oomph or body to the soup. Carrots are a good source of betacarotene and good for the eyes. Definitely a soup for people who often work in front of computers. Dried oysters help increase milk in nursing mothers and is a blood tonic for those suffering from anaemia. To make this soup, you will need the following: 3 chicken carcasses 10 dried oysters, soaked and softened in water 1-2 whole corn, washed and cut into large segments 1 large carrot, washed, deskinned and chopped into large chunks 5 - 7 dried red dates to harmonize and balance the soup 1. Bring a pot of water to boil, around 1.5 liters. 2. When the water starts to boil, put all the ingredients in. 3. Let it boil furiously for 10 minutes. 4. Turn fire down low, place cover on pot and let soup simmer for 2 hours. 5. After 2 hours, add 3 teaspoons of salt a...