Japanese Home Remedies

[Torebaa]

I don't really know if this belongs here or not, but it's the best guess I could come up with since it revolves around food and I guess is a recipe.

Okay.

SO does anyone know any Japanese (Home) Remedies? I'm tired of the whole chicken noodle soup, jello, warm ginger-ale, soda crackers, etc things I grew up on not having much of a positive effect.

I'd like to try them, and I'd also just like to know to compare cultures.

Thanks.

 

[made of stone]

For anything specific, like coughs or colds?

Or things they might use just to generally boost the immune system?

 

[xFumiko]

Well for stomach aches I usually eat this white pill things. I dunno what it's called in Japanese but in Chinese it's Biow Fei Ming. A stronger version is Wakamaze [sp? lol]

Well, I have no idea what's in it but my [grand]parents use it. :<

Oh when your sick we usually eat like ....porridge? I dunno what it's called in English [Okayu] but it's just rice and you add more water and so it's kinda soupy. It's plain so it won't affect your digestion. You can eat it with like pickled vegetables, dried pork, or green onions depending if your stomach can handle it....

Like Europeans, a light tea is good especially barley tea and gingered water i guess. Eating some honey for your throat is always good-- my grandma mixed hot water and honey [with a little ginger, I think. I don't like ginger so blehaeh].

Most of the time it's just common sense lol-- light foods for the most part. No milk or lots of salt. The basics. Hope that helped.

 

[NekoMama7]

In addition to Okayu (pourridge), some folks seem to like Tamago Zake (or egg sake). Google to get recipe. I don't drink sake, so I don't know how good it works.

I like to put an egg in my okayu. Also, some hot udon noodles might be gentle on your tummy.

Odaijini!

 

[MeAndroo]

Ugh, I STILL can't stand the smell of okayu. I spent a miserable 4 days sick as a dog under the care of my well-meaning host mom. 15 straight meals of the same thing, in addition to my room eternally smelling of the stuff is enough for life. I'll take soup any day.

 

[epigene]

Ugh, I STILL can't stand the smell of okayu. I spent a miserable 4 days sick as a dog under the care of my well-meaning host mom. 15 straight meals of the same thing, in addition to my room eternally smelling of the stuff is enough for life. I'll take soup any day.

She didn't give you condiments to go with it, like chopped green onions mixed with umeboshi paste and miso?
Chinese-style kayu should have been nice, too.
These are the types of okayu that I would make for sick people once in a while. (I also make chicken soup with noodles... )

Here is a Google-translated page of Japanese home remedies for the common cold:
Japanese home remedies

Important note: "Rubbish" hot water is transliteration of "kudzu" hot water...

 

[undrentide]

Here is a Google-translated page of Japanese home remedies for the common cold:
Japanese home remedies

Important note: "Rubbish" hot water is transliteration of "kudzu" hot water...

Ahaha, it's funny!
As a side note for those who are puzzled with epigene-san's post; kuzu is a kind of starch made from the root of kuzu, which is a name of plant.
It is often written in kana so it is mistaken for another kuzu (meaning trash, debris, etc.) by some people (especially children) not only the online-translator.

When I was small, my mother often made me kuzu-yu on cold days - a teaspoonful of starch, some sugar, and a teaspoonful cocoa powder (Van Houten was her favourite), pour boiling hot water and stir well with a spoon until the stuff becomes translucent. You can simply make it just with starch and sugar, but cocoa one is really good.
Adding grated ginger and/or cinnamon powder in stead of cocoa is also nice and warming.

 

[MeAndroo]

She didn't give you condiments to go with it, like chopped green onions mixed with umeboshi paste and miso?

I didn't ask her about it at the time, but it might have been because she knew I don't like umeboshi. Either way, I like variety way too much...even when I'm sick.

 

[xFumiko]

I didn't ask her about it at the time, but it might have been because she knew I don't like umeboshi. Either way, I like variety way too much...even when I'm sick.

Haha, I agree, I hate Umeboshi. The sourness makes me gag.