Delicacies in Colder Days

Whenever the weather turns cool in Hong Kong, the restaurants start to offer body-warming delicacies: clay pot meals, rice with Chinese preserved meats, casserole lamb brisket, snake soup, etc. However, most of these mouth-watering dishes are high in fat and sodium, which are bad for health in case of overconsumption.

If you want to enjoy delicacies of the season in a healthier way, please note the suggestions below:

Clay pot meals

Ingredients like chicken feet, spare ribs, Chinese preserved sausages and meats, chicken with skin, etc. tend to be greasy as the fat from the meats is absorbed by the rice during the cooking process. Therefore, clay pot meals with low-fat meats are recommended. Suggested varieties are: clay pot meals with beef and egg; shiitake mushrooms and pork slices; edible frog, sliced fish, etc.
An extra dish of blanched vegetables is recommended regarding more meat than vegetables.
Sweet soy sauce which contains high sodium is often added into clay pot meals to enhance their palatability. As an adult's daily intake of sodium should not exceed 2,000 mg, it is suggested to serve the sweet soy sauce on a separate container and to use it sparingly, preferably less than one tablespoon (containing approx. 900 mg of sodium) each time.

Rice with preserved meat(s)

With its sticky texture, 3/4 bowl of glutinous rice has an energy value that is equivalent to 1 bowl of white rice, so be aware of the serving size.
A meal of rice and preserved meat(s) lacks vegetables in general, so an extra dish of blanched vegetables is recommended.
Chinese preserved sausage and meats are high in saturated fat, cholesterol and salt. A piece of Chinese preserved sausage (weighed 42 g or 1 tael approx.) contains about 20 g of fat, which is equal to 4 teaspoons of oil. One such sausage exceeds the upper limit of daily fat intake for an adult (who needs an energy intake of only 2,000 kcal approx. per day) by 34%. So, enjoy it only sparingly.

Casserole lamb brisket

A casserole lamb brisket includes lamb brisket and deep-fried bean-curd sticks as the main ingredient. Both are high in fat. Eat sparingly, and remove skin and visible fat layer before eating.
Have an extra dish of blanched vegetables for good dietary practice.
Bear in mind that a balanced diet should have grains as the main staple, and other ingredients as side dishes.
In its preparation and cooking process, a large amount of high-sodium seasonings, such as fermented bean paste (e.g. nanru and zhuhou), are added. To avoid overconsumption of sodium, don't pour the salty sauce on the rice, nor put noodles or vegetables into the pot for heating. Also, reduce the consumption of fermented bean curd sauce when eating the lamb brisket.

Snake soup

Snake meat is classified as low-fat meat. However, it should be eaten with reduced seasonings to avoid high intake of sodium.
Add 'wood ear' fungus (auricularia auricula-judae), shredded carrot and other high-fibre ingredients to make the snake soup more nutritious.

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