Shoppers rush to buy hearty tonics as winter starts in traditional calendar
Shoppers rush to buy hearty tonics as winter starts in traditional calendar
2024-11-07
Thursday was Lidong in the lunisolar calendar, which traditionally marks the beginning of winter. In Taiwan, it is customary to eat certain foods on this day as a tonic to give the body energy for the cold season. The most popular choices include mutton stew, sesame oil chicken and ginger duck, which sell out fast. But traditional Chinese medicine practitioners say that some body types are better suited for other kinds of herbal concoctions.
At this popular mutton stew shop in Changhua’s Huatan Market, workers are working full steam to pack takeout boxes.
Thursday is Lidong, the first day of winter in the traditional lunisolar calendar. It’s customary to eat certain meals as a tonic on this day, and they sell out fast.
Member of public
My daughter wanted to get some before the cold comes. Yeah, I spent NT$1,000 on the mutton.
Member of public
I’m taking some mutton home to eat later. I come here every year, it’s tasty and convenient.
Another popular choice for Lidong tonics is ginger duck. This vendor in Yunlin started the day nice and early to cater to their first customers.
Ginger duck vendor
We expect to sell 600 to 700 servings, triple the usual amount.
Ginger duck, mutton stew and sesame oil chicken are the three most popular Lidong tonics. But traditional Chinese medicine practitioners warn that they should be eaten in moderation.
Chang Pu-hsien
Traditional Chinese medicine practitioner
People who have a “weak” and “cold” body constitution according to Chinese medicine, and people who are recovering slowly from a severe bout of illness would be better off eating foods with medicinal properties.
Chen Chien-hung
Traditional Chinese medicine practitioner
A lot of people have chronic diseases, and problems with high blood pressure, sugar and lipids. Or they have kidney disease. Patients like this can have some of these Lidong tonics when winter comes, provided that they have been evaluated by a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner. But when taking the tonic, it’s important to keep its fat and salt content in check, and to not have too much starch. That makes the tonics more beneficial, and won’t come with drawbacks.
Chinese medicine practitioners suggest alternatives such as four herbs soup, snow fungus, goji berries and lotus seeds, which can be taken regularly to achieve the same effects as a traditional tonic. They say that moderation is key, as too much of a good thing can have harmful effects.
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立冬下探15度! 民眾補冬"吃鍋" 防補過頭上火
2024-11-07
今天是立冬，很多人會進補，薑母鴨和羊肉爐，幾乎是熱門優先選擇。雲林有薑母鴨業者提早營業；彰化的羊肉爐老店，一早就有民眾搶買"羊肉爐"，幫全家人立冬補氣，但中醫師提醒，有三高的民眾，可千萬得多留意！
彰化花壇市場裡著名的羊肉爐老店，工作人員包裝外帶，手沒停過。
溫體羊肉尤其受歡迎，立冬進補晚來就怕買不到。
[[民眾]]
“就女兒說立冬要補一下，對，買一千元的羊肉”
[[民眾]]
“買羊肉回去，今天要進補。(每年都來)對對對，因為好吃又方便”
除了羊肉爐、補冬搶手還有薑母鴨，雲林的薑母鴨業者一早就趕著熬湯，趕著給提早上門的老主顧。
[[薑母鴨業者]]
“大概六七百份，比平常多三倍”
不論是薑母鴨、麻油雞、羊肉爐都是大家最常選擇的補冬料理，但千萬不要補過頭。
[[恩主公醫院中醫部主任 張晋賢]]
“有些人的體質是比較，我們中醫講的比較虛寒型，甚至有些人是大病，身體的復原比較慢，那這個時候可能就是比較適合，來服用我們中醫的這個藥膳”
[[北市聯醫中醫院區中西醫整合科主任 陳建宏]]
“蠻多國人的所有慢性的疾病，尤其我們講說三高，或是慢性的腎臟病，那這一些患者來講的話，在冬天來講的話，如果經由中醫師來講，適當的診斷的話，還是可以進補的。但就是說在進補的時候來講，要注意避免少油少鹽，還有過度的澱粉，那對進補來講，就比較有好處，而且不會得到這些不好的地方”
改吃四神湯、銀耳湯或枸杞、蓮子、這類平補食材，也能達到良好的補冬效果，提醒民眾，立冬進補還是得適量，否則補過頭，反而容易造成身體負擔。
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