Quick soothing Korean remedies offer the same concept as a warm comforting cup of tea or soup, except the added bonus of a quicker response to stimulating the sinuses creating natural fluids to start circulating. Be warned: Koreans eat spicy dishes consisting of garlic, onions, pepper, salt and ginger. This creates more of a desire to drink fluids and these recipes include plenty of liquids through soups and tea. It is not recommended for those with a sensitive stomach, taste buds or open wounds in the mouth.
Warm Ginger Tea
Before you consider reaching for the usual boxed tea assortments, try a lighter idea of boiled ginger with lemon and honey. Black and green teas can be bitter if left seeping for too long a time. Forget the overpriced freeze-dried expensively bottled crystallized ginger. Simply buy a fresh ginger bunch for half the price in the produce aisle. Peel and boil a few thinly cut slices. Add some honey, lemon, fresh mint and sip.
Spicy Soothing Noodle Soup
Another comforting recipe Koreans eat is spicy noodle soup. Many thrifty Americans, are more familiar with the noodle soup brand Top Ramen but there are heartier kinds. More neighborhood grocery store chains are offering aisles of exotic foods so you may find a variety to choose from or visit a local oriental food mart. Asians go for thicker noodle varieties that include packets of dried vegetables and a mix of spiced powdered pepper. For added protein add an easily eatable egg right before eating. The heat will cook the egg within minutes. Add some cut up green onions or scallions for more flavors. Don’t ditch the broth – sip it like soup for soothing relief for a cold, a stuffy nose, and swollen throat.
Hearty Cabbage Kim Chi
A staple on Korean tables is Kim chi. Kim chi can be made in different ways using an array of vegetables. Not all of them are spicy especially summer time Kim chi which tastes like pickled vegetables or steamed using bean sprouts, cucumbers, harvest greens, white radish, rice vinegar, salt, and sesame. Sit down at a local Korean restaurant where these traditional side dishes will be served with the main entrée as customary in Korean dining. Korean restaurants and Asian food stores may offer these types of Kim Chi for sale in different quantities.
Chilled spicy Napa cabbage Kim chi are slowly becoming popular in grocery stores in the produce section. It’s a heavily spiced crunchy juicy Napa cabbage loaded with vitamin C, calcium, iron, and zinc. Ideally suited to help fight a cold, fresh cabbage Kim chi that has not had a lot of time to marinate or ferment is crispier and juicier offering a cool burst of juice to the spice.
Kim Chi in Chicken Soup
Like many passed down recipes there are different versions to taste. Common ingredients include green onions, shaved carrots, ginger, garlic, ground pepper, fish sauce and plenty of salt. Koreans eat it at almost every meal with rice or boil it in a comforting soup. Be sure to dilute the soup for taste or add it to the noodle soup. Try this version of cabbage soup; it boils soft and easy to eat with a swollen throat. Consider adding it to your standard can of chicken soup for some extra flavor and comfort for your cold.