A nourishing and restorative guide to eating well after childbirth, with recipes informed by traditional Chinese medicine.

In Taiwan and across the Chinese-speaking world, the transition period into motherhood is treated with such reverence that it has its own name: zuò yuè zi—to sit the month. New mothers are expected to rest for a full month to heal, aided by a diet of warming herbal dishes to help repair the womb and reenergize the new mother.

Inspired by her own experience “sitting the month,” Clarissa Wei gives readers 88 recipes adapted for home cooks and informed by Chinese medical doctors and herbalists. Egg Drop Seaweed Soup and Salmon Miso Soup help to detox the body; Scallion Oil Chicken and Black Vinegar Pork Knuckle Stew are thought to support tissue repair; Ten Tonic Supreme Soup, the mother of all postpartum recovery broths, is designed to combat deep fatigue.

Sitting the Month returns care and love to the early stages of motherhood, promising nourishment for all stages of life.

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FAQ:

Where can I buy some of the specialty ingredients listed in the book?

Clean, third-party tested herb bundles from the book by Clear Source Herbs. Enter code CW15 at checkout for 15% off!
Single-origin soy sauce by HEYDOH
Sesame and camellia seed oils by Yun Hai
For ready-made postpartum meals, consider Chiyo.

I don’t live in the States, where can I buy your book?

My publisher (W.W. Norton) is American, which means the book is being sold and distributed in the United States. International distributors and retailers sometimes carry U.S.-published books, but as an author, I don’t have visibility into those arrangements. Your best bet is to search online…or, better yet, ask your local bookstore whether they can order a copy for you.