By Han Eun-jung
Staff Reporter The saying goes, ``Take medication and the cold will go in a week. Don't take medication and the cold will go in seven days.'' The common cold is notorious for not going away until it has put you through more than you thought you could ever endure. Which is why taking preventive measures ahead of time might be the best policy.
Especially with the biting cold weather already on us and the mercury set to plunge even further as the late autumn weather progresses into winter.
As for preventive measures, you don’t have look further than your own kitchen.
Home remedies are an easy and affordable alternative to other medications and can be made in the convenience of your own home with ingredients or common household items that you come across every day. While they may not have medicinal properties, nutrients can help prevent illness.
Since prehistoric times, people have turned to nature to prevent and soothe the symptoms of common ailments.
The following are some examples of ingredients cited by the great Choson Kingdom doctor Huh Jun in the classic medical text ``Tonguibogam'' that are often used to make Korean home remedies.
Tonguibogam, which was completed in 1610 after 14 years of practice and study of a some 500 ancient medical texts is still referred to by modern day by doctors because of its insight into oriental medical philosophy and theories on the body and medicine.
As home remedies are made of herbs and other all-natural ingredients, aside from allergic reactions they are generally harmless, rarely causing reactions or side effects.
Jujube
According to Tonguibogam, the jujube, a fruit that is warm in nature, sweet and innocuous provides a soothing effect on the intestines and helps blood circulation. The consistent consumption of jujubes, which are rich in protein, iron, calcium, and vitamin C and P, brightens the complexion and slows down the aging process. A mucilaginous fruit with demulcent properties, the jujube soothes and protects irritated internal tissues and sooths the throat. Jujube is widely used to treat sore throats and swollen glands.
Jujube Ginger Tea
Ingredients:
jujube 16
ginger 20g
water 800ml
brown sugar 4 table spoons
jujube shavings
Directions
① Clean the jujubes and ginger under running water and dry them with a paper towel. Slice the ginger into thin slivers.
② Place the jujubes and ginger slices into a pot and pour the water in. When the water starts to boil let it simmer for 10 minutes.
③ Pour the tea through a strainer into the teacups. Mix in a little brown sugar and stir. Drop a few jujube shavings into each cup. Enjoy!
Persimmons
Both fresh and dried persimmons are said to be beneficial to one’s health. Fresh persimmons help the heart, lungs and intestines to function, while dried persimmons warm up the body and also clear up scratchy throats and sinuses. However, persimmons are not recommended for all. Persimmons’ tannin property prevents the body from absorbing iron. Therefore, those suffering from anemia and women in pregnancy should avoid them.
Cinnamon, which ``Tonguibogam’’’ says is effective for the nervous system and nasal speculum, goes well with persimmons and together they fight the chills and sniffles.
Sujonggwa
Ingredients:
dried persimmons 20
cinnamon stick 60g
ginger 100g
sugar 4 cups
water 20 cups
pine nuts 3 table spoons
walnuts 10
Directions
① Rinse the cinnamon sticks. Peel the ginger and cut into thin slices.
② Dust off the sugar crystals from the dried persimmon and pluck off the stems.
③ Boil the water together with the ginger and cinnamon sticks and let it simmer until the water is spicy.
④ Pour the water through a strainer into a pot. Throw away the ginger and cinnamon. Add sugar to the water and boil again.
⑤ Add 15 dried persimmons to the sweetened water and let the them sit in the water. Chill.
⑥ Halve the walnuts.
⑦ Take the remainer of the persimmons and stuff them with four walnut halves apiece. Flatten the stuffed persimmons and slice them so that each piece is once centimeter thick.
⑧ Place a slice of the stuffed persimmon into a cup and pour the chilled, spicy persimmon water over it. Drop a few pine nuts into the cup. Enjoy!
Pears
According to Tonguibogam the pear is a sweet fruit with a tart aftertaste that possesses two different natures. When eaten fresh it lowers fever and when eaten cooked it cools and eases an upset stomach. However when too many pears are eaten it can result in diarrhea.
Pears are also known to help supress fevers and coughs and also rids the sinuses of phlem, making it a winter favorite among Koreans. Ancient records passed down from centuries ago show that it is also effective for asthmatic patients.
Paesuk
Ingredients:
pear (pureed) 1
black peppercorn 1 table spoon
ginger 80g
cinnamon stick 50g
water 7 cups
sugar 1.5 cups
pine nuts
Directions
① Rinse unpeeled ginger and slice into thin slivers. Pour half of prepared water into a pot with ginger and boil at a low temperature for 20 minutes.
② Rinse the peppercorn and place in separate pot. Pour the rest of the water and and also boil for 20 minutes.
③ Cut the pear into bite-size pieces (if a flower mold is at at hand cut into flower shapes) and punch the peppercorn into each piece.
④ Strain the ginger water and peppercorn water and mix the two. Boil the water at a low simmer. Add sugar. Then add the pear.
⑤ Serve warm or chilled. Enjoy!
Citrons
While the vitamin craze in western countries really all started in the ‘70s after Nobel prize-winning chemist’s clinical literature ``Vitamin C and the Common Cold’’ became highly publicized, Koreans for centuries have been taking in vitamin C with the citron. Citron is a citrus fruit that looks much like a lemon but has less pulp and a thick rind. Rich in minerals and vitamin C, Koreans drink citron tea religiously during the winter season.
Citron rids the body of phelm, stops coughing and soothes sore throats.
Citron Tea
Ingredients
citron 1kg
sugar 1kg
pine nuts
Directions
① Rinse the fresh citrons.
② Halve the citrons and then slice into thin pieces. Place some pieces in a large glass jar. Pour the sugar over the citron. Place more citron and pour on sugar. Repeat until jar is full.
③ Let the jar sit in a cool place for a few days so that the sugar melts and the mixture becomes a syrupy preserve.
④ Take a spoonful of the citron preserve and put it into a teacup. Pour water into the cup and mix. Drop a few pine nuts into the cup. Enjoy!
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