"Eating a Chicken During Mid-Summer, Staying Healthy All Year Round"

The dog days of summer are here, and there’s a traditional saying: "Eating a chicken during mid-summer ensures good health for the whole year." But why is chicken the go-to food during the hottest days of the year? Think about it—when you’re sweating buckets every day, your body’s vital energy (or "qi") is also draining away with the sweat, leaving you feeling weak and depleted. So, what’s the solution? Chicken! It’s the perfect mild and nourishing "white meat," packed with high-quality protein that’s easy to digest.

The ancient wisdom of "using heat to combat heat" comes into play here. On a scorching day, a steaming bowl of savory chicken soup can work wonders. It induces a good sweat, flushing out the cold, damp, and stagnant energy trapped inside your body, leaving you feeling refreshed and revitalized. This is the essence of "summer nourishment."

However, not just any chicken dish will do. The key is to focus on light, balanced flavors—avoid greasy or overly rich preparations—so your body can comfortably absorb the nutrients. Below are three of my kitchen’s go-to "summer chicken" recipes, each delicious and carefully crafted for optimal health benefits.

1. Nourishing Black Chicken Soup: The Ultimate Energy Booster

Ingredients:

• ½ black-bone chicken

• 3 fresh Dendrobium stems (or 10g dried)

• 1 Chinese yam (shan yao)

• 6–8 red dates (jujubes)

• 10g astragalus root (huang qi)

• A small handful of goji berries

• A few slices of ginger

• Salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Clean and chop the black chicken into pieces. Blanch in cold water to remove impurities, then rinse.

2. Peel and cut the yam into sections (wear gloves if your skin is sensitive!). Rinse the red dates, astragalus, Dendrobium (soak dried ones briefly), and goji berries.

3. Add all ingredients (except goji berries) to a clay pot with enough water. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam, then simmer on low heat for 1.5–2 hours.

4. Add the goji berries 15 minutes before turning off the heat. Season with salt, and it’s ready!

This soup is like a "gentle version of a full tonic." Black chicken nourishes yin, yam strengthens the spleen and stomach, red dates and astragalus replenish qi and blood, Dendrobium promotes fluid production, and goji berries benefit the eyes. The broth is light yet deeply restorative—perfect for those feeling fatigued, sweating excessively, or suffering from dry mouth in the summer. One bowl feels like plugging a "charging cable" into your body!

2. Steamed Chicken with Mushrooms, Carrots, and Yam: A Light & Easy Lazy Dish

Ingredients:

• 3 chicken thighs or drumsticks

• A few dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked in advance)

• ½ carrot

• ½ Chinese yam

• Ginger strips, scallion segments

• Light soy sauce, oyster sauce, cooking wine

• A little starch, sesame oil

Instructions:

1. Clean and cut the chicken into pieces. Marinate with light soy sauce, oyster sauce, cooking wine, ginger, and a bit of starch for 15 minutes.

2. Soak the dried mushrooms until soft, then slice. Cut the carrot and yam into bite-sized pieces.

3. Arrange the chicken, mushrooms, carrots, and yam in a steaming dish. Top with scallions and a drizzle of sesame oil.

4. Steam over high heat for 20–25 minutes until fully cooked.

This dish is incredibly simple yet flavorful