chinese traditions

Karl's mom, bless her heart, made us some ginger egg soup to celebrate Caleb's arrival. This batch didn't have the traditional pig knuckles in it (they'll be in the next batch though, so don't worry!). It's actually quite good.

Pig knuckle soup is boiled for a long time with ingredients such as a lot of ginger, eggs, and pig knuckles in plenty of sweet black vinegar. It is a tradition to give out and share such soup to friends and relatives.

Here is another site that includes the recipe, for those of you eager to try it... or hey, next baby shower potluck, you could be Ms. Popular!

Karl's family is not heavily into ancient Chinese traditions, however they do prepare foods like this for the medicinal benefits.

"Ginger Pig Knuckle Soup contains all the ingredients believed to benefit [women after giving birth]. It is because the soup contains sweet vinegar, which helps dissolves the calcium from the pig bones, to assist the mother in absorbing the calcium when consumed. The black vinegar aids in circulation, speeds up the cell regeneration process, assist in increasing bile in the spleen and helps dissolves the fats in the pig knuckle. Sweet vinegar is believed to contain certain chemicals to reduce risk of cancer and heart disease.

"The eggs contain protein, which aids in cell production. Last but not least, ginger aids in digestion, and helps balance the mother's mental and emotional state. Ginger also contains vitamin C which helps increase immunity. Ginger also creates "heat" in the mother's body to warm her up when she feels cold and weak after giving birth."