Chinese cuisine is widely known and enjoyed all around the world. Who doesn’t long for a favorite Chinese dish? But there is one interesting concept     1    (concern) Chinese food which is almost unheard of in the West, and which is becoming     2    (increasing) ignored by the youth of the East—the ancient custom of “tonic food”.

    3     is known to us, tonic food is food that is consumed to improve one’s well-being or avoid sickness. For instance, it was once a custom for new mothers     4    (eat) a sesame oil hot pot every day for the first month after giving birth. It was a general     5    (believe) that this dish would benefit the muscles, reduce pain, improve circulation, stimulate sweating, and warm the body. Some foods, such as goat meat and spinach, are seen as “hot”, while     6     (other), such as Chinese cabbage and radish, are seen as “cold”. One should be careful not to eat too much of either “hot” or “cold” food. However, how much “hot” or “cold” food one should eat depends on the time of the year, how the food is prepared and what it is prepared with, and the individual’s health.

The custom of employing tonic foods     7     a healthier life also     8    (influence) the catering industry. Chinese herbal medicines, such as wolfberries, can be found on many     9     restaurant menu, either added to fruit tea or as a very     10    (benefit) addition to a dish. These herbs attract customers, such as overworked office staff, in need of modest pick-me-up.