We’ve all heard that nothing helps to cure a common cold better than a cup or two of chicken soup. It’s just plain good for the soul.
Lucky for me, Taiwanese chicken soup is readily available just about everywhere in Taiwan.
I can have my choice of several varieties of herbal broths. I can even pick the type of chicken I want in my soup: normal free range chickens, local chickens (a species that is native to the area), and the highly-prized black-skinned Silkie chicken.
The Taiwanese version differs slightly from my grandmother’s chicken soup recipe, but it still has most of the basic ingredients, and there’s no better cure for low-energy days, bad moods, and illness.
Many people believe that chicken soup has anti-inflammatory properties (I’m a believer!), and the addition of ginseng and ginger really gives this wholesome soup the punch it needs to help combat sore throats and revitalize the body.
Taiwanese chicken soup doesn’t usually have noodles, although some vendors will include them if you ask for them. Recipes call for a whole chicken which is boiled down and spiced up with rice wine, wolfberries, ginseng, ginger, garlic, and other various herbs and spices.
When you’ve finished, you’ll have a winner that even grandma would be proud of. Plus, it’s a real kid-pleaser.
This post is part of the Wanderfood Wednesday meme.
Bottom photo by avixyz on Flickr.
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Yum! And I agree…chicken soup just makes you feel better!
That soup looks very tasty! I love the photo at the top – priceless
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Oh, this soup sounds fantastic.
I love the garlic and wolfberry additions – so healthy!!
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Ummmm YUM! The looks like the kind of soup my mother in law makes.
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Very similar to a chicken dish here in Korea called samyatang (not sure if that is the correct sp). Koreans eat this on very hot summer days. I like it!
.-= Nancie (Ladyexpat)´s last blog ..Wanderfood Wednesday — Delicious Balinese Seafood =-.
Nancie,
Is samyatang served hot or cold? What’s their reason for eating it on super-hot days? Chicken soup isn’t as popular here during the summer. Everyone switches to cold noodles.
I believe in the power of soup, too! Steam and warmth is just so comforting – nothing like it!
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Chicken soup, all its varieties, are good eats. Eating the black chickens is a little disturbing the first (or third) time. I think noodles are a must.