Food is often considered a natural form of medicine, vital for maintaining balance and fostering healing within our bodies. Understanding the intricate benefits of different foods and their optimal consumption times can be a challenge. To kickstart your wellness journey, I bring forth a curated selection of Chinese foods ideal for winter.
During winter, Chinese people usually prefer to take mutton, beef, Chinese yams, pumpkins, radishes, Chinese cabbage, and lotus roots. Also, soups are quite common in winter, serving as a go-to for bolstering immunity and warding off the cold. Here, I highlight some fundamental foods worth considering:
Instant-Boiled Mutton Hot Pot
Eating mutton in winter can warm you up and protect you from coldness. The Instant-boiled Mutton Hot Pot stands as a winter icon food in China, especially in Beijing. Gather around a simmering pot of aromatic boiling soup with friends, and witness the chill dissipate swiftly. Delicate slices of mutton, briefly bathed in the pot’s warmth, are then savored and dipped in a tantalizing array of sauces, rendering each bite succulent and flavorful.
Stewed Mutton with Radishes
Celebrated for its ability to fortify against the chill, mutton takes center stage in this hearty winter dish. Combined with radishes renowned for their immunity-boosting properties, it presents a comforting and nourishing option during the colder months.
Crumbled Flatbread in Mutton stew
Echoing centuries of tradition from Xi’an since the 11th century BC, this famed dish intertwines tender mutton and a robust soup, ideal for winter's embrace. The ritual of tearing flatbread into small morsels before immersion results in a richer, more tantalizing experience. The ensuing Yangrou Paomo, featuring chopped coriander and sliced mutton, unfolds into a symphony of flavors personalized by the addition of chili sauce or sugared garlic according to your taste.
Beef with potato
A jewel from northern China, this dish embodies a trove of nutrients, empowering immunity, enhancing appearance, and addressing anemia. Its braising method meticulously safeguards the essential nutrients of the ingredients. Although moderation is advised due to its digestibility challenges.
Glutinous Rice Balls
Steeped in tradition, these delightful orbs symbolize familial bonds and joyous reunions during festivals like the Lantern Festival and, in some southern regions, the winter solstice. Rooted in Chinese medicine, the warmth offered by glutinous rice coupled with fillings like sweet black sesame or peanut paste serves as a fortification against winter's chill, aligning with age-old theories of wellness.
Braised Pumpkin with Egg Yolks
Crafted to offer warmth and sustenance during winter, this esteemed dish balances simplicity and nutrition. The recipe is quite simple, it involves frying pumpkin chunks and skillfully blending them with salted egg yolks, resulting in a harmonious blend of glutinous sweetness and a tantalizingly crispy exterior.
Corn and Spareribs Soup
A cherished homemade delicacy, holds revered tonic qualities ideal for winter. Its virtues extend to promoting optimal blood circulation during colder days and nurturing lung health in dry climates. Crafting this wholesome delight involves a simple yet effective method: simmering fresh spareribs, corn, diced carrot, and red dates in a pressure cooker for half an hour, complemented by a touch of two drops of vinegar. Elevating its essence, infuse the concoction with two or three drops of sesame oil and a sprinkling of salt, perfecting the flavors for a gratifying experience.
