The premature chilly temperatures in recent weeks caught me by surprise, making me think about food to keep warm. I'd like to share with you Four-Element Soup and Sugar Water, known in Chinese as siwu tang and tang shui, which are not only nourishing but also make you feel warm. Both dishes are easy to prepare.

"Every family in Fujian province makes Four-Element Soup and Sugar Water," said my brother-in-law, who made this tonic soup for my sister during the period referred as zuo yuezi, the one-month convalesce period enjoyed by Chinese mothers after giving birth. The two potions are believed to have reinvigorating properties and should be consumed regularly.

Taking tonic food is an old Chinese custom; the belief goes that if tonics are taken regularly, they can promote a healthy life as well as maintain the balance of yin and yang.

Sun Simiao, a clinical practitioner during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), believed "food has the function of eliminating evil influences and soothing the vital organs", and "anyone over 40 years old should start to take tonics, and anyone over 50 years old should take tonics all year round; such are the secrets of nourishing life to enjoy longevity".

Sun, revered today as the "King of Herbal Medicine", has designed countless formulas by combining selected herbs for specific purposes, to supplement deficiencies by increasing the yang, or decreasing the yin in order to maintain an equilibrium between the two in which the body is considered to be in its best state.

The recipe for Four-Element Soup consists of four main herbs: white paeonia, Chinese foxglove root, rhizome of Chuanxiong and angelica, plus a whole dark-skinned old hen.

This combination is said to help increase milk for women after childbirth, promote blood circulation and prevent colds, making it a perfect winter dish.

I was able to buy the necessary herbs at Tongrentang, a traditional Chinese medicine chain store, which weighs each item for you to get the right balance. Buy a whole black-skinned chicken or organic chicken to complete the recipe.

This soup is very easy to prepare. If you find the medicinal odor unpleasant, pinch your nose first and taste the broth. I trust you will love the naturally sweet-tasting soup and that you will find it a good amulet for fighting the winter cold.

Recipe | Four-element Soup Decoction

Ingredients:

Angelica, 10 g

Rhizome of Chuanxiong, 8 g

White paeonia, 12 g

Chinese foxglove, 12 g

A whole organic chicken. Rinse well and cut into four sections. Discard the head but keep the rest.

Tip: Buy the herbs at a traditional Chinese herb store; the quality at Tongrentang is better than in the market.

Method:

1. Bring 8 cups water to the boil

2. Add the herbs and let the contents brew for a few minutes until you smell the fragrance

3. Add the chicken and reduce the flame to a simmering temperature. Simmer for at least an hour. The longer you simmer, the better the flavor.

Recipe | Sugar Water

Ingredients:

1 cup of red dates. Soak in cold water till soft and drain well.

5 pieces of lesser ginseng. Rinse.

1/8 cup dried longan. Soak in cold water and drain well.

2 large fresh pieces of ginger. Wash well and leave the skin on. Smash the pieces with a cleaver.

1 piece of rock sugar

Method:

1. Bring 8 cups water to a boil, then drop the smashed ginger into the boiling water and let it cook for a few minutes.

2. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for at least one hour. The longer you simmer, the better.