Column for The Academy of Chefs

Academy members will be answering all your food and cooking-related questions in this column every fortnight. So please send us all your queries to: info@rbmag.co.za

Q: We are getting to the end of summer and already flu and other symptoms of colds are starting to appear. What do you recommend?

A: I always recommend traditional chicken soup instead of loads of antibiotics and this is why: Chicken soup contains cysteine, an amino acid which is released by cooked chicken. It is chemically similar to a bronchitis drug, acetylcysteine, and it works with other soup ingredients to reduce inflammation. Salty broth also helps to thin mucus.