Winter time for tonic foods/補冬
For Chinese, Li Tung (the beginning of winter, the 19th of the 24 Solar Terms of lunar calendar) is the herald of winter.
With the arrival of Li Tung, Chinese people start to observe an age-old custom called Pu Tung ("taking tonic foods for winter"). In ancient agrarian society, farmers' were overtaxed after a long period of hard work in spring, summer and fall, so eating tonic foods could help to nourish the strength to ward off winter chills and could also be regarded as a year-end reward for the hard work.
Winter in southern Taiwan is usually mild, but that doesn't stop people from taking all kinds of tonic foods. Restaurants in Kaohsiung are coming up with many new recipes for tonic food fans.
One powerful recipe is the sea horse stew. It is prepared first with old hens simmered for 6 hours and then, with conches, sea horses, ginseng added, cooked over medium heat for another 3 hours. It is said one serving per week could bring youth and longevity. Another example is the fish head soup prepared with cnidium officinale and dahurian angelica root. According to Chinese medicine, such soup can cure headache, stroke, cold, toothache, etc.
And barbecued oysters, braised soft-shell turtles with garlic, lamb brisket pot, and stewed pike-eels in brown sauce. Oysters are rich in protein and other minerals and can bolster virility.
One must be careful when choosing the ingredients for medicinal tonic recipes because Chinese medicine holds that wrong combination of ingredients would result in poisonous effect. And to ensure the best results of taking medicinal tonic foods, one must eat on an empty stomach at evening and avoid other cold and spicy foods two hours before and after taking.
當中國農曆二十四節氣進入「立冬」時，也代表著冬天來臨。
在「立冬」這一天，有一個習俗，也就是所謂的「補冬」。這是從古傳下來的，因為古時農業社會，大家經過春耕、夏耘、秋收整年的辛苦工作，體力耗費很多，而冬天又天氣寒冷，需要體力來禦寒，所以需要吃點好料來補充營養，順便也犒賞一家老小一年來的辛勞。有句俗諺說「立冬補冬，補嘴空」，就是形容中國人補冬的習俗。
除了「立冬」這一天，其實整個冬天都盛行吃補，不論是街頭上的「羊肉爐」、「薑母鴨」等常是高朋滿座，許多家庭也會自行燉麻油雞、四物雞等來補身調氣血。
雖然南台灣冬天不是那麼冷，但是冬令進補依然是民眾所熱衷的大事，高雄餐飲業者更是推陳出新，研發許多新食材、新口味的冬令藥膳食譜，推薦給消費者享用。
例如「滋補燉海馬」，是以老母雞熬煮６小時，加入海螺肉、海馬、枸起子、人蔘再以明火燉３小時。海馬性甘溫，具有暖臟、補腎壯陽、治疔瘡及治血氣鬱痛的功效；人蔘則能強心、增加免疫力及抗衰老，海馬與人蔘有互補作用，藥性最為契合，常喝可青春永駐。
「川芎白芷燉魚頭」湯頭內含具有活血行氣、袪風及鎮靜功效的川芎與散濕止痛、消腫排膿的白芷，此湯品可治中風頭痛、血鬱氣滯及治風寒感冒、牙痛、頭痛、腸風痔廔等症狀。
「火腩燒生蠔」，生蠔本身因具有高蛋白質及鈣、鐵、錳、維他命A、B12及三酸肝油脂，可壯陽補腎。而「蒜子紅燒甲魚」、「枝竹羊腩褒」及「紅燒金錢鰻」等也是可以將大家補得壯壯的好湯品。
藥膳所選用的藥材非常重要，最好以植物性為主，要注意搭配的食物與藥材是否會造成衝突。中國人吃中藥常忌口，食用藥膳同樣也有許多學問，基本上要把握三大原則：一、空腹食用較有效；二、晚間時用最佳。因晚間運動量較小，藥性不易經由汗腺排出，更能提昇藥性的吸收；三、食用前後二小時內不可吃辣、吃冰，主要是涼熱相互衝突，辣有刺激及抵消藥膳功效的作用。