Back when I was in acupuncture school, this recipe came out in our student newsletter. My roommates and I hosted Thanksgiving that year for our families and made up our first batch. Over the years I had forgotten about this delicious recipe, but was recently reminded of it, so I thought I would share it with you.
This is a great example of using food as medicine and helping to alleviate the symptoms of over-eating that can occur on Thanksgiving (Chinese medicine calls it food stagnation). These symptoms can include: bloating, gas, fatigue, heart burn, constipation or diarrhea (sound familiar). These herbs are used to help ease over eating symptoms and to make your holiday more enjoyable.
Hawthorn berries (shan zha): enters the Lung, Spleen, and Stomach channels and relieves food stagnation. It specifically targets meat and grease accumulations, and the sweet and sour taste blends well with the tartness of the cranberries. You can generally find these at an Asian food store.
Tangerine peel (chen pi): enters the Lung, Spleen, and Stomach channels to regulate qi. It directs qi downward making it an essential ingredient to ward off rebellious Stomach qi, such as belching and reflux.
Fresh ginger (sheng jiang) and Cinnamon (rou gui): are warm and acrid to support digestion and discourage stagnation in general.
Anti-Food Stagnation Cranberry Sauce Recipe
By Fang Cai
3 C (1lb) fresh cranberries
1/2 c hawthorn berries (shan zha)
1/2 fresh tangerine peel (chen pi)
3” cinnamon stick (rou gui)
1 slice fresh ginger (sheng jiang)
3/4 c honey (feng mi)
juice from one orange
1/3 c water
Soak dried hawthorn berries in warm water until soft; remove all seeds.
Combine all ingredients and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, until berries pop open.
Let cool and remove tangerine peel, cinnamon stick, and ginger before serving.
Remember: It’s okay to indulge a little in your favorite holiday meals. This cranberry sauce is a great way to support your digestion when you do!