With anxiety building regarding the Wuhan coronavirus and the cold and flu season upon us, it is helpful to take a break from medical philosophy and ethics to introduce our readers to a simple traditional Japanese home remedy for the common cold.* The Japanese name for this palatable treatment is tamagozake which literally means “egg sake”. For any household that keeps a little sake in the cupboard for cooking Japanese dishes (or drinking), this folk cure for seasonal illness is readily available and a snap to make. Think of it as the Asian equivalent of drinking a hot toddy when one is feeling under the weather.
Our favorite recipe begins with a good quality egg yolk, preferably pasture-raised, whisked together with a tablespoon of honey. Heat 3/4 cup of sake in a pot until it is warm enough to just cook the egg (approximately 130° F). Add the heated rice wine to the egg and honey mixture, whipping vigorously while slowly dripping in the sake as if making mayonnaise. The end product will be lemony yellow with a nice, airy froth on top.
From a TCM point-of-view, egg yolk is sweet and neutral and enters the heart and kidney channels. Egg yolks nourish yin and moisten dryness, supplement blood and extinguish wind. Notably egg yolks or ji zi huang appear in the classic formula Huang Lian E Jiao Tang, a decoction mainly indicated for vexation and insomnia due to non-interaction of heart and kidney.
Like egg yolks, feng mi or honey is sweet and neutral. Honey enters the lung and large intestine channels, supplements lung and spleen, moderates tension and relieves pain, moistens the lung and checks cough, and moistens the intestines and frees the stool. Always try to source honey from bees not exposed to the pesticides or antibiotics commonly used in commercial beekeeping. We like raw honey best but remember not to give it to children under one-year old (obviously alcohol is not appropriate for babies either).
Finally, alcohol (jiu) is warm in nature and enters the heart, liver, lung, and stomach channels while quickening blood and freeing the vessels, warming the center and dissipating cold, and arousing the spleen and supplementing qi. Alcohol also upbears and effuses qi, the primary tactic in TCM for treating the exterior patterns typically associated with common cold and flu. Historically, Chinese doctors utilized bai jiu or white liquor, naturally fermented wine with alcohol content similar to Japanese sake. Traditional Chinese bai jiu should not be confused with the notorious bai jiu of today, a pungent and potent drink favored at banquets and by heavy drinkers.
As an empirical formula, tamagozake is a warm, exterior-resolving combination which also supplements qi and blood to support the right and eliminate the evil qi. From the perspective of TCM, this Japanese classic remedy could be compared to Jing Fang Bai Du San and Ren Shen Bai Du San which are indicated for wind-cold exterior invasions complicated by qi and blood dual vacuity. For those American patients who suffer from persistent fatigue and then contract a common cold or flu with symptoms including more chills than fever, clear and copious nasal discharge, and scratchy—but not sore throat—tamagozake may fit the bill and provide welcome relief. We have actually found it quite effective and hope you will have the chance to give it a try!
*Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of a having foodborne illness. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and should not be taken as advice about preventing, diagnosing, treating, or curing any disease.