| Place of origin | Taiwan |
|---|---|
| Main ingredients | Chicken,Rice wine,Angelica sinensis, Goji berries, Ligusticum chuanxiong, Codonopsis pilosula, Licorice root,Cabbage |
| Sio-tsiú-ke | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 燒酒雞 | ||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Distilled liquor chicken | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Sio-tsiú-ke (Chinese:燒酒雞;Tongyong Pinyin:Shāo jiǒu jī;Tâi-lô:Sio-tsiú-ke) is a traditional Taiwanese chicken dish commonly consumed during winter. It is prepared by simmering chicken with rice wine and a variety of traditional medicinal herbs, and is generally regarded as a seasonal nourishing food in Taiwan.[1]
Sio-tsiú-ke gained popularity duringTaiwan's economic boom in the 1970s. Today, it is widely available in Taiwan during colder months and is often associated with dietary practices intended to provide warmth and nourishment. The dish is typically served hot and may be eaten as a main course, sometimes accompanied by side dishes such as noodles.[2]
Common ingredients used in sio-tsiú-ke include:chicken,rice wine,Angelica sinensis, Goji berries, Ligusticum chuanxiong, Codonopsis pilosula, Licorice root, andcabbage.
The medicinal herbs are first placed in a pot and soaked in rice wine for a short period. Chicken is cut into small pieces and added to the pot. The mixture is brought to a boil over high heat, after which seasonings are added and the dish is simmered over low heat until fully cooked.
Sio-tsiú-ke is often served with garlic-seasonedmisua (wheat vermicelli) and is traditionally believed to benefit individuals who experience cold extremities or symptoms associated with blood deficiency, according to folk dietary beliefs.[3]
Intraditional Taiwanese herbology concepts, Sio-tsiú-ke is considered a "warming" (熱補) dish. Heated rice wine and goji berries are regarded as warming ingredients, and the dish is traditionally recommended for individuals with cold or deficient constitutions. Conversely, individuals with heat-related conditions—such as fever, inflammation, or colds—are often advised to avoid consuming sio-tsiú-ke.[4]
Since rice wine is a primary ingredient and is not fully evaporated during cooking, sio-tsiú-ke may retain a significant alcohol content up to 75%.[5] There have been reported cases in Taiwan of individuals involved in traffic accidents or cited for driving under the influence after consuming the dish.[6] As a result, caution is advised when operating vehicles after eating sio-tsiú-ke.[7]
