What are the benefits and effects of Tiegun yam?
Tiegun yam is one of the famous specialties of Jiaozuo, Henan, with a cultivation history of 3,000 years. It was once a tribute item for royal courts throughout the dynasties, and is considered the finest among the Four Huai Medicines. It enjoys high recognition both domestically and abroad, is rich in protein, vitamins, and various amino acids and minerals, and can both tonify the qi of the spleen, lungs, and kidneys and nourish the yin of the spleen, lungs, and kidneys. Now let us take a look at the benefits and effects of Tiegun yam!
The benefits and effects of Tiegun yam
1. Strengthening the spleen and benefiting the stomach: Yam is a mild tonic for the spleen and stomach that can be used both as medicine and as food. It contains substances such as amylase and polyphenol oxidase, which are beneficial to the digestive and absorptive functions of the spleen and stomach. It can be eaten whether there is spleen yang deficiency or stomach yin deficiency. Clinically, it is often used to treat conditions such as weakness of the spleen and stomach, poor appetite and fatigue, and diarrhea.
2. Nourishing the kidneys and boosting essence: Yam contains various nutrients and has the effect of strengthening the body, nourishing the kidneys, and boosting essence. It can be taken for conditions such as kidney deficiency and seminal emission, excessive vaginal discharge in women, and frequent urination.
3. Benefiting the lungs and stopping cough: Yam contains saponins and mucilage and has lubricating and moisturizing effects, so it can benefit lung qi, nourish lung yin, and treat prolonged cough with phlegm due to lung deficiency.
4. Lowering blood sugar: Yam contains mucinous protein and has the effect of lowering blood sugar. It can be used to treat diabetes and is an excellent food therapy for diabetic patients.
5. Prolonging life: Yam contains a large amount of mucinous protein, vitamins, and trace elements. It can effectively prevent blood lipids from depositing on blood vessel walls, prevent cardiovascular diseases, and achieve the effects of benefiting the mind, calming the spirit, and prolonging life.
6. Resisting hepatic coma: In recent years, research has found that yam has a sedative effect and can be used to resist hepatic coma.
The health benefits of Tiegun yam
1. For the whole family: Yam is a medicine for tonifying the middle and benefiting qi and has the effect of tonifying and benefiting the spleen and stomach. It is especially suitable for people with weak spleen and stomach to eat before tonic supplementation, laying a foundation for autumn and winter tonification. Eating some yam before autumn and winter tonification is more conducive to the absorption of tonics. Cooking yam, 20 grams of jujubes, and rice (half polished rice and half glutinous rice) into porridge is a very good choice.
2. For women: Tiegun yam is suitable for women to benefit qi and nourish blood and warm the hands and feet. Cold hands and feet often seem to have a particular fondness for women. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that cold hands and feet are closely related to weak constitution, while yam has very good effects in tonifying the middle, benefiting qi, and nourishing blood, making it especially suitable for patients with cold hands and feet.
3. For men: Tiegun yam can help men prevent the recurrence of "old stomach problems." Among patients with "old stomach problems," quite a few have ulcer disease, and autumn is a season when ulcer disease is prone to occur or recur. Modern pharmacological research has confirmed that allantoin contained in yam helps repair the gastric mucosa. Fresh yam can be made into yam lentil cake or millet yam cake and eaten after steaming.
4. For the elderly: Tiegun yam is suitable for the elderly to tonify the middle qi and prevent colds. It has the effect of strengthening the spleen and benefiting qi. Therefore, patients with qi deficiency who sweat easily and catch colds repeatedly should appropriately increase their intake of yam in autumn. Yam can be stir-fried, steamed, or made into candied yam, and can also be cooked into porridge with rice, millet, and jujubes.
5. For children: Tiegun yam is a good helper for children in preventing and treating diarrhea. From August to December each year is a season with a high incidence of diarrhea in children. Treating diarrhea with yam powder is relatively easy to accept, and the method is also very simple. Grind yam into fine powder and mix it with rice flour at a ratio of 1:2 for the child to take, feeding 2 to 3 times a day.
How to eat Tiegun yam
1. Yam, corn, and pork rib soup
[Ingredients] 2 pork ribs, 1 sweet corn, half a yam, and appropriate amounts of scallion, ginger, yellow wine, and salt.
[Method] ① Chop the pork ribs into small sections. Put cold water in a pot, add the ribs, and after it comes to a boil, rinse the ribs in cold water and clean them. Put warm water in a clay pot, place the ribs in it, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cut the corn into sections, cut the yam into rolling-cut chunks, shred the scallion, and slice the ginger. ② After cooking the ribs over medium heat for about 40 minutes, add the corn, yam, shredded scallion, and ginger slices, pour in 1 spoonful of yellow wine, turn to low heat and continue cooking for 40 minutes, then add salt according to personal taste and turn off the heat.
2. Stir-fried yam with mutton
[Ingredients] 200 grams of mutton, 1 yam, 2 stalks of celery, 2 red chili peppers, half a spoonful of salt, 3 grams of ginger, 5 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon of cooking wine, 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce, half a spoonful of dark soy sauce, 1 small spoonful of sesame oil, 1 section of scallion, and appropriate amounts of vegetable oil and white pepper powder.
[Method] ① Cut the mutton into slices, cut the celery into sections, slice the scallion, ginger, and garlic, and cut the red peppers into rings. ② Peel the yam and cut it into slightly thick slices, blanch in boiling water for 10 seconds, then remove and set aside. ③ Heat oil in a pot, add the mutton slices, stir-fry until just cooked, then immediately remove. ④ Add oil to a clean pot again, stir-fry the scallion, ginger, and garlic until fragrant, then add the mutton slices, celery sections, and red pepper rings and stir-fry for a moment. ⑤ Then add cooking wine and yam, quickly add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, salt, and white pepper powder, stir-fry evenly over high heat, and finally drizzle with sesame oil.
3. Braised pork with yam
[Ingredients] 200 grams of pork belly, 200 grams of pork hind leg meat, 300 grams of yam, oil, salt, rock sugar, braising soy sauce, scallion, ginger, star anise, cinnamon, dried chili, and cooking wine.
[Method] ① Wash the pork belly and hind leg meat and cut into chunks. Wash and peel the yam and cut into rolling-cut chunks. ② Fry the yam in oil until golden brown. Blanch the meat in water, then remove and set aside. ③ Add a small amount of oil to the pot, add the blanched meat and stir-fry. Add scallion, ginger, star anise, cinnamon, and chili, and continue stir-frying until fragrant and the meat color is slightly yellow. ④ Add rock sugar, turn to low heat, and stir-fry until the sugar color develops. Splash in cooking wine, add soy sauce, and stir-fry evenly. ⑤ Add boiling water, covering the meat, bring to a boil over high heat, then turn to low heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Add salt and the fried yam, simmer for another 30 minutes, turn to medium heat, and cook until the sauce is reduced.
4. Yam, carrot, and pork rib soup
[Ingredients] 400 grams of pork ribs, 300 grams of yam, 100 grams of carrot, appropriate amounts of red dates, ginger, and scallion.
[Method] ① Soak the pork ribs in clean water for 20 minutes to remove blood water, and scrape off the skin of the yam and carrot with a small knife. Put cold water in a pot, add the ribs and bring to a boil. Be sure to add them to cold water, otherwise the meat texture will not be good. ② Remove the blanched ribs, cut the carrot and yam into chunks, smash the ginger, and put the ribs, yam, carrot, appropriate amount of red dates, and smashed ginger together in a pressure cooker, adding water to cover the ingredients. ③ Cover the pot and steam-cook for 30 minutes, add appropriate amounts of salt and scallion, and serve.