Food &Drinks

Chinese Cuisine

The highly sophisticated food culture is a unique characteristic to Chinese culture. It is probably also the best-known feature of Chinese culture by foreigners. In almost every country in world, you can find Chinese restaurants. It is commented that Chinese is a lucky people because wherever they go, they can always have hometown food.

Introduction of Chinese Tea

Chinese Tea Party

The Chinese take their tea seriously. No doubt about that. Everyone, from taxi drivers to company presidents, drinks tea every day, all day long. Tea is consumed in liters: cups upon cups of the lovely, steaming, fragrant stuff. But any Chinese tea expert knows that much of the action and excitement takes place long before the first heavenly sip. While most everyday tea is just a matter of water sloshed over tea leaves, a true tea aficionado knows there are meticulous details of brewing time, water temperature, quality of water, types of tea pots and cups that make a big difference in the result. And that's after all the care has been taken to grow and ferment the delicate leaves, to blend and so on.

Even in the middle of its busy location, the Beijing Wuyutai Tea Shop stands out. Though the Old Beijing exterior is a recent concoction, the tea from this old teahouse is the real thing. With a history that stretches back more than a hundred years, this teahouse has much tradition.

Summer Solution

The heat is already in the air, and I know I will need professional help to make it through Beijing's summer of swelter. For the past month, I've been looking for a doctor to help me get through this season. One fact cheers me: though El Nino is doing its worst to the planet these days, Beijing's summers will never reach the level of India's heat in May. Rainy days will keep Beijing wetter and more comfortable.

My search takes me to 63-year-old Chinese medicine expert Zhao Hongbin. One minute after he takes my pulse, he tells me my weakness is in my spleen and blood. He was correctly describes every symptom I have and writes me a prescription.

Now I am following his advice every day and I feel obliged to share this with you. Maybe it will help you beat the summer heat, too.

According to Doctor Zhao, every person needs the protection of oneself his summer recipe. The ingredients are easy to get, and the preparation just as simple. According to Chinese medicine, hot weather may increase your body's inner heat, so you should eat food to counteract this.

The principle of keeping healthy in hot weather is to eat fewer oily foods and more "quality-cool" food. Foods recommended by Doctor Zhao: green bean, lily, white sugar, cucumber, spinach, cabbage, green bean sprouts, celery, carrot, bamboo shoots, hare meat, duck meat, sheep liver, milk, egg and fruit.