Food and recipes to boost immunity against flu, coronavirus: from Chinese TCM dishes to Indian meals and cereal snacks

A traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, a Chinese chef and a nutritionist talk about what to eat to boost immunity against flu and other viruses

From double-boiled soup with hairy fig and immunity-boosting herbal formulas to beef with black garlic, here are step-by-step instructions on making them

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Chef Leung Fai-hung’s double-boiled soup with hairy fig, which he says strengthens the “chi” – the body’s energy. Photo: Holly Chik

Published: 12:15pm, 7 Feb 2020Updated: 12:00am, 8 Apr 2020

The novel coronavirus outbreak spreading around the world has prompted a public health emergency, with almost 30,000 cases reported and over 600 deaths so far.

Apart from protecting yourself by doing things like wearing a mask and washing hands regularly, what you eat and drink can be key to staying healthy.

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), prevention is more important than cure and the emphasis is placed on health preservation. We talked to a TCM practitioner, a Chinese chef, and a nutritionist to find out what you can eat or drink to boost immunity against influenza and other viruses.

None of these are cures – but eating well is important to health. For many of the ingredients, you’ll need to visit a good Chinese supermarket; for some, you’ll need to go to a Chinese herbalist.

Leung Fai-hung, executive Chinese chef at Hoi King Heen, says hairy fig is good for both very hot and cool weather. Photo: Bruce Yan

Leung Fai-hung, executive Chinese chef at Hoi King Heen at the InterContinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong hotel, recently started serving a double-boiled soup with hairy fig that is said to strengthen the “chi” – the body’s energy.

The Chinese yam, glehnia root and dried tangerine peel in the soup are also reputed to soothe the lungs and nourish the liver.