Winter lingered a bit, but in the end it arrived and with it the foods and drinks that are appropriate and even identified with the season: soup, chowder (cholant), porridge, orchid, various types of tea and infusions. We referred to the first one – the soup – recently, and now we will expand on the others.

Cholant

Every tradition has its own recipe. In Israel, the chowder is usually eaten on Shabbat, and it is cooked all night. The stew contains a variable variety of ingredients and spices. However, it will usually include the following elements:

Potato: a good source of potassium, which is essential for regulating muscle and nerve activity, for carbohydrate metabolism, for heart function and for preventing bone loss. A potato contributes complex carbohydrates, similar to grains, it is first priority before processed grains (white rice, pearl barley and noodles), and second priority after whole grains. Those who prefer sweetness in chowder can add sweet potato, whose nutritional value is even higher.

Eggs: a rich source of quality protein, vitamins and minerals. The egg also contains a store of choline, which has a role in the nervous system and brain development, as well as good and vital fatty acids for the body. The Ministry of Health recommends not washing eggs. However, before putting in the pot of stew, you can cook the eggs in a small pot with boiling water. The boiling water will destroy salmonella on the shell. This way you can put eggs in the chowder without harming their taste and brown appearance.

Legumes and grains: Vegetarian soup, even the one that is not, will often contain legumes such as beans and chickpeas, and grains such as wheat (sometimes as noodles) and rice. The combination of legumes and grains increases the nutritional value, and they are considered 1+1=3, meaning the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Because of this, you should include legumes and grains in your daily menu to gain quality protein. The consumption of legumes contributes to a feeling of satiety thanks to the protein and dietary fiber content. Legumes are rich in group B vitamins, iron, zinc, magnesium, potassium and calcium as well as antioxidants. Meat: chicken, turkey and beef are also an option. If you choose the former – skinless is better, if you choose beef – lean beef is better.

Bones and giblets: some add beef bones to the broth. These contribute to the taste and texture, due to the high percentage of saturated fat. Therefore, our recommendation is to give them up, and compensate for the taste with seasoning. You can’t ignore the traditional kishkeh, which some call it “flour and margarine sausage”. There are so many delicious, high-quality and nutritious things in chowder, so it’s also worth giving up, especially if it’s a common dish on your winter menu.

And what about the porridge?

Porridge evokes in many people an association of an inedible dish. We recommend especially trying high-quality porridge from a nutritional point of view, i.e. based on oats and not based on semolina, rice or cornflour. In oats, the amount of dietary fiber is particularly high compared to the other grains.

Beta-glucan, a dietary fiber found in oats, has been extensively studied and found to help reduce blood cholesterol levels. Beta-glucan absorbs water and swells, thus making the porridge thick. The thicker the porridge, the longer it satisfies. Therefore, porridge will be more satisfying than a portion of oat cereal.

Porridge is a meal that is suitable for morning or evening and is easy to prepare: cook in a personal bowl in the microwave about three tablespoons of oats with a glass of liquid (water, milk, herbal drink or a combination thereof), until you reach the preferred level of consistency. After cooking, you can add a variety of toppings to the porridge that will enrich the dish with vitamins and minerals: fresh and dried fruits, almonds, nuts and of course cinnamon.

And there is also an orchid

Orchid is a type of porridge, but usually of lower quality than oatmeal. The origin of the name orchid is from the original orchid, which is made from the starch of the orchid bulbs, ground with milk and seasoned with rose water. Since the orchid starch is expensive, the drink we know usually contains corn starch (cornflour), which lacks the qualities of whole grains, milk and/or water, sugar, cinnamon, rose water, ground coconut, pistachios or ground peanuts.

The orchid can be prepared at home, and it is also common on cafe menus as a dessert or as a hot drink. It can be a substitute for coffee and cake. That is, not only for the drink, but for the whole package, which is usually called “coffee and pastry” with us.

Tea and infusions

There is a big difference between the different types of tea. Black tea and green tea are extracted from the upper leaves and bud of the camellia sinensis shrub. The difference between them is in the processing. After picking, the black tea leaves undergo oxidation – this is how the black color is obtained – and drying. The green tea leaves undergo steam heating before drying, and the green color is preserved.

Black tea and green tea contain flavonoids, which are antioxidants that help slow down the aging process of cells in the body. Various studies have revealed that a diet rich in flavonoids reduces the risk of vascular and heart diseases. The tea also contains theanine which contributes to a good and calm mood, and at the same time stimulates.

The most notable difference between the ingredients of black and green tea is the amount of caffeine: 40-50 mg in black, compared to 15-30 mg in green. Caffeine is the active substance found in coffee, tea, cola and chocolate. The brain is sensitive to caffeine and its effect on the central nervous system manifests itself in increased alertness and even irritability. A cup of black tea has about half the amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee. In contrast, herbal infusion is a drink prepared by soaking various plant parts, fruits, flowers and spices rather than tea leaves. Brews do not contain caffeine at all.

It is impossible to ignore another drink that has starred in the menus of cafes in the winter in recent years – chai latte: tea based on milk or milk powder and sweetened – usually generously – with sugar.

In winter you may sweat less and feel less thirsty compared to summer, but it is important to drink about ten glasses a day. Hot water with herbs (mint, lemongrass, sage), a variety of infusions and a selection of types of green tea help encourage drinking on cold days. 