Homemade do-it-yourself Hot Pot for Dinner!

Homemade do-it-yourself Hot Pot for Dinner!

Homemade do-it-yourself Hot Pot for Dinner!

Soup Name:

Homemade do-it-yourself hot pot for dinner!  Tonight, is a tomato soup base.

Traditional Chinese Name:

番茄火鍋 (fān qié huǒ guō), aka in Cantonese, DA BEEN LO!

Nature:  Warming

Taste: Sweet and savory 

For more videos, you can follow us on YouTube.

Here are the key things for a successful HOT POT dinner!

  • You can drop in longer boil ingredients ahead of the “hot potting” such as carrots, white radish, winter melon, or corn to allow more time for them to cook and soften.
  • Slice starchy and heavy vegetables very thin so they cook fast.  This applies to all radishes (white or green), winter melon, carrots, potatoes, lotus roots, pumpkin, squash, most melons.
  • Use an oil scooper for the foam and oil that accumulates as a result of cooking meats.
  • Using meats will change the flavour of the soup, this is especially common for beef and mutton or lamb (meats with heavier flavours), so depending how flavourful you like drinking your soup, try both (beginning and end)!
  • This also applies to the types of vegetables used with some being heavier in flavour.  Great hot pot vegetables include:  lettuce, siu choy or napa cabbage, cabbage, watercress, bok choy, spinach.  Some with stronger flavours such as wolfberry leaves do change the flavour of the soup base!
  • Get creative with the ingredients!  Most anything that you can boil can be used for hot pot!  The ones we love as a family include:  all forms of tofu, konjac noodles (or potato noodles, or all noodles!), all types of seafood (shrimp, fish fillets, crab or lobster, clams), all types of fish or beef or tofu cakes or balls, deep fried fish skin, all sorts of dumplings.
  • I will always keep boiling water ready in case we need to top up our soup.  Be sure to add either hot soup or hot water to maintain the steady temperature of the pot (instead of cold water).
  • And one more, the customized dipping sauce.  THIS IS SO KEY!  I love how we get to individualize whatever you need.  See below as I explore this! 

Making amazing dipping sauces for hot pot!

OK, trying to be as comprehensive as possible for the options you have when it comes to dipping sauces for hot pots.  Mind you, some Regions or Asian cultures don’t use dipping sauces,  but some other Regional versions have a billion options!  Try them all!

Ingredients for dipping sauces:

  • soy sauce
  • sweet soy sauce
  • hoisin sauce
  • satay sauce
  • oyster sauce
  • hot oil
  • hot sauce
  • sesame sauce
  • sesame oil
  • peanut butter
  • black vinegar
  • black garlic
  • fresh diced garlic
  • fresh diced ginger
  • fresh diced green onions
  • fresh diced shallots
  • fresh diced spicy peppers
  • fried diced garlic
  • fried diced shallots
  • raw egg
  • any others I may have missed?  Would love to hear!

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GIVE YOUR LOVE OF SOUP.

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Is your fish too fishy for soups? How to use fish in Chinese soups

Is your fish too fishy for soups? How to use fish in Chinese soups

Is your FISH too fishy for your soup? 
HERE’s How to use Fish in CHINESe SOUPS 

Thank you for your questions!  These make great topics for me to explore further and share my love of making soups and the best way to do it!  So if you have any comments or questions, or would love to be features, do leave a comment in any of my social channels, links all below.

One guiding principle in Traditional Chinese Medicine is the yin yang theory.  In the natural world, there exists a balance between 2 opposing and co-existing forces and yet, they also exist in each other.  Our bodies, minds, and souls are designed the same way in that to be healthy, we need to be in harmony between these 2 bipolar states.  Yin is receptive and passive, calm and slow, embodying cold and damp qualities (when we are sleeping).  Yang is its exact opposite in aggressive and active, embodying heat, dryness, and movement (when we are awake).

One of our mission at The Chinese Soup Lady is to bring these principles into the foods and drinks we consume in order to support harmony.  

You can explore more about some Traditional Chinese Medicine theories in these posts.

Thank you for the question!

This is a great observation and question from a follower.  I kind of took for granted that because I knew how to use fish, that it would be common knowledge, but now that I think back on it, I actually avoided using fish for a large part of my cooking career because of this exact thought about “fishy” fish.

 

Throughout my journey, I’ve learned there are so many ways to address the “fishiness” in using fresh fish in soups.  The Japanese versus the Koreans versus the Chinese and even versus the South East Asians all have different methods in which to handle fish.  I’ve explored a few in this video on YouTube.

Here are some tips for using fish in soups:

  • You can either pan-fry or blanch your fish with ginger to minimize the fishy taste.  I prefer pan-frying because it really creates that fragrant smell and enhances the flavors of the soup!
  • Use a fish bag!  This is important especially if you’re using small fish.  This will help keep the fish together and the bones from disintegrating all over the soup.
  • I tend to use fish for quick boils soup as they cook really fast and begin to break down and shred the longer it boils, especially if the water is bubbling more, or use a fish bag.
  • I’ll use fish with bones in to keep the fish intact.  If you want to use filets, flash boil them or do a genuine quick boil (20 minutes or less) on medium heat.  This type of fish is used less for the taste of the broth and more as a protein in the soup.  
  • In general though, Chinese will use pork (pork shank or pork bones) along with fish (to add more flavours).
  • There are so many types of fish to use in soups such as:  Grass carp, salmon bones, all types of fish heads (bass, grouper, carp).

The great thing about understanding how yin and yang is balanced is that this also pairs with the cooking styles of Chinese soups!

You can follow this post on “How Different Styles of Chinese Soups are Made“.

 

EQUIPMENT USED

To answer your questions on what equipment I'm using, I've built a section here where you can find and explore what I'm using to make soups.  Ingredients are a little harder, but I will do my best as I source them around.  However, you can always message me on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or Facebook, and I will reply and try to point you in some direction!  

A great help for fish or small bones in soups, including small ingredients such as barley, fox nuts, spices just to keep everything together.

A MUST HAVE in the kitchen!  Energy saving, cost effective, and perfect for busy chefs!  Check out my article here that explains it.

Another MUST HAVE in the kitchen for soups!  It's so fine that it will scoop off the top oil and foam layer when using meats in your soup!

I use these types of stove top safe tea pots to make most of my herbal teas!

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GIVE YOUR LOVE OF SOUP.

FOLLOW US AND SHARE.

Chinese Herbal Tea Ideas for Traveling!

Chinese Herbal Tea Ideas for Traveling!

Chinese Herbal Tea ideas for Traveling

(A TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE PERSPECTIVE)

When we think Traditional Chinese medicine or herbal teas, we think of something that’s hard to make, difficult to drink, and full of unknown ingredients.  However, there also exists is beautiful happy medium where Chinese herbal teas can be delightfully delicious, easy-to-make, readily-accessible, and travel ready!  Read on for more!

One guiding principle in Traditional Chinese Medicine is the yin yang theory.  In the natural world, there exists a balance between 2 opposing and co-existing forces and yet, they also exist in each other.  Our bodies, minds, and souls are designed the same way in that to be healthy, we need to be in harmony between these 2 bipolar states.  Yin is receptive and passive, calm and slow, embodying cold and damp qualities (when we are sleeping).  Yang is its exact opposite in aggressive and active, embodying heat, dryness, and movement (when we are awake).

One of our mission at The Chinese Soup Lady is to bring these principles into the foods and drinks we consume in order to support harmony.  

Welcome to the TRAVEL SERIES for Chinese Herbal Teas!

Since travel is back on and my work requires me to be back in the air, I’ve started to create and take with me some Chinese herbal teas to help with my health, condition, and scale back on coffees and regular teas, substituting them with a more natural choice of drinks.  

A few key reminders that help with travel:

  • I will always bring a thermal flask with me everywhere I do.  You can fill up with hot water in the lounges, any restaurant, or in Asian airports, anywhere in the airport (seriously, HKIA or Hong Kong International Airport has hot water dispensers everywhere!)
  • I will also pre-create my teas and add all the ingredients for 1-2 cups of tea together
  • I tend to bring ingredients that don’t spoil easily and have good dry shelf live (such as dried flowers)
  • Double check that the hotel or place you’re staying in has a fridge you can use, such as a mini fridge or bar fridge.  The ingredients tend to be small enough that you can slot them in between the drinks.  This is great for dried ingredients such as dried red dates, or longans, or wolfberries.
  • I will also sometimes bring with me small portions of honey or rock sugar to supplement some of the teas 

See the mind and body as connected and whole rather than separate.  See the organs as connected and shared, rather than as individual organs.  Think of yourself as one unit, one system.

You are whole.

 

The great thing about understanding how yin and yang is balanced is that this also pairs with the cooking styles of Chinese soups!

You can follow this post on “How Different Styles of Chinese Soups are Made“.

 

WHERE YOU CAN BUY THESE TEAS & MY POT!

This is the type of stove top safe tea pot that I use for making my teas!  This is great because it's dishwasher safe, it's an all-in-one, easy-to-clean pot that I use. 

I bought these amazing eco friendly individually bagged pu'er tea which I carry to the office or on travel!  You can find these on amazon and they come highly rated!

I have also tried these oolong versions of the individually bagged teas!  You can also get this from amazon.  They are amazing!

For more videos, visit us on YouTube.

For further reading, I’ve found some more scientific and published articles.  Here are some to read up on: 

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Soup Name: Shrimp Congee with Fresh Yams and Lettuce Traditional Chinese Name: 蝦粥 (xiā zhōu) Nature: Neutral Taste: Sweet  For more videos, you can follow us on YouTube. Want something easy?  Want something delicious? This is the perfect lunch to make in 30 minutes...

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GIVE YOUR LOVE OF SOUP.

FOLLOW US AND SHARE.

How food flavours affect your health from a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective

How food flavours affect your health from a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective

HOW FOOD FLAVOURS AFFECT YOUR HEALTH

(A TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE PERSPECTIVE)

There is a Chinese Medicine phrase that states “Food and Medicine come from the same source”.   If you think about it, it totally does!  All of the ingredients found within Traditional Chinese Medicine are from organic sources and you can literally “eat” any of them, whether it’s from an animal (or an animal by-product), plant source (including roots and beans), or anything from the ocean (even coral and seaweed)!

One guiding principle in Traditional Chinese Medicine is the yin yang theory.  In the natural world, there exists a balance between 2 opposing and co-existing forces and yet, they also exist in each other.  Our bodies, minds, and souls are designed the same way in that to be healthy, we need to be in harmony between these 2 bipolar states.  Yin is receptive and passive, calm and slow, embodying cold and damp qualities (when we are sleeping).  Yang is its exact opposite in aggressive and active, embodying heat, dryness, and movement (when we are awake).

One of our mission at The Chinese Soup Lady is to bring these principles into the foods and drinks we consume in order to support harmony.  

Some principles of diet from a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective:

  • Foods are also classified in physical temperature.  The literal measurement of temperature of the food in degrees Celcius of Fahrenheit.  
  • Foods also carry taste categories (they usually have two):  bitter, sweet, salty (or savory), pungent, or sour.  Spicy isn’t a taste category, but can be classified in nature.
  • Time of consumption based on our meridian cycle (or flow of energy depending on the time of day).  This can usually be classified as morning, noon, or night.

Why does taste matter (from a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective)?

In the end, TCM is about finding balance in the person as a whole.  While I know primarily it addresses more the physical construct of the body, it also does support the mental portion in some ways such as calming the spirit and calming the mind.

Paying attention to temperature, nature, and flavour will help you on your journey to a healthy body and mind.  It just makes things easier and can help you make informed choices about what to eat, how to cook, and how much to eat, targeting specific opportunities or challenges in your well being. 

For example:

  • I want to cover temperature first (even though I know this article is about flavour).  As the stomach is the first place where food is received for true processing (in which it’s converted to a vital nutrient), cold foods will put a strain on the stomach as it will then need additional energy to heat it as the digestion process needs warmth.  This then means this energy is pulled from other organs and parts of the body that could have otherwise be used for something more useful.  And, we have control of what temperature the food goes into our body!  You can check out this video on why I drink warm water (all day long) and especially first thing in the morning when I wake!  Honestly, I even drink warm water on a run or ride… it’s weird, but did take some getting used to!

Examples:

  • Bitter foods are known to be cooling in TCM.  That means, they are more yin (instead of yang) and help with excess yang or yin deficiency.  Examples of bitter foods that have strong cooling effects include bitter melon, which is known as a super cooling good, especially if used in soups.  This also includes turnips, lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, broccoli, celery, radishes (you know the white radishes are also super cooling!).  You can taste the slight bitterness in these foods, especially when they are raw and reduce in bitterness once cooked, but they still do retain their cooling effect.
  • From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, bitter herbs mirror bitter foods in that they are cooling and can clear heat, while sour herbs and foods are astringent (in that they can shrink or tighten cells or skin, can remove oils, and are antibacterial.  

Sour, bitter, and salty ingredients and  Chinese herbs increase yin in the body, focusing on having more internal effect and having a downward movement.

Sweet, pungent, and neutral ingredients and Chinese herbs increase yang in the body, focusing on outward movement and having more external effects.

 

  • Pungent foods and herbs such as cinnamon, peppermint, garlic, ginger, chili, black or white pepper, help disperse and remove obstruction of the Qi and blood in our bodies.  They help push the Qi and blood through the body and are particularly good for clearing colds, flus, and infections our bodies by opening the pores and promoting sweat, which helps eliminate the unwanted pathogens from the body.  This is why if you eat a lot of ginger, you’ll definitely start feeling warm and sweating. 
  • This spicy sweet ginger tea can be quite pungent and punchy if you have enough ginger!  Depending on how spicy and strong you’d like it, add more ginger (either grated or sliced makes it even more potent!).  This tea is a combination of sweet and pungent in taste, but definitely gets the blood flowing and warm!  
  • Sweet foods from a Chinese medicine perspective is different from that of a Western view of sweet.  It’s not the same chocolate or white sugar sweet that you taste.  The taste of these “sweet” ingredients are more subtle, gentle, and lingering in the mouth and throat.   Sweet includes ingredients such as red dates, ginseng, carrots, lamb, licorice, sweet potatoes, fruits and meats also fall into this category.  And the key is that this sweet is consumed in small, controlled amounts and small quantities.  In moderation really!  Small amounts of sweetness in our diets and in Chinese medicine help tonify the body, but too much sweet will dampen the body
  • This red and blue dates tea is a great example if a tea that tonifies the blood and Qi and is slightly sweet (and a bit sour) to taste!
  • Salty foods from a Chinese medicine perspective provide a diuretic effect, eliminating water from the body, and reducing swelling and lumps in the body.  Salty ingredients can include meats (remember foods can have 2 flavours, so meats can be both sweet and salty), seaweed, all seafood, and even salt itself.
  • Sour ingredients are function opposite to pungent ingredients in their support to the body, which can include reducing excess sweating, slowing down flow of blood and Qi, especially if it comes to bleeding or diarrhoea.  Sour ingredients include lemons, vinegar (both black and white), unripe fruit, crab apples, or dried hawthorn are some examples. 

The great thing about understanding how yin and yang is balanced is that this also pairs with the cooking styles of Chinese soups!

You can follow this post on “How Different Styles of Chinese Soups are Made“.

 

For more videos, visit us on YouTube.

For further reading, I’ve found some more scientific and published articles.  Here are some to read up on: 

EXPLORE MORE

Hong Kong Styled Russian Borscht Soup

Soup Name: Hong Kong Styled Russian Borscht (with oxtail) Traditional Chinese Name: 羅宋湯 (luó sòng tāng) Nature:  Warming Taste: Savory, sweet, and slightly sour For more videos, you can follow us on YouTube.  Did you know the secret ingredient to an HK-styled...

What are good replacement ingredients for peanut allergies in Chinese Soups?

Here are suggestions for replacement ingredients for peanuts in Chinese soupsOne guiding principle in Traditional Chinese Medicine is the yin yang theory.  In the natural world, there exists a balance between 2 opposing and co-existing forces and yet, they also exist...

Healing Chinese Chicken Herbal Soup with Fish Maw

Soup Name: Healing Chinese Chicken Herbal Soup with Fish Maw Traditional Chinese Name: 花膠雞湯 (huā jiāo jī tāng) Nature:  Warming Taste: Sweet and savory For more videos, you can follow us on YouTube.  The star of this soup is FISH MAW.  This takes collagen to the...

Delicious One Pot Vegetable Vermicelli Soup for Dinner

Soup Name: Delicious One Pot Vegetable Vermicelli Soup for Dinner.  Literal translation from Chinese is "Mixed vegetables vermicelli pot soup". Traditional Chinese Name: 雜菜粉絲鍋湯 (zá cài fěnsī guō tāng) Nature:  Neutral Taste: Sweet and savory For more videos, you...

ABC Soup in a Collagen Rich Salmon Head and Chicken Feet Broth

Soup Name: ABC Chinese Soup in a collagen rich Salmon Broth (with Chicken Feet) 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.  Taking collagen to...

Hong Kong Styled Russian Borscht Soup

Soup Name: Hong Kong Styled Russian Borscht (with oxtail) Traditional Chinese Name: 羅宋湯 (luó sòng tāng) Nature:  Warming Taste: Savory, sweet, and slightly sour For more videos, you can follow us on YouTube.  Did you know the secret ingredient to an HK-styled...

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How to check if you’re improving your blood circulation?

How to check if you’re improving your blood circulation?

HOW TO CHECK IF YOU’RE IMPROVING BLOOD CIRCULATION?

I’m always curious about metrics and measuring success or at least measuring progress.  What started as an initial recommendation from my Chinese doctor to do foot soaks to improve circulation, turned into a full blown experiment on my end.  I truly wanted to see if this was working!  And so I applied some learning from my Engineering background and took a stab at testing this theory.  It’s not an exact science and was something fun to try!

One guiding principle in Traditional Chinese Medicine is the yin yang theory.  In the natural world, there exists a balance between 2 opposing and co-existing forces and yet, they also exist in each other.  Our bodies, minds, and souls are designed the same way in that to be healthy, we need to be in harmony between these 2 bipolar states.  Yin is receptive and passive, calm and slow, embodying cold and damp qualities (when we are sleeping).  Yang is its exact opposite in aggressive and active, embodying heat, dryness, and movement (when we are awake).

One of our mission at The Chinese Soup Lady is to bring these principles into the foods and drinks we consume in order to support harmony.

Why is blood circulation important to TCM?

Blood is a vital substance that circulates the in the vessels and carries nutrition throughout the body.  It is important in maintaining vital activities in the body, including nourishing and moisturizing it.

The circulation of blood relies on the pushing function of the qi.  This is why it’s equally important to have strong qi.  Blood and qi are like interconnected and interdependent.  Qi is the motivating source for the circulation of blood.

The better your blood circulates:

  • The more moisture and nourishments that travels to your organs, tissues, body, limbs, and mind continuously.
  • The more distributed our qi is because blood is the carrier of qi.  If our blood becomes collapsed and stagnant, so will our qi.
  • The more vigorous and lively we are because blood also carries oxygen.
  • The easier it is to stay warm (as body energy and warmth is generated from qi) and maintain good body function.

 

How to do a foot soak

The most basic is to simply soak your feet in warm water.  What my own Chinese doctor has suggested is to soak it until you break a sweat from your forehead.  At this point, you’ll know that the warm blood has worked it’s way up throughout your body enough to literally – break a sweat!

I was curious about testing time, so I’ve structured my foot soaks quite scientifically, but you don’t have to.  You can just soak until you feel that sweat and finish up.

What you’ll need:

  • A consistent source of hot (or warm) water
  • A comfortable place to sit
  • Some water (or drinks) to stay hydrated
  • A book or something to occupy your time
  • A towel (to dry off with afterwards)
  • A change of clothes or sweater (as you’re sweating, you’ll want to cool off gently)

If you’re testing time, add in:

  • A timer

Try foot soaks once a week!  It’s a great time to meditate and spend some “ME” time.

Ever wonder why you do a hot foot soak before you get a foot massage (in most Chinese spas)?

Click on the video below to hear about how I turned this concept into more of a science experiment (for myself) and how I knew I was improving my blood circulation.  A highly fascinating thing to try!

 

The teas and soups I drank to improve blood circulation

To improve blood circulation, there are a few soups or teas you can consider making to help you with this.  Keep in mind, the key principles and things to note are:

  • We want to encourage a more yang state in the body, which means more active and flowing 
  • To generate yang states, this is generally associated with consumption of warmer soups and teas (see below for the ones I was consuming)
  • If you’re feeling too heaty (excess yang), you can hold off on the warming ingredients and go with the neutral ones for improve circulation (or reducing stagnant blood)

 

Warming ingredients to help with blood circulation:

 

Neutral ingredients to help with blood circulation:

 

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How to Prepare for Sleep (with TCM Concepts)

How to Prepare for Sleep (with TCM Concepts)

HOW TO PREPARE FOR SLEEP

(USING TCM CONCEPTS)

Learn to prepare for better sleep and how you can transition your body and mind from a yang to a yin state as evenings nears and you’re preparing to go to bed. Learn some simply Traditional Chinese Medicine concepts and how to apply this to your lifestyle and life to create a healthier and more balanced life!

One guiding principle in Traditional Chinese Medicine is the yin yang theory.  In the natural world, there exists a balance between 2 opposing and co-existing forces and yet, they also exist in each other.  Our bodies, minds, and souls are designed the same way in that to be healthy, we need to be in harmony between these 2 bipolar states.  Yin is receptive and passive, calm and slow, embodying cold and damp qualities (when we are sleeping).  Yang is its exact opposite in aggressive and active, embodying heat, dryness, and movement (when we are awake).

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How to use this guide:

 

  • Some tips and tricks to help replenish yin and increase yin while yang recedes as part of our evening and sleep routines.
  • Do see a Chinese medicine practitioner as this information is not a replacement for a doctor.

 

Some applied TCM concepts to help:

  • Avoid yang enhancing (or warming) foods right before sleeping. This includes: spicy and fried foods, caffeine, herbs such as garlic and ginger, dong quai, or red dates. These foods increase yang and get your blood flowing, which is not what we want!
  • Allow the body and mind to come into a yin state. This means being in that calm, steady, slower flow so that it can really slow down. Don’t exercise before sleep or this heightens the yang in your body. If your mind is very active, like you’ve just had an argument, you were studying, or doing some work, spend some time to help it transition into a yin state by doing some meditating, breathing, counting sheep (now we know why we count sheep!), or anything to slow down the yin in the mind is helpful.
  • Reduce the temperature to allow for our body to transition into yin as yang recedes. As Yin is the cooler, slower state, a lower thermostat will allow our body to be in more yin and supporting deeper sleep.  Read more here on “Using TCM concepts in our every day lives“.

 

For more videos, visit us on YouTube.

For further reading, I’ve found some more scientific and published articles.  Here are some to read up on: 

 

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