Cough Relief: Stir-Fried Perilla Seed Oil Rice

Winter cold is on its way, and the climate is turning cooler. Many people's respiratory tracts start to alert. Traditional remedies come into play at this time, including eating loquat paste, throat lozenges, tangerine peel, etc., even some encouraging the consumption of bitter tea oil.A traditional dish recommended by an acupuncturist is a 'bitter tea oil fried rice'. This can be consumed for those with coughs that are not healing due to weakened resistance.

Coughing has many different causes, including lesions in the respiratory tract itself, such as respiratory allergies, chronic non-infectious inflammation, infectious inflammation, tumors, congenital organ malformations, chest wall diseases, and injuries;or psychogenic coughs, or lesions of organs in the mediastinum, such as tumors, gastroesophageal reflux, and liver or kidney diseases affecting the thorax and lungs.

According to the Materia Medica: 'Tea seeds treat coughs and phlegm.'

Acupuncturist Liao Qianhui states that the main pathology of cough in Traditional Chinese Medicine is primarily in the lungs, also related to the liver, spleen, and kidneys. The characteristics are that pathogenic factors attack the lungs, leading to a failure of lung qi to be released smoothly, thus causing coughing. According to the Materia Medica: 'Tea seeds treat shortness of breath and coughs, removing phlegm.'Therefore, some encourage eating bitter tea oil for shortness of breath, coughs, and phlegm removal and throat lubrication.

The reasons for long-term unresolved cough can be simply divided into wind-cold, damp-phlegm, yin deficiency, and dry-heat. Bitter tea oil is suitable for those with weakened resistance who develop a cough after catching a chill or having an illness for too long which damages the lung qi.

[Bitter Tea Oil Fried Rice]:

Rice two cups, sweet almond 10g licorice 8 pieces bitter tea oil garlic spring onion, pork meat 100g (thawed) eggs two (whisked in a bowl) a little salt. Ingredients: white rice two cups, sweet almond 10g licorice 8 pieces bitter tea oil garlic spring onion, pork meat 100g (thawed) two eggs (whisked in a bowl), a little salt.Ingredients: white rice two cups, sweet almond 10g licorice 8 pieces bitter tea oil garlic spring onion, pork meat 100g (thawed) two eggs (whisked in a bowl), a little salt.Ingredients: white rice two cups, sweet almond 10g licorice 8 pieces bitter tea oil garlic spring onion, pork meat 100g (thawed) two eggs (whisked in a bowl), a little salt.

Method:

1. The day before, wash the rice thoroughly and add sweet almond 10g licorice 8 pieces, then cook it in an electric cooker to make white rice, refrigerate and store for later use.

2. In a wok, heat bitter tea oil and garlic on low heat, stir-fry slowly until the aroma of garlic is released.

3. Once the aroma starts, pour in the egg mixture, quickly fry until it coagulates, then add pork slices and continue frying.

4. When the pork is almost cooked through, add the previously made white rice. Mix the white rice with all ingredients thoroughly, adding spring onions and a little salt to taste before turning off the heat.

Target audience: those who are physically weak or overworked, leading to weakened resistance, catching a chill or having an illness for too long, resulting in persistent coughing without pain or minimal phlegm, itchy throat coughs.

Effects: white rice replenishes qi and strengthens the body;sweetalmond ；licorice nourishes the spleen, benefits qi, and stops coughing;

bitter tea oil lubricates the lungs to relieve upward lung qi movement, spring onions and garlic can disperse cold with their pungent warmth.

Acupuncturist's Note:For long-term persistent coughs, professional medical diagnosis is still necessary.To prevent incessant coughing, avoid spicy foods like chili peppers, garlic, onion, leeks; cough with thick mucus should avoid greasy and sticky foods such as fatty meat, cream, fried food, peanuts, glutinous rice, etc.Chinese chives wait. Those with excessive phlegm coughing, should avoid greasy and sticky foods such as fatty meat,margarine, fried items,peanuts, and rice dumplings etc.