1 . Chinese cuisine is widely known and enjoyed all around the world. Who doesn’t ______ a favorite Chinese dish? But there is one interesting ______ concerning Chinese food which is almost unheard-of in the West, and ______ ignored by the youth of the East the ancient custom of “tonic (滋补) food”.

Tonic food is food consumed to improve one’s well-being or ______ sickness. ______, it was once the ______ for new mother to eat a sesame-oil (麻油) hotpot every day for the first month after giving ______. It was believed that this dish would ______ the muscles, reduce pain, improve circulations, stimulate sweating and ______ the body.

Some food are ______ as “hot”, such as goat meat and coriander (香菜), while others, such as Chinese cabbage and radish (小萝卜) are“cold”. One should be ______ not to eat too much “hot” or “cold” food. ______, how much “hot” or “cold” food one should eat ______ the time of the year, ______ the food is prepared and what it is prepared with, and the individual’s ______.

The custom of employing tonic food for a healthier life also ______ the catering (餐饮) industry. Some Chinese herbal medicines can often be found on many a restaurant ______. Whether you need to ______ yourself to boost your energy with a large helping of chicken soup or increase your ______ power with a serving of pig’s brain soup, you may find that this ancient Chinese custom could be ______ the tonic you are looking for.