Chinese Traditional Pre-Natal Diet

Some Recipes for Tonic & Herbal Soups

Rehmania Chicken Tonic

(Especially for 1st trimester when placenta is forming. The key ingredient, "sook day" is good for improving blood)

1 small black chicken, approx. 500g (1 lb)
20g Rehmania Glutinosa (sook day)
20g sliced Angelica (tong kwai)
20g medlar seeds (kei chee)
10g longan flesh

Gut & clean chicken. Scald in hot water for 3 mins.
Rinse herbs.
Put all ingredients into Crockpot/slowcooker.
Fill crockpot about 3/4 full with HOT water.

The soup should be ready to drink in about 2 to 3 hours. Best drunk before bedtime. The chicken can also be eaten, but is considered "heaty". I personally don't eat the chicken.

Lok-Mei (6-Flavoured) Soup

(Helps stimulate blood circulation. Beneficial for stimulating appetites & restoring general health.)

You can buy a Packet of this "6-flavoured herbal mixture" from most supermarkets in Singapore.

If you prefer herbs that are "fresher", then go to the Chinese Medical Shops. They will usually be able to make up a mixture for you.

The 6 herbs are listed as follows:
10g Dried Longan Flesh
10g Dioscorea (Wai San)
10g lilium brownii (pak hup)
10g euryale ferox (see sut)
20g polyconattum (yok chok)
20g lotus seeds

You can then combine the Herbal Mixture with about 200g of Meat Bones (Chicken / Chicken Feet / Pork / Pigeon / Black Chicken). Scald the bones in Hot Water first. Put all ingredients in the Crockpot, fill pot 3/4 full with HOT water.

Soup will be ready to drink in 2 to 3 hours.

Bird's Nest Soup

(Possess nutrients that benefit the major organs of the body; Some Chinese traditionally eat this to give their baby a Fair & Smooth Complexion! Caution: Those who have history of allergies, especially asthma may need to avoid this soup as it can bring about rather severe allergic reactions such as swollen eyes, swollen mucous membranes, wheezing, etc. I have witnessed this with my own daughter and my husband.)

40g Bird's Nest
1 whole chicken
1 slice old ginger

Clean & Gut Chicken. Scald the chicken in hot boiling water.
Soak bird's nest in 3 bowls of warm water for 2hrs. Remove impurities & drain.
Put all ingredients in a crockpot & fill 1/2 to 3/4 full (~4cups) with HOT water.
If you wish, season with 1 teaspoon of salt before serving.

If you wish to eat this Bird's Nest in the Sweet style, combine the bird's nest with 80g Rock Sugar instead & Boil the same way. You may then serve it warm or chilled.

GINGKO NUTS & BARLEY SOUP

(A traditional soup for expectant mothers. It is believed to help give baby a fair & glowing complexion. And also for a cute, chubby baby!)

100g shelled gingko nuts
50g pearl barley
50g dried beancurd strips ("fu chok"), broken into 2inch pieces & soaked for 15mins until soft
100g rock sugar, rinsed
4 hard-boiled eggs, shelled

Put in all ingredients into a crockpot . Fill ¾ full with HOT water. Boil for 2 hours. Serve with the hard-boiled eggs.

"SHUET-YEE" (SNOW FUNGUS) SOUP

(For expectant mothers who have just gotten over morning sickness, this soup helps restore their appetites & improves general health.)

40g snow fungus ("shuet yee"), soaked in warm water for 1 hr, trimmed stems, & tear into florets
40g Pak-Hup / "bai he" (lilium brownii)
10g "Lam-Hang" & "Pak-Hung" (sweet & bitter almond mixture)
100g rock sugar, rinsed

Put all ingredients in crockpot, fill ¾ full with HOT water. Boil for 3 hours. Serve hot/cold (although for expectant mothers, it is advised that they do not eat cold stuff).

"SHUET-KAP KO" (SNOW FROGS’ GLANDS)

(This soup is good for building up the body’s stamina & resistance. Also for strengthening the joints)

20g dried snow frog’s glands, soaked in warm water & deveined (cleaned).
10 red dates (hung choe), stoned
80g lotus seeds
80g rock sugar, rinsed
1 stalk Pandan Leaf

Scald the soaked & cleaned snow frogs’ glands in boiling water for 3 mins. Drain.
Put all ingredients in crockpot & fill ¾ full with HOT water. Boil for 3 hours.
Discard pandan leaf before serving.

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