Recipes

Stewed Duck with Sha Shen & Yu Zhu

January 16, 2024

Yvonne Lau, Mayway President

photo of stewed Duck Soup

In recent years, many of us have likely experienced weariness and fatigue from so many rapid changes in our post-pandemic world. Here is a favorite family recipe to renew your energy reserves and provide a warm sense of optimism and strength!

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Nourishing Eel and Astragalus Soup

December 30, 2023

Yvonne Lau, Mayway President

Astragalus and eel soup

With nutrient-dense eel and Astragalus at its core, this delicious recipe tonifies Qi, Blood and Yin, disperses wind and cold, drains damp, and strengthens bones. A perfect combination for prevention against wind, damp and cold patterns often seen in winter.

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Longevity Soup to Nourish and Calm the Mind

September 14, 2023

Yvonne Lau, Mayway President

photo of different herbs that are used in the longevity soup recipe in the article

This recipe is suitable for those who often stay up late, work too much, and “burn the candle at both ends” which can result in a restless mind with sleep disturbance and possibly a difficult time focusing on the task at hand. In this recipe, Ling zhi is sweet and slightly bitter in taste, and slightly warm or neutral in temperature. It enters the Heart, Lung and Liver meridians and can replenish the Heart blood, calm the mind, and soothe the Liver. Ling zhi is helpful for restlessness, forgetfulness and physical and mental fatigue caused by Qi and Blood deficiency. Used long-term, it is supportive for the immune system and protects the body from everyday stress.

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Chicken & Chestnut Soup

July 22, 2023

Yvonne Lau, Mayway President

chicken chestnut soup

We've created a delicious Chicken & Chestnut soup! Easily purchased in their dried form, chestnuts are considered in TCM to be “fruit for the kidneys" because they are particularly warming to the lower back, kidneys, and knees. Huang Qi, being sweet and entering the Lung and Spleen channels, complements the recipe’s Qi tonification properties. Da Zao tonifies the Spleen and Stomach and, along with Sheng Jiang, rounds out the flavor in this delicious soup. This soup is very easy to make, and especially delicious and nutritious for kids!

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Exploring Fresh Local Food-Herbs

July 13, 2023

Yvonne Lau, Mayway President

We highlight several easy to source Chinese medicinal herbs that are also excellent culinary herbs. Chinese dietary therapy emphasizes the concept of Yao Shi Tong Yuan 药食同源 “medicine and food have the same origin”.

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Chinese Medicinal Herb Beer

July 12, 2023

Katie Stoyka

Recently, one of our staff who is a homebrewer, and another who is our chief herbalist collaborated on a brewing experiment using Chinese herbs. After much discussion and some decoction sampling, we decided on a 3-ingredient simple Qi & Yin tonic formula. Sheng Mai San seemed appropriate both for its tonifying action and because we hoped would give the beer a lovely rose color from the Wu Wei Zi.

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Let’s Make Chinese Herbal Tonic Wines

July 9, 2023

Katie Stoyka

Tonic Wines in Jars The first known mention of herbal tonic wine is from the Wu Shi Er Bing Fang (Prescriptions for 52 Ailments), which was unearthed at Ma Wang Dui tomb, an archaeological site located in Changsha, China. It is believed to have been written around 200 BC, although the prescriptions are thought to be much older.

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Dragon Boats, Dumplings and a Patriotic Poet

June 13, 2023

Mayway

Chinese DumplingZongzi are a traditional food during the Dragon Boat Festival. The story behind these dumplings started over a thousand years ago during the Warring States period, when there were seven kingdoms in China who were constantly battling for dominance.

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Huang Jing and Quail Soup Recipe

June 5, 2023

Yvonne Lau, Mayway President

Quail Soup

We combine Huang Jing with its moderate tonifying properties with Quail, Dang Shen, and Huang Qi to form a delicious soup. This is an excellent recipe for those recovering from a long illness or a period of stress that has impacted the body's Zheng Qi.

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Itchy Skin Recipes

April 1, 2023

Yvonne Lau, Mayway President

Papaya peanut chicken soup

Blooming flowers, green leafy trees, warmer weather, feelings of renewal and growth, and possibly...... dry, itchy, lackluster skin. The effects of cold and windy winter months followed by drier springtime weather can make our skin more vulnerable to peeling, itching and dryness. These 2 recipes will help battle dryness with delicious herb-infused food!

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Congee Recipe for Beautiful Skin

March 31, 2023

Yvonne Lau, Mayway President

Congee for Beautiful Skin

Congee is a nourishing and comforting porridge, regarded to be particularly beneficial for its recuperative properties, often enhanced with herbs for specific functions that are added to the porridge while cooking. Rice is considered a Qi and Yang tonic. This particular recipe nourishes the skin by tonifying the Blood, preserving Yin fluids and helping to heal skin that has been damaged from UV exposure.

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Calm Spirit Soup Recipe

February 25, 2023

Yvonne Lau, Mayway President

Calm Spirit Soup

The TCM concept of “form complementing form, organ complementing organ” (yi xing bu xing, yi zang bu zang 以形補形、以臟補臟 ) is well known throughout Asian culture and cooking. For example, eating walnuts for brain tonification and cashews for the health of the kidneys, or drinking red wine to tonify the blood is common folk wisdom. In this recipe, we are honoring this concept by using pig's heart (Zhu xin 豬心) to nourish the heart.

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Chuan Bei Mu, Pears & Honey

November 9, 2022

Yvonne Lau, Mayway President

This traditional steamed pear recipe is often prepared in the autumn, the season of dryness, to prevent or treat an occasional dry cough or dry throat. Chuan Bei Mu/Fritillaria cirrhosa bulb is a very effective and versatile herb that both dissolves phlegm and clears heat, while also nourishing and moistening Lung Yin.

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Lung and Throat Protecting Soup

September 29, 2022

Janet L. Borges, MSTCM, Dipl. AC & CH (NCCAOM), L.Ac.

Lung Protecting Soup

Figs are one of the oldest cultivated crops throughout the world, and often said to be a symbol of peace, abundance and prosperity. Dried figs hold a special place in this delicious fall recipe, with heat clearing and moistening properties. Entering the Lung, Large Intestine and Stomach meridians, figs can promote the secretion of saliva to soothe a sore throat and dry cough, as well as being supportive to the functions of digestion and elimination.

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Autumn Equinox Soup

August 22, 2022

Yvonne Lau, Mayway President

Harvest Fig Soup

As we begin to prepare for Autumn and Winter, it is important to nourish the Metal element by adding more Yin foods to protect us from the dryness of the season. Plus, we LOVE figs! Figs are one of the oldest cultivated crops throughout the world, and are often said to be a symbol of peace and abundance. Entering the Lung, Large Intestine and Stomach meridians, figs can promote the secretion of saliva to soothe a sore throat and dry cough, as well as being supportive to the functions of digestion and elimination. Pork, which is neutral, sweet and salty, also moistens dryness and benefits the Spleen, Stomach and Kidneys.

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