Drink

“Dim Sum”   ,  “Yum Cha”  ,  “Morning Tea”   or  “Zao Cha” Drinking Tea has always been an important part in the daily routines of most Chinese people, but Morning Tea specifically has been enjoyed by Cantonese Chinese  for hundreds of years. Nowadays Morning Tea, Yum Cha, or Zao Cha are all ways to describe the activity Westerners … Continue reading Understanding the World of Chinese Morning Tea

Western science has discovered that the health benefits of tea greatly outweigh the benefits of coffee. But if you like coffee, keep drinking it. But challenge yourself today by drinking 1 cup of tea for every cup of coffee. That way you are not depriving yourself of the cancer-fighting polyphenol antioxidants in tea, especially green … Continue reading Asian Secret #7 1 cup coffee, 1 cup tea

There are countless natural ways to get more sleep. Sleeping pills should be a last resort. Try drinking a cup of warm milk before going to bed tonight. Milk contains tryptophan, which is often attributed to the sleepy feeling you get after a turkey dinner.

In the West we have a basic grasp of the health-related properties of red wine, especially French wine. In China, there exists a family of alcohol referred to as “保健酒” (Bao Jian Jiu); or medicinal alcohol. In fact, I’m enjoying 125ml of it while I type this post. So, what’s good about it? After the 35% … Continue reading Healthy Alcohol: Drink to your health!

All of my guests who have visited China notice the basics: delicious food, hospital people, beautiful landscapes, questionable hygiene, and ancient customs. One aspect of Chinese culture I often get asked about is tea culture. One specific part of the tea culture has been left untouched on AL.ME for years: Green Tea To-Go! So today I finally weigh … Continue reading Green Tea To-Go!

Back when I was living in the States as a student, I was definitely hooked on take-away coffee. It was the ultimate wake up juice, even though the sugar was probably what helped out most. But when I think about it a bit harder, it was probably that scent which pulled at me most. Drinking … Continue reading Coffee for Tea Drinkers

For vinegar, I don’t taste much of a difference between brands, although color is important. Dark vinegar, or “Chen Cu” 陈醋, is the standard in China and the famous ones always come from Shanxi province 山西. While cooking with a very experienced coworker, I learned that a particular brand is famous here: Dong Hu, literally … Continue reading Vinegar from Shanxi

Is Oolong tea a kind of green tea? Is Long Jing a kind of tea or a brand?  Which one does what for you? These questions have been on my brain longer than my stay here in China (since 2005). After all, tea is the most consumed drink in the world after water. There are … Continue reading Understanding The World of Tea

After starting to type “soy…” into google, I got a quick suggestion of “soy milk dangers” and I immediately chuckled. Anyone who is saying that “soy products are harmful to you! Don’t drink them!” are just trying to sell you something in its place. I promise. As with all health-media frenzies, it is about controlling … Continue reading Drink Soy Milk- Its Not Dangerous!

I’m not sure where this all came from, but while I was growing up in Middle-America 1990s, I specifically remember people getting called out as “Health Freaks” or “Health Nuts.” For whatever reason, which I’m finding bewildering today, a person who chose to eat Toufu or drink Soy products was trying too hard to be … Continue reading The “Too Healthy” Complex