THE ART OF CHINESE CONFINEMENT
Confinement is a traditional practice of postpartum care given to mothers after the birth of a new baby. Many cultures in Asia believe that during the month immediately following the birth of a child, the body is prone to certain ailments and must be given special care to ensure a full recovery.
Part of the recovery process is, of course, preparing special nutritious and delicious confinement soups (and foods) with specific ingredients to aid the healing process and prevent future health issues. The key principles to hold when it comes to TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and confinement is to rebuild Qi and blood in the body, while eliminating and preventing wind and yin from entering the body, ensuring there’s a state of warmth and yang.
Specifically, “heaty” or “hot” foods are encouraged and also soups to prevent or reduce “wind” in the body. You’ll find ginger as one of the star ingredients in confinement recipes. It’s amazing how many things you can do with this root! You can find an Introduction to the warm and cool ingredients of Chinese soups as a start to understanding what you should and should not consume during confinement.
Check out our articles and soups around confinement to learn more. We recommend you parallel these recipes with the consultation and guidance of your medical practitioner.
Featured Articles
CONFINEMENT STORIES
7 Babies and a whole lot of ginger later…
CHINESE CONFINEMENT SOUPS
Fragrant Vegetables in Salmon Soup
Soup Name: Fragrant vegetables in salmon soup (Cantonese-styled) Traditional Chinese Name: 雜菜蕃茄三文魚湯 (zá cài fānjiā sānwènyú tāng) Nature: Slightly cooling Taste: Sweet and savory For more videos, you can follow us on YouTube.Tomatoes in a fragrant fish broth is a...
Papaya and Snow Fungus in a Pork Herbal Soup
Tea Name: Papaya and Snow Fungus in a Pork Herbal Soup Chinese Name: 木瓜雪耳豬骨湯 (mù gua xuě ěr zhū gǔ tāng) Nature: Warm and ideal for moisturizing the body and lungs, supporting digestion and soothing the stomach. Taste: Sweet For more videos, you can follow us on...
Healing Chinese Herbal Soup
Soup Name: Healing Chinese Herbal Soup Traditional Chinese Name: 北芪黨參消腫養陰湯 (běi qí dǎngshēn xiāo zhǒng yǎng yīn tāng) For more videos, you can follow us on YouTube.This soup is perfect for anyone who wants to replenish and strengthen blood and qi, has poor...
Ginger, Red Roses, and Red Dates Tea with Honey
Tea Name: Ginger, Red Roses, and Red Dates Tea with Honey Traditional Chinese Name: 玫瑰姜茶 (méiguī jiāng chá) This tea is sweet to taste and warming in nature and dispel wind and cold.Visit us on YouTube for more tea and soup videos. This is currently my go-to-tea post...
Chinese Herbal Soup with Abalone
Soup Name: Chicken Herbal Soup with Abalone Traditional Chinese Name: 鮑魚清雞湯 (bào yú qīng jī tāng) This soup is warming in nature and sweet to taste. Visit us on YouTube for more tea and soup videos.One of my favourite basic chicken Chinese soups - ever! And it's...
Traditional Chinese Herbal Soup (as a Hot Pot Base)
Soup Name: Traditional Chinese Herbal Soup Traditional Chinese Name: 藥膳雞煲 (yàoshàn jī bāo) This soup is warming in nature and sweet to taste. For videos, visit us on YouTube. This soup has a very distinctive smell and taste of a Chinese medicinal shop. It's...
Basic Chicken Soup (Base)
Soup Name: Basic Chinese Chicken Soup Stock (Soup Base) Traditional Chinese Name: 清雞湯 (qīng jī tāng) Here is another version of the basic chicken soup. I'll make this so that it can serve as a base for noodles, macaroni, with rice, or for double-boiling...
The “Do’s” and “Don’t’s” of Chinese Confinement
THE DO's and DON'T's Of Chinese Confinement It all starts with one key principle in Traditional Chinese Medicine: Re-balance the Yin and Yang in the body. The energy in the body post birth is normally in an increased yin (cooling) state due to the loss of blood and...
Basic Chinese Chicken Soup Stock (Soup Base)
Soup Name: Basic Chinese Chicken Soup Stock (Soup Base) Traditional Chinese Name: 清雞湯 (qīng jī tāng) This is the base Chinese Chicken Soup stock that I make for any of my Chinese soups. It's simple, straight-forward, and delicious on its own. It does take...
Chinese Chicken Herbal Soup
Soup Name: Chinese Chicken Herbal Soup Traditional Chinese Name: 清雞湯 (qīng jī tāng) The Chinese have a whole repertoire of herbs which can be added to Chinese soups and is no exception. Among these herbs, there are a variety of traditional herbs that go well...
Red Dates Longan Chinese Herbal Tea
The easiest of #teas to make at home to help promote blood flow, strengthen the #heart, and promote sleep. This #Chinese #herbal tea is best drank before bedtime, after #dinner. I simply used 6 dried #longans, 2 dried red #dates, and a handful of dried #wolfberries....
Pork and Conch Herbal Soup
Soup Name: Pork and Conch Herbal Soup Traditional Chinese Name: 清豬骨海螺湯 (Qīng zhū gǔ hǎiluó tāng) This soup is neutral and sweet to taste. For more videos, visit us on YouTube. This soup is ideal for colds, flus and cough. If you’ve got a sore or...
Red Dates Tea
Soup Name: Red Dates Tea Traditional Chinese Name: 红枣茶 (Hóng zǎo chá) Introduction: My herbalist suggested I drink a simple tea made of red dates during my period. It's super easy to make, as the dates are already sitting in the fridge and you just add hot water....
Chinese Confinement: The Final Days (Day 13-30)
This is the final leg of the journey for Chinese Confinement #7. If you've just started reading, you can find Chinese Confinement: The Early Days as pre-reading leading up into this post. This page is about Chinese Confinement in the final days. From here on forward,...
Herbal Pork Soup with Longans (and Ginger)
Soup Name: Herbal Pork Soup with Longans (and Ginger) Traditional Chinese Name: 清豬骨湯 (qīng zhū gǔ tāng) A mildly sweet soup containing mainly Chinese herbs and dried additives, it's an easy make and great for cold days or someone who needs to replenish their...
Chinese Yam with Apples and Corn in Chicken Broth
Soup Name: Chinese Yam with Apples and Corn in Chicken Broth (with Ginger) Traditional Chinese Name: 蘋果玉米淮山雞湯 (píng guǒ yù mǐ huái shān jī tāng) Introduction: A simple, clean chicken broth with just a hint of sweetness and a tang of spice (from the ginger). Depending...
Green Papaya, Fish & Dried Octopus Soup
Tea Name: Green Papaya, Fish & Dried Octopus Soup Chinese Name: 木瓜魚湯 (mù gua yú tāng) Nature: Warming Taste: Sweet For more videos, you can follow us on YouTube.A popular and very common soup for confinement, but not limited to this special group of ladies....
Chinese Confinement: The Early Days
The journey for Chinese Confinement #7 started about 4 days ago. This page is about Chinese Confinement in the early days. True "body-recovering" doesn't actually happen until past days 10-12. That's when you take out the heavy artillery. For now, the...
Wood Ear & Red Dates Tea
Soup Name: Wood Ear & Red Dates Tea Chinese Name: 木耳红枣茶 (mu er hóng zǎo chá) This tea is warming in nature and sweet to taste. For more videos, visit us on YouTube.This warming tea has so many amazing purposes! The key highlight of this tea is the wood...
Chinese Confinement #7: The Beginning
It's a girl! My parents were graced with grand child #7 two days ago and this story is the journey of confinement #7 for sister #2. We welcome baby Ashley to the family and because she was early, our personal "Pu Yuet" - who is grandma, is still stuck in Toronto...
Abalone in Chicken Soup
Tea Name: Abalone in Chicken Soup Traditional Chinese Name: 鮑魚清雞湯 (bào yú qīng jī tāng) This soup is warming in nature and sweet to taste.Visit us on YouTube for more tea and soup videos.This soup is a powered up version of the Chicken Herbal Soup. Packed with the...
Japanese Pumpkin with Century Egg in Pork Broth
Tea Name: Japanese Pumpkin with Century Egg in Pork Broth Chinese Name: 皮蛋南瓜豬骨湯 (pídàn nán guā zhū gǔ tāng) Nature: Warm Taste: Sweet, Salty For more videos, you can follow us on YouTube. This soup was an accidental creation! LOL. I had originally wanted pumpkin in...
Simple Tomato Fish Soup
Soup Name: Simple Tomato Fish Soup Traditional Chinese Name: 番茄魚湯 (fān qié yú tāng) For videos, visit us on YouTube.Tomatoes are the ideal partner in fish soups. It helps alleviate some of the fishy scent as well as bring a sweet and slightly sour taste to the soup....
My Confinement Story
You may have noticed that over the past few months we have been posting many pregnancy and confinement soup recipes to this site. As this blog closely follows the soups we are making for ourselves and for our families, you've probably already guessed that we have had...
Pig’s Feet with Ginger in Black Vinegar
Soup Name: Pig’s Feet with Ginger in Black Vinegar, Ginger and Vinegar Trotter Soup, Pig’s Feet and Ginger Soup Traditional Chinese Name: 猪脚姜 (zhū jiǎo jiāng) This is the ultimate traditional confinement food (or soup) in the Cantonese cuisine repertoire. This...
Turtle with Lean Pork Soup
Soup Name: Turtle and Lean Pork Soup Traditional Chinese Name: 水魚瘦豬肉湯 (shuǐ yú shòu zhū ròu tāng) This soup is very warming in nature and sweet to taste. For videos, visit us on YouTube. A warm and healing soup, it’s often recommended for cold winter days or...
(Confinement) Deer Antler Healing Soup
Soup Name: (Confinement) Deer Antler Healing Soup Traditional Chinese Name: 鹿茸高麗參雞湯 (Lù róng gāo lì cān Jī tāng) This soup is very warming in nature and sweet to taste. For videos, visit us on YouTube.A pretty traditional (although the ingredients aren’t easy...
(Confinement) Black Bean, Rice and Ginger Water
Soup Name: (Confinement) Black Bean, Rice and Ginger Water – sometimes called Teas Traditional Chinese Name: 黑豆姜水 (Hēi dòu jiāng shuǐ) This tea is very warming in nature and slightly sweet to taste. For videos, visit us on YouTube.This is a traditional...
Fish Maw with Seabed Coconut and Pork Bones
Soup Name: Fish Maw with Seabed Coconut and Pork Bones Traditional Chinese Name: 海底椰花膠豬骨湯 (hai di ye huā jiāo zhū gǔ tāng) This soup is slightly cooling in nature due to the seabed coconut and fresh lily bulbs. For more videos, visit us on YouTube.Fish maw is...
Longan Meat in Turtle Soup
Soup Name: Longan Meat in Turtle Soup Traditional Chinese Name: 龍眼水魚湯 (lóng yǎn shuǐ yú tāng) Introduction: A warm and healing soup, it's often recommended for cold winter days and/or pregnancy and confinement. The turtle meat is said to be a healing meat (similar to...
Apple and Corn in Chicken Soup
Soup Name: Apple and Corn in Chicken Soup Traditional Chinese Name:蘋果玉米雞湯 (píng guǒ yù mǐ jī tāng) Introduction: This is a family favourite. With apples and corn, the soup is sweet to taste and refreshing. It's a neutral soup that's ideal for pregnancy,...
Tomato Fish Soup with Tofu
Soup Name: Tomato Fish Soup with Tofu Traditional Chinese Name: 番茄魚湯 (fān qié yú tāng) Introduction: Tomatoes are the ideal partner in fish soups. It helps alleviatesome of the fishy scent as well as bring a sweet and slightly sour taste to the soup. This soup is...
Winter Chicken Soup
Soup Name: Winter Chicken Soup Traditional Chinese Name: 清雞湯 (qīng jī tāng) Introduction: Very similar to Chicken Herbal Soup, this soup contains some vegetables and fresh Chinese radish and is meant to be warming in the cold winter months. It is excellent for...
Chicken Herbal Soup
Soup Name: Chicken Herbal Soup Traditional Chinese Name: 清雞湯 (qīng jī tāng) Introduction: One of the most basic Chinese chicken soups available. It is usually recommended by your Chinese herbalist, with minimalistic herbs and a whole chicken, it's a wonderfully...
Orange Vegetable Fish Soup
Soup Name: Orange Vegetable Fish Soup Traditional Chinese Name: 魚湯 (yú tāng) Introduction: This is one of my favourite soups. It's really called the 5-orange ingredient fish soup because all you need are 5 ingredients (for which most of them are orange-coloured)-...
Herbal Pork Soup
Soup Name: Herbal Pork Soup Traditional Chinese Name: 清豬骨湯 (qīng zhū gǔ tāng) Although the name stipulates a clear pork bone broth, it is in fact, a herbal pork based soup. It is clear and brothy and can serve as a good base for addition of vegetables to richen...
Black Beans Herbal Soup
Soup Name: Black Beans Herbal Soup What Ingredients are required? 1 whole chicken (black) 50 g black beans 15 g dried chinese yam 15 g dried wolfberries 15 g codonopsis pilosula root (dang shen) 15 g astragalus root 10 g dried longan 6 large dried dates 600 mL hot...
Tomato Fish Soup
Soup Name: Tomato Fish Soup Traditional Chinese Name: 番茄魚湯 (fān qié yú tāng) This soup is slightly sweet and sour and neutral in nature.For more videos, visit us on YouTube.Tomatoes are the ideal partner in fish soups. It helps alleviate some of the fishy scent as...
Papaya Fish Soup
Soup Name: Papaya Fish Soup Traditional Chinese Name: 木瓜魚湯 (mù gua yú tāng) This soup is neutral in nature and sweet to taste. For videos, visit us on YouTube.This neutral soup is extremely rich in carotenes, antioxidants and vitamin C. It is the soup to make...
A selection of confinement Chinese Soups
What is confinement and confinement stories
Baby 5 & 6 Confinement story
Some confinement foods for your tummy!
The DO's and DON'T's of confinement
GIVE YOUR LOVE OF SOUP.
FOLLOW US AND SHARE.
ON YOUTUBE
ON INSTAGRAM
