Recipe : Homemade Pure Chicken Essence (鸡精)

Pregnant mother are suggested to take food with warming effects during their postnatal period. They only can take food with cooling effects 3 mths before delivery.

Most Chinese mama in my hometown, used to make us homemade chicken essence. Especially for pregnant woman, it is essential to take chicken essence while your are 3 mths - 5 mths pregnant.
Personally I don't really like the one that they sell off the rack, I hate the smell lol and I think they put preservative on it as well.

What is Chicken Essence???
Chicken essence is a juice from the bones of a chicken ( I don't use any flesh on mine). Using double-boiling method in high to medium temperature about 2 hours to extract the essence. Usually the fats and skin are generally removed in order to produce a nutritional supplement that contains little or no cholesterol.

Why Chicken???
Best use black chicken (pinyin: wu ji qi) or commonly known as silky (silkie) chicken which have black skin, flesh and bones. According to the book Medicine Medicated Diet, this chicken is very sweet in taste, tender and neutral in nature ( for not being to warm or cool) and it benefits the kidney and liver.

The unique of this chicken is that they only have four toes as compared with other types of chicken.

What is the health benefit???

• can relieve fatigue, more active when you took chicken essence regularly. Said that it could enhance cortisol metabolism in blood and promote mental fatigue recovery.

• a traditional remedy for anemia

• increase metabolism

• promote healing

• support health and boost of energy

Chinese Traditional Remedy

Yes, I've got this recipe from my mama. Being told that this recipe has been passed down from one generation to another. 

Usually I will add some chinese herbs such as:

• goji/wolfberry (枸杞) - protect the liver, help eyesight, improve fertility, strengthen the legs, boost immune function, improve circulation and promote longevity

• dang shen (黨參) - known as poor's man ginseng (lol) cause it's like a weaker ginseng. help to improve body function, anti fatigue, stimulates nervous system, increases red blood cells, raises blood sugar and enhance blood coagulation
• red dates (紅棗) - preventing reaction in blood transfusion, improves strength of muscles, inhibits cell mutation and cancer cells, protects liver and calms the central nervous system 

How to prepare

• chicken's bones (no skin, no flesh, no fat) - crush smash whatever you called it lol (pls ask someone else to do it for you if you are pregnant)
• optional : chinese herbs (goji, red dates, dang shen)

1. Wash the Chinese herbs and put them inside the centre of big bowl
2. Put smaller bowl, upside down into the bigger bowl
3. Place the crushed smashed chicken over the smaller bowl
4. Cover the big bowl with a plate
5. Pour water into the pot ( at least it can cover half of the bowl, no worries you can always add water whenever it is needed)
6. Place the combined bowls into the pot
7. Cover the pot with the lid and double boil it for 2 hours
8. Let it cold a lil bit before you take the bowl out from the pot (be careful)
9. Remove the upper plate and gently remove all the chicken pieces
10. Remove the smaller bowl and viola your chicken essence is inside the big bowl with the Chinese herbs
11. Scoop everything to the serving bowl and your nutritious pure homemade chicken essence is ready to be serve (serve them hot :)