zhou with fruits, zhou with pulses, zhou with a range of meats and fish and zhou with every Chinese vegetable I knew and some that I didn’t.
Rice zhou is the most common, but it can be made with millet, sorghum, buckwheat, corn and even a treasured grain called ‘Job’s tears’ (coix seed) which looks a bit like pearl barley. Then there is the famous ba bao zhou (‘eight treasure porridge’) that is traditionally eaten on La Ba , the eighth day of the twelfth month, which heralds the onset of winter. The ‘eight treasures’ comprise a mixture of pulses, fruits and seeds that can vary from recipe to recipe. The concept is not so different from muesli, only whereas muesli can be heavy and difficult to digest, and both oats and wheat can cause problems in our allergy-prone modern society, zhou is lighter and based on rice, which is non-allergenic.
Getting rid of toxins
In China, nobody questions the many benefits of zhou . As well as being the perfect food for invalids – even those with a fever who in the West might not be given solid food – it is believed to have a cleansing effect, getting rid of toxins while preventing the body from dehydration. Anyone who has eaten at a real Chinese banquet or a celebratory meal in a good restaurant will know that the Chinese enjoy rich food from time to time and never talk about cutting back the next day. But they do eat zhou , to remedy the effect of serious overindulgence.
You may be wondering why a bowl of mushy rice should be better than, say, a blueberry smoothie or a glass of freshly pressed vegetable juice, both bursting with vitamins to revitalize your system. Sometimes our digestive systems need a rest. One solution would be just to go hungry, but that in itself brings stresses and strains. Just as the best way into an exercise regime is through a gentle warm up, the digestive system needs to be started slowly after a night’s rest or a period of sickness. The Chinese expression kai wei’r means literally ‘to open the stomach’, and this is exactly what zhou can do. My grandfather, though not familiar with zhou as such, would have agreed with the Chinese that a weak or tired body is best nourished by a steaming hot bowl of restorative broth.
It took me a long time to convert to the zhou habit, and I do not expect you to acquire it overnight. But if I can convince you to try it the benefits will probably make your efforts worthwhile. Before I started to eat zhou for breakfast I had accepted the fact that I suffered from headaches and a dry feeling in my mouth most mornings, and often felt bloated and uncomfortable. I knew from friends that these symptoms weren’t uncommon and there were plenty of possible causes, ranging from the Beijing pollution to the impossibility of finding Sam’s shoes on a school morning. I had even toyed with the newly fashionable idea that I suffered from wheat intolerance.
Since I have been eating zhou regularly these symptoms have practically disappeared, and I have not needed to sacrifice my former favourites. My appetite in the morning has increased and, when I have time, I eat steamed or freshly baked bread with my zhou , sometimes an egg as well. My newly balanced body does not react unfavourably if zhou is not an option and I eat a more conventional breakfast from time to time.
What is it about zhou that makes it so health-giving? The role of zhou becomes clearer if you understand that Chinese doctors apply the Taoist principles of yin and yang to the human body. A fit body has a perfect balance of these opposing forces. If a person is unwell, overtired or has simply overindulged, Chinese people believe that the balance needs to be brought back into line.
Yin and yang in the body
According to traditional Chinese medicine, the inside of the body is yin and the surface is yang . Yin is everything that is passive and associated with storage; yang is active and responsible for processing. Our qi , or life-force, is created
Rice zhou is the most common, but it can be made with millet, sorghum, buckwheat, corn and even a treasured grain called ‘Job’s tears’ (coix seed) which looks a bit like pearl barley. Then there is the famous ba bao zhou (‘eight treasure porridge’) that is traditionally eaten on La Ba , the eighth day of the twelfth month, which heralds the onset of winter. The ‘eight treasures’ comprise a mixture of pulses, fruits and seeds that can vary from recipe to recipe. The concept is not so different from muesli, only whereas muesli can be heavy and difficult to digest, and both oats and wheat can cause problems in our allergy-prone modern society, zhou is lighter and based on rice, which is non-allergenic.
Getting rid of toxins
In China, nobody questions the many benefits of zhou . As well as being the perfect food for invalids – even those with a fever who in the West might not be given solid food – it is believed to have a cleansing effect, getting rid of toxins while preventing the body from dehydration. Anyone who has eaten at a real Chinese banquet or a celebratory meal in a good restaurant will know that the Chinese enjoy rich food from time to time and never talk about cutting back the next day. But they do eat zhou , to remedy the effect of serious overindulgence.
You may be wondering why a bowl of mushy rice should be better than, say, a blueberry smoothie or a glass of freshly pressed vegetable juice, both bursting with vitamins to revitalize your system. Sometimes our digestive systems need a rest. One solution would be just to go hungry, but that in itself brings stresses and strains. Just as the best way into an exercise regime is through a gentle warm up, the digestive system needs to be started slowly after a night’s rest or a period of sickness. The Chinese expression kai wei’r means literally ‘to open the stomach’, and this is exactly what zhou can do. My grandfather, though not familiar with zhou as such, would have agreed with the Chinese that a weak or tired body is best nourished by a steaming hot bowl of restorative broth.
It took me a long time to convert to the zhou habit, and I do not expect you to acquire it overnight. But if I can convince you to try it the benefits will probably make your efforts worthwhile. Before I started to eat zhou for breakfast I had accepted the fact that I suffered from headaches and a dry feeling in my mouth most mornings, and often felt bloated and uncomfortable. I knew from friends that these symptoms weren’t uncommon and there were plenty of possible causes, ranging from the Beijing pollution to the impossibility of finding Sam’s shoes on a school morning. I had even toyed with the newly fashionable idea that I suffered from wheat intolerance.
Since I have been eating zhou regularly these symptoms have practically disappeared, and I have not needed to sacrifice my former favourites. My appetite in the morning has increased and, when I have time, I eat steamed or freshly baked bread with my zhou , sometimes an egg as well. My newly balanced body does not react unfavourably if zhou is not an option and I eat a more conventional breakfast from time to time.
What is it about zhou that makes it so health-giving? The role of zhou becomes clearer if you understand that Chinese doctors apply the Taoist principles of yin and yang to the human body. A fit body has a perfect balance of these opposing forces. If a person is unwell, overtired or has simply overindulged, Chinese people believe that the balance needs to be brought back into line.
Yin and yang in the body
According to traditional Chinese medicine, the inside of the body is yin and the surface is yang . Yin is everything that is passive and associated with storage; yang is active and responsible for processing. Our qi , or life-force, is created
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