In recent years, food safety has attracted a lot of attention, and one of the issues that cannot be ignored is the freshness of meat products. When buying meat, we often encounter situations where the meat looks fresh but has an unpleasant smell. This makes one wonder about the quality of the meat and its effect on the body. As an experienced veteran Chinese medicine practitioner, I will combine the theory of Chinese medicine, quote ancient and modern famous prescriptions, explain the reasons behind this detail for you, and share some tips to prevent buying stale meat.
First of all, let's first understand the views of Chinese medicine on meat food. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that meat is good at replenishing deficiency and nourishing the body's essence and energy, and is one of the important foods for tonifying and restoring physical strength. However, meat is also prone to cold and dampness, and excessive consumption may lead to an increase in internal heat or phlegm and dampness, which can adversely affect health. Therefore, buying fresh meat is the key to ensuring food safety and health.
From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, the freshness of meat is related to its vitality. Fresh meat is a sign that the vitality of animals can be preserved, and the essence and energy contained in it have a higher nutritional value and a stronger tonic effect on the human body. Stale meat may contain sick energy, which can not exert its nutritional value and may even have a negative impact on the body.
So, how can you tell how fresh the meat is?In traditional Chinese medicine, there is a saying called "smelling", which is to use the sense of smell to distinguish whether meat is fresh or not. Fresh meat should have a fragrant smell and no peculiar smell. If the meat has an unusual smell such as fishy, sour, or musty, it is likely that it is no longer fresh. In addition, the texture of fresh meat is tender and elastic;Stale meat will feel sticky and moist.
In addition to judging the freshness of meat by smell and touch, we can also use the knowledge of Chinese medicine to assist in judging. There are some famous prescriptions in Chinese medicine that can identify the quality and freshness of meat. For example, if you use tangerine peel to stew meat, fresh meat should be able to remove the smell and improve the freshness, while fresh meat will be difficult to remove the smell. Another example is stewing meat with ginger, where fresh meat can make the meat tender and delicious when stewed with ginger, which is difficult to do with stale meat.
When buying meat, there are a few things we can do to reduce the risk of buying stale meat. First, choose a trustworthy business, such as a regular supermarket or a reputable butcher shop. In addition, the color and appearance of the meat can be observed, and fresh meat is usually bright red with a shiny surface. In addition, buying vacuum-packed meat can extend the shelf life and reduce the chance of meat coming into contact with the outside environment.
To sum up, buying fresh meat is essential to guarantee food safety and good health. Traditional Chinese medicine theories believe that the vitality and nutrients contained in fresh meat have an important tonic effect on the body. By smelling, looking at the appearance and using the knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine, we can discern the freshness of the meat and avoid buying stale meat. Keep these tips in mind to keep the meat on our table fresh and therefore healthy and of good quality. I hope you can benefit from this and enjoy a safe and healthy diet!
References: 1Zhang Xin. (2018).History of Chinese Traditional Chinese MedicineBeijing: Publishing House.