What Does ‘Fish Should Not Be with Garlic, Sheep Should Not Be with Ginger’ Specifically Mean? Is This Saying Reasonable?
Recently, many people have more free time at home and enjoy cooking. One day when returning home, they were cooking at home, and their parents said, 'Fish should not be with garlic, sheep should not be with ginger, don't make mistakes.' It was the first time I heard this saying.
Parents said that the main meaning of 'fish should not be with garlic' is that when cooking fish, you should not use too much garlic. Although garlic is a versatile seasoning that can be used in many ways, it is an exception when cooking fish. If you add too much garlic, it will cover the freshness of the fish meat.
As for the saying 'sheep should not be with ginger,' it mainly refers to not adding fresh ginger when cooking lamb. People believe that lamb is warm in nature, and ginger is a hot seasoning. If the two are combined, they will both be hot and could cause internal heat.
However, this saying does have some basis. In fact, you don't need to consciously follow this rule. Garlic is a common seasoning that can be used in many dishes. More and more research shows that garlic has many health benefits, such as antioxidant, anti-cancer, enhancing the body's immune system, and relieving angina.
However, these studies still need further confirmation. In cooking, for those who love garlic, you can still add more. Even when cooking fish, garlic is a good seasoning. Different cooking methods of fish can be flavored with garlic.
Garlic also has a de-odorizing effect. Even if you're steaming fish, adding garlic won't affect the taste of the steamed fish, nor will it affect the freshness of the fish meat.
In addition to using garlic when cooking fish, you can also use ginger. In traditional Chinese medicine, ginger can remove fishy odors and also promote digestion and nourish the stomach. Adding ginger when cooking can also have a de-odorizing effect.
As for the saying 'sheep should not be with ginger,' it's also reasonable. For example, when eating hot pot, whether it's clear soup base or spicy base, ginger is added in moderation. The purpose of adding ginger is to remove the fishy smell of lamb.
Furthermore, when cooking lamb, adding a certain amount of ginger can enhance the fragrance of the lamb and remove its fishy smell. This is due to volatile substances and sulfur compounds in ginger.
Therefore, you don't need to consciously avoid adding ginger when cooking lamb.
Besides, there are also frequently circulated food pairings in life, such as tomatoes cannot be eaten with potatoes, yellow squash cannot be eaten with pig liver, and milk cannot be eaten with eggs. There is no scientific basis for this, and as long as you don't have a negative reaction after eating, there is no need to worry.
