In our childhood days, we were made to take all sorts of things. There was the milky white Scott’s Emulsion with the picture of a fisherman and a HUGE fish as big as him on his back. Then, there was the horrible Waterbury’s Compound that tasted like rusty metal.
Come examination time, my mum would wake us up at the break of dawn to get us to do our last-minute revision. She would open a bottle of Brand’s Essence of Chicken and divide it into two, add hot water and make my brother and I drink all of it. They seemed to believe that it was good for the brain and would make the children smart and besides, it would also energise anyone who drank it.
I actually liked it a lot so on some days, I would “help myself” to a bottle from the ones in the pantry to drink! If my mum noticed the missing bottles at the time, she never said anything. LOL!!!
We never drank it anymore once we were no longer in school. People would give my dad boxes and boxes on special occasions, birthdays and for whatever reason and on days when he thought he felt lethargic, he would take a bottle to drink and dunno whether it was all psychological or what but he would feel better after that.
All these years, I only bought a box or two for family and friends who were sick or in hospital for some surgery or those who had just given birth. I never had it myself again until that day when my friend, Yan, gave me a box…
…for my birthday and I actually enjoyed it a lot! Of course, I went a bit slow with the six bottles so it did last for a while.
Well, the other day, my doctor said I would need to take more protein, egg white, fish and all those and I thought this essence of chicken would help in some small way, at least. So I went and bought a box of 24…
…the ones with cordyceps. They also have the ones with tangkwei but I did hear that that is great for ladies, not for men. I picked this as I read somewhere that cordyceps are good for the kidneys.
The bottle seems a bit smaller now and these days, it has a plastic cap…
The cap used to be metal/aluminum with a liver red rubber lining.
I would open the cap and stand the bottle in hot boiling water…
…to heat up the contents and then I would drink it straight from the bottle.
The taste of this one with cordyceps needed a bit of getting used to but after the initial sips, I was fine with it. I still feel that I prefer the original though so when I have finished this box, I would just go for that. I can easily buy cordyceps in capsules at the Chinese medical stores, anyway.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
Yes, I remember I had those Scott Elmusion too but for the Waterbury’s Compound, I am not sure whether I had it or not. Or is it the one with a picture of a baby holding a snake or something, blue colour box. If so, I had that too. I am not into this Essence of Chicken too. Usually my son will buy a box of 24 to share with us. I heard they are heaty and I still have 4 bottles of the original in my pantry. I only take when I felt lethargic.
No, that is gripe water! Given to babies – they said when got air in the tummy causing stomach ache or something…and me, so tham ciak, I loved it so much, so sweet. Eventually I heard it was banned, contains alcohol or something, not for babies.
Waterbury’s Compound is in a dark brown bottle, red label – nothing to look at, did not even smell good. Gee!!! The things we were forced to take when we were small.
Heaty, eh? I take a bottle a day for the time being – I guess when I do not need so much protein intake, I can reduce the number of bottles. So good of your son to buy for you, truly blessed.
I’m afraid I dislike chicken essence. I tried it once or twice and that’s it. My partner finds it too heaty. LOL! My uncle on the other hand swears by it for energy. Both my mum and dad also dislike chicken essence. I reckon that’s because we never had it when we were children and hence did not get used to the taste.
I guess it’s just me – the tham ciak one who enjoys eating anything and everything. LOL!!!
You’re the 2nd one to say it is heaty – I do not feel it much, maybe not yet or maybe just a bottle a day is not enough to have that effect. My dad was like your uncle – he would swear by it and he was the only one in the house taking it, all these years.
I’ve only just begun and yes, like in my childhood days, I rather enjoy it!
I also drink V-soy soya bean milk for the protein – I found the no sugar added ones, available in small tetra packs, very convenient.
I hope there will be more positive results in my next blood test.
>There was the milky white Scott’s Emulsion
Oh yes, I remember that too!
But we had the orange one.
I still take fish oil tablets till today.
They are supposed to be good to your heart.
Yes, the orange one came much later, around the time when my girl was a kid. We gave her that.
Yes, cod liver oil is good, Omega 3.
Yes I took Scott’s Emulsion too when I was young. Now my kids have to stomach all these supplements too. LOL 😀
I do take essence of chicken from time to time.
You do? I have not had any since I left school!
Nowadays I just heat it up using microwave. 😀
I had a microwave once a long time ago. Didn’t bother to replace it when it called it a day.
My local friends here always send me Chicken Essence when I am unwell!
That’s nice. So far I’ve received it once only, a six-pack. My dad used to get a lot when he was still around.