Cinnamon, a common cooking spice found in kitchens, is often used to flavor meats and is one of the components of five-spice powder, making it a staple in almost every household.
However, cinnamon is also a valuable medicinal herb, appearing in various health-promoting recipes, such as the “Yizhi Cinnamon Lamb Soup” from Gu Fang Yi Yuan. So what exactly is its “charm”?
Small “Bark”, Many Functions
Cinnamon is the dried bark of the Cinnamomum cassia plant, typically harvested in autumn and dried in the shade. As one of the “Top Ten Traditional Chinese Medicines”, it is primarily produced in the Zhaoqing, Suixi, and Xinyi regions of Guangdong Province.
Image Source: Internet
With a spicy and sweet flavor, cinnamon is considered to have a warming nature and is associated with the Heart (Xin), Liver (Gan), Spleen (Pi), and Kidney (Shen) meridians. It has the functions of returning fire to the source, tonifying Yang and warming the body, alleviating cold and pain, and warming the meridians.
It is commonly used for conditions such as Kidney Yang deficiency leading to wheezing, impotence, coldness in the lower back and knees, floating Yang, dysmenorrhea, cold pain in the abdomen, dizziness with red eyes, cold hernia pain, and cold-induced vomiting and diarrhea.
Therefore, cinnamon can be used by both men and women, but it should not be used indiscriminately and should follow medical advice. In daily life, it is recommended to use cinnamon in conjunction with dietary therapy to improve health issues.
Two Cinnamon Dietary Recipes
1. Ginseng and Cinnamon Stewed Pigeon
Image Source: Internet
Ingredients: 5g cinnamon, 50g ginseng, 10g ginger, 300g pigeon, 5g salt, 3g chicken essence, 1g sugar, 750g water.
Method: Clean the cinnamon and ginseng, chop the pigeon into pieces and blanch in water, slice the ginger. In a pot, add the pigeon, cinnamon, ginseng, ginger, and water, bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat for 35 minutes before seasoning.
Effects: This dish is beneficial for symptoms such as thirst, forgetfulness, restlessness, Kidney essence deficiency, prolonged illness with weakness, and blood deficiency in women.
2. Lamb Cinnamon Soup
Image Source: Internet
Ingredients: 500g lamb, 6g cinnamon, appropriate amounts of scallions, ginger, cooking wine, and salt.
Method: Soak the lamb in cold water for 2 hours, changing the water every hour, then clean and cut into small pieces. In a pot, add enough water, the lamb pieces, and bring to a boil, skimming off the foam, then add cooking wine. Next, add cinnamon, scallions, and ginger, cover, and simmer on low heat for 1-1.5 hours, then add salt and continue to simmer on medium heat for another 15-20 minutes.
If you want to save time, you can also choose the Yizhi Cinnamon Lamb Soup mix from Gu Yi Tang, which has balanced ingredients and is easy to prepare.
Effects: Warms the lower back and knees, strengthens the stomach and aids digestion.
While cinnamon is beneficial, there are also dietary contraindications. According to Dr. Wei Haiyan, Deputy Chief Physician at Gu Fang Yi Yuan:
“Cinnamon is a very warming herb and should not be used by those with Yin deficiency and excess heat, heat-induced bleeding, or during heavy menstrual flow, pelvic inflammation, sore throat, and other heat-related illnesses; pregnant women should avoid it; cinnamon is best consumed in cooler weather.”
Additionally, if you have health concerns and need consultation, you can leave a message for Xiao Gu to assign a health advisor to you.
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Academic Review: Zhou Zhilin | Li MingxiaEditor/Proofreader: Li LiReview: Yang Qiang / Zheng Zhiqi