Travelogue

| Gateway to the Silk Road | Guizhou Landscape |
| Dream away in Yangshuo | Where memories linger |
| Grand Canal at Hangzhou Ending | Curing Cuisines | Tea Tour |
| A Challenging Trip | Expedition to fairyland |
| Snacks at Kunming | Lijiang Impression |
| A Quiet Village Tour | Splash off Your Bad Luck |
| Summer Escape to a Holy Island | Suzhou’s History |
| In the Heart of a Miao Village | No-frills cruise along the Yangtze |

Curing Cuisines

Xie Fang
While Westerners believe that "An apple a day keeps the doctor away," the Chinese look to specific foods and herbs in different seasons to keep them healthy.

The South Korean TV series "Dae Jang Geum," which features a high-ranking woman physician in an ancient Korean imperial palace, has again cast the spotlight on yaoshan, or Chinese medicinal cuisines.

In Hangzhou, some restaurants are good sources of the delicious and health-preserving medicinal dishes that have been passed down through the generations.

The Huqingyutang Yaoshan Restaurant, located opposite the entrance to the Huqingyutang Traditional Chinese Medicine Museum, is one of them.

The menu of the restaurant provides diners with a wealth of flavors. Some dishes are prepared especially for the male or female body, designed to enhance the qi in the body.

There are some chef's recommendations which diners should try, especially in spring.

Mingmu yumi, or eye-nourishing fish paste, is a freshwater fish mashed to a paste, combined with white chrysanthemum essence, garden peas and some other ingredients.

The chrysanthemum essence is extracted by soaking the flowers in water to add the special element to the dish. All the ingredients are fried and the fish tastes light and tender.

The dish helps to invigorate the liver and kidneys, whilst also benefiting the circulation and eyesight.

Xiaren baihe (shrimps and lily bulbs) combines fresh shrimps, lily bulbs and the medicinal ingredient fructus lycii.

To produce a dish that is delicate and smooth on the palate, the ingredients are stir-fried and mixed with the sliced lily leaves.

This dish helps to expel "heat" trapped inside the body after the cold winter. It is also calming and alleviates physical weakness.

Yueying jiaolong (scallops topped with quail's egg and seahorse) is another deservedly popular choice for men who have run out of vigor.

The dish consists of seahorse soaked in wine, chicken breast, fresh shells and quail eggs and is designed to boost the yang ("hot") forces inside the body. Women can order the complementary sweet thickened broth made with Chinese dates.

More than 100 kinds of herbs are used to cook medicinal food in the Huqingyutang Yaoshan Restaurant. Each herb has its own, unique flavor, according to Qu Wei, manager of the restaurant.

Generally, processed herbs are more commonly used in order to avoid strong odors, said Qu.

"As medicine and food are combined in the same sauce, mixing herbs and food with similar properties increases the overall effectiveness," Qu said.

The Guang Xing Tang Chinese Medicine Hall at the intersection of Xinhua and Shuangyanjing roads is a combination of museum, hospital, health care centre and a medicinal diet restaurant.

The restaurant, which can seat more than 50, has set menus of Chinese medicinal meals containing 10 courses from tea to fresh fruit, which fuse the efficiency of medicine and the delicacy of food.

The Guang Xing Tang's museum is a quiet place in which to catch a glimpse of traditional Chinese medical history in Hangzhou.

After the meal, diners can experience massage and acupuncture, central aspects of Chinese medicine, at the health care centre.

Customers should book ahead as chefs need to select herbs in advance.

For most Chinese medicinal diet lovers, this is a good way to take herbal medicines with their favourite flavors while enjoying tantalizing delicacies.

Zhang Hui, 60, a local retired teacher, said she enjoys special medicinal soup she cooks at home.

"Usually, I will put some Chinese medicines such as fructus lycii in a soup to cool the heat in spring," said Zhang as she bought medicines in the Guang Xing Tang Chinese Medicine Hall.

Zhang said she cooks medicinal food according to her doctor's prescription as the selection of different herbs depends on each individual's health condition in different seasons.

As the weather turns warm, doctors suggest that meals should include light and fresh dishes and an increased intake of vegetables and fruits. Oily food should be restricted.

For detailed information, you can just drop in an email and you will get a quick reply within 12 hours.
john@chinahuangshan.com congzhang35@hotmail.com

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