Articles-Food as Medicine

By Cheng Chi, TCMD

Yu Zhu Tang - Soup for a Beautiful Complexion

Women all over the world want to have beautiful skin. Throughout history, soft, smooth, moist skin has been a valued attribute. Jars containing unguents, oils and cosmetics have been unearthed in archeological sites from Egypt to China; and today's TV and magazine advertising indicates that beautiful skin is still a top concern. For the most part, skin is treated topically, applying moisturizers and cosmetics to the skin surface. But a thousand years ago in China, noblemen and women in the emperor's court took a special herb called Yu Zhu, which they believed would promote ageless beauty. Yu Zhu is consumed internally, as an ingredient in soup, rather than applied externally to the skin. Try a pot of Yu Zhu soup, and become beautiful from the inside out! 

Ingredients

50 - 100 grams Yu Zhu (solomon's seal rhizome, polygonatus odoratus)

One whole Chicken

20 grams Ginger root

One piece Cao Guo (tsaoko fruit, cardamom species)

Two pieces Ba Jiao Hui Xiang (star anise)

50 grams (or less) Salt 

Preparation

1. Soak Solomon's seal rhizome overnight in 1 quart (1000ml) of water.

2. Cut the chicken into pieces, cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 - 5 minutes, until scum begins to float on the surface. Drain. Wash chicken pieces in cold water and then place in a cooking vessel with 2 quarts (2000ml) of fresh water.

3. Add Solomon's seal rhizome and soaking liquid to chicken, along with ginger, tsaoko fruit, star anise and salt.

4. Bring ingredients to a boil and simmer for two hours.     Serves 6 - 8 people. 

TCM Functions

Yu Zhu enters the lung meridian and the lung "opens into" the skin. When the lung is healthy, the skin is also healthy. We can see this in tuberculosis patients and people suffering from a chronic cough; their skin is often dry and rough. Yu Zhu Tang functions to moisten lung yin and tonify lung qi. Modern research has also found that Yu Zhu has a beneficial effect on the immune system and promotes the growth of skin cells.

 

Note: The Chinese herbs can be purchased in the AAAOM Clinic.