Chinese dietetics: What cooking does

Wet and dry

Water methods — congee, steaming, blanching, stewing — soften, extend and make hard-to-digest things more tolerable. Dry ones — oven, toasting, stir-frying — concentrate aroma, remove water, and tradition describes them as more warming.

A two-hour congee

The most in softness and tolerance

Steaming

Keeps shape and water; the most neutral of all

Short, fierce stir-fry

Concentrates, and is described as more warming

Toasting

Removes water and lifts aroma; shifts upward on the scale

Common mistake: Thinking a long method “changes” the food. It makes it easier to take, which is not the same thing.

Sort the methods

• CongeeWith waterWithout water
• SteamingWith waterWithout water
• BlanchingWith waterWithout water
• OvenWith waterWithout water
• ToastingWith waterWithout water
• Stir-fryingWith waterWithout water

Put the making of a congee in order

1. Rinse the rice until the water runs almost clear↑↓
2. Add eight to ten parts water to one of rice↑↓
3. Bring to a boil and drop straight to the lowest heat↑↓
4. Cook for a good hour, stirring now and then↑↓
5. Take it off when the grain has broken down and the surface glosses↑↓

Salad does not sit well with someone who still wants to eat fresh vegetables. What do you adjust first?

1. The vegetable: swap it for one with a warm nature
2. The preparation: blanched or steamed instead of raw
3. The time: move the salad to dinner
4. The amount: half a portion

What sets fermented foods apart from the other preparations?

1. They have their own microbiology and risks, and are not improvised without hygiene control
2. They are always warm
3. Their flavor becomes sour in every case
4. They cannot be cooked afterwards