Chen Rong-chi (陳榮恥) has been a restaurant chef for more than 20 years. When Chen isn't busy working, he spends his spare time studying creative recipes, not for the work, but for his four-year old daughter who suffers from inherited metabolic disease.
To help his daughter Kao Ya-ping (高雅萍) eat healthily despite the disease that forbids her from consuming high-protein food, Chen has designed many alternative dishes, such as low-protein "fried chicken" made with konnyaku (蒟蒻). Hearing about the chance to learn the recipe of low-protein zongzi, of traditional dumplings, Chen immediately signed up for the event, hoping his girl could one day enjoy the delicious dumplings made of rice just like other kids.
In an effort to bring the taste of the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival to kids diagnosed with inherited metabolic disease, the Taiwan Foundation for Rare diseases and the Nutrition Department at National Taiwan University Hospital yesterday held a zongzi-making event, and invited parents and kids to make the alternative zongzi as a way to celebrate the festival.
During the event, nutritionists demonstrated how to make low-protein zongzi using sticky rice, konnyaku, chestnuts and mushrooms.
According to nutritionist Weng Hui-ling (翁慧玲), the low-protein zongzi contains five times less protein than the normal ones.
"People with inherited metabolic disease need to consume modified food products with protein substitutes to prevent brain or cardiovascular system damage. So we try to come up with alternative recipes to let these kids enjoy tasty food while taking care of their health," said Weng, who created the low-protein zongzi recipe.
Hu Wu-liang (胡務亮), a doctor at the hospital, said that inherited metabolic disease patients look normal on the outside, and can make the patients and their families ignore the disease or dismiss the idea that they need to watch their diet.
"Without a proper diet, these patients can suffer from serious damage to the brain or their cardio system. So even though patients don't need to take medication, they have to be very careful about food," he said.
Sitting in a corner, the four-year old girl enjoyed the zongzi her father made her moments before. Chen said that his daughter understands that with this rare disease, she can not eat meat, drink milk tea or enjoy the desserts her brother and sister have.
"She is only a child, shed still asks for all those foods even though she knows they would damage her health. So I appreciate this chance to learn the recipe and see her enjoy the food with other kids," Chen said.
Inherited metabolic disease is caused by an inherited abnormality in body chemistry. Patients with this disease should consume food that is specially formulated to have less than one gram of protein per serving. High-protein foods, including meat, eggs, milk and bean products will cause damage to an infected person's health, according to the foundation.
For detailed recipe for low-protein zongzi, visit the foundation's Web site at http:/www.tfrd.org.tw.
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