Rice wine (米酒): the warming spirit of the month
Glutinous rice wine is the backbone of the richest confinement dishes. What it is, why the tradition prizes it, which bottle to buy, and the alcohol question.
Guides
Hero ingredients
The key ingredients of the confinement kitchen, from old ginger and black sesame oil to red dates and dang gui, and what the tradition uses each one for.
American ginseng (西洋参): the cooling qi tonic
American ginseng, xi yang shen, is the cooling qi tonic, for the confinement mother who runs hot. How it differs from warming ginseng, and how to use it.
Astragalus (黄芪): the qi tonic of confinement soups
Astragalus, or huang qi, is the energy-building root at the heart of confinement tonic soups. What it does, how it pairs with dang gui, and when to use it.
Chinese yam (淮山): the gentle spleen tonic
Chinese yam, huai shan, is the mild, food-like tonic in confinement soups from the first days. Why the tradition prizes it for digestion, and how to use it.
Codonopsis (党参): the gentle everyday qi tonic
Dang shen, or codonopsis, is the mild, food-like qi tonic that flavours everyday confinement soups. A gentler stand-in for ginseng, and how to use it.
Dried scallops (瑶柱): the nourishing umami soup base
Dried scallops, yao zhu or conpoy, add deep savoury nourishment to confinement soups and congee. Why a few go so far, and how to soak and shred them.
Fish maw (花胶): the collagen-rich postpartum tonic
Fish maw, hua jiao, is the prized, collagen-rich delicacy of restorative postpartum soups. Why the tradition reaches for it after birth, and how to prepare it.
Peach gum (桃胶): the plant-based collagen dessert
Peach gum, tao jiao, is the peach-tree resin that cooks into a collagen-like jelly. Why it is a prized nourishing dessert, and how to soak and cook it.
Snow fungus (银耳): the skin-nourishing dessert
Snow fungus, yin er, is the ruffled white mushroom that cooks into a silky, collagen-like dessert. Why it is the poor man's bird's nest, and how to use it.
White peony root (白芍): the blood-nourishing herb
White peony root, bai shao, is the blood herb known as dang gui's partner in the classic postpartum formulas. What it does, and why it is used with care.
Wood ear (黑木耳): the blood-nourishing black fungus
Wood ear, hei mu er, is the crunchy black fungus of confinement stir-fries and soups. Why the tradition ties it to blood, its iron, and how to soak and cook it.
Black sesame oil (黑麻油): the signature confinement fat
Black sesame oil is what makes a dish read as confinement food. Why it is used, how it differs from pale sesame oil, and the low smoke point to respect.
Chinese angelica (当归): the blood herb, used with care
Dang gui is the most used blood tonic in Chinese medicine. Its role in confinement, why it waits until bleeding settles, and why a little goes a long way.
Goji berries (枸杞子): the eyes and the kidneys
Goji berries appear throughout confinement cooking. Why the tradition links them to the liver, kidneys and eyesight, and how to add them without overcooking.
Green papaya (青木瓜): the confinement lactation food
Green papaya soup is the classic confinement dish for milk supply. What green papaya is, the tradition behind it, what the evidence says, and how to use it.
Longan (龙眼): sweetness that nourishes and calms
Dried longan sweetens confinement teas and soups and carries its own traditional role, nourishing blood and calming the spirit. How to use it and buy it.
Old ginger (老姜): the warming engine of confinement
Old ginger is in almost every confinement dish for one reason: warmth. What makes it different from young ginger, its role in TCM, and how to buy and use it.
Red dates (红枣): the confinement blood tonic
Red dates appear in almost every confinement soup and tea. Why the tradition treats them as a blood tonic, how they harmonise a dish, and how to prepare them.
Sweetened black vinegar (甜醋): a Cantonese confinement staple
Sweetened black vinegar is the base of the famous pork trotter dish. What it is, why sweetened not plain, which brand to buy, and the pot it must not touch.