Alright, let’s talk about this Chicken Gizzard Membrane thing, or Ji Nei Jin as some folks call it. It’s one of those remedies that’s been around forever, and I figured I’d give it a whirl myself a while back. Not because I read some fancy study, nah, it was more out of good old-fashioned curiosity and, well, a bit of desperation, if I’m being honest.
How I Even Got Started on This Path
It all began when my youngest was going through a phase – a super picky eater phase. Drove me nuts. We tried everything, you know? Making food look like cartoon characters, hiding veggies, the whole nine yards. Then, my auntie, who’s full of these old-school tips, mentioned Ji Nei Jin. She swore by it for kids with poor appetites and for general digestion. I was skeptical, sure, but also at my wit’s end. So, I thought, what have I got to lose?
Getting My Hands on the Actual Stuff
First challenge: acquiring the gizzard linings. It’s not like you just walk into a supermarket and pick up a pack. I had to specifically ask my local butcher. He looked at me funny at first, like, “You want what now?” But he was a good sport. He saved a bunch for me from the chickens he processed. They came still attached to the gizzards, so the first step was separating that thin, yellowish membrane. A bit fiddly, I tell ya.
The Whole Preparation Ordeal
Okay, so I got these little membranes. Now what? My auntie said they had to be cleaned thoroughly. So, I washed them under running water, trying to get off any grit or residue. It’s a delicate job; you don’t want to tear them too much.
Then came the drying part. Some people sun-dry them, but where I live, that’s not always practical. So, I laid them out on a baking sheet and put them in my oven on the lowest possible heat setting, with the door cracked open a bit. This took hours, man. Checking on them, flipping them. They shrivel up and get really hard and almost translucent yellow.
Once they were bone dry – and I mean, crispy dry – the next step was grinding them into a powder. I initially thought of using a mortar and pestle, like in the old days. Tried it for about five minutes and gave up. That stuff is tough! So, I sacrificed my old coffee grinder to the cause. Cleaned it out real good, then blitzed the dried membranes in small batches. It made a fine, sandy powder. The smell? Uh, let’s just say it’s an acquired… scent. Not terrible, but definitely distinct.
How I Used It and What Happened
So, I had my homemade Ji Nei Jin powder. I started with a very small amount for my kid, like, a tiny pinch mixed into their congee or yogurt. The taste is pretty mild when it’s that diluted, thankfully. For myself, I was curious about the digestive benefits, so I’d take a bit more, maybe a quarter of a teaspoon, just mixed with a little warm water. Tasted a bit like unsalted chicken broth powder, but earthier.
What did I notice? Well, for my little one, it wasn’t an overnight miracle. But after a couple of weeks of consistent, tiny doses, it did seem like their appetite improved a bit. They were less fussy, more willing to try things. Coincidence? Maybe. But it was a welcome change.
For me, I felt like my digestion was a bit smoother. Less bloating after meals, especially if I ate something a bit heavy. Again, nothing dramatic, not like taking a powerful drug, but a subtle, gentle improvement. It’s like my stomach was just working a bit more efficiently. I guess it makes sense, right? The gizzard is a powerful digestive organ in a chicken, grinding up all sorts of tough stuff. So, the idea is that its lining carries some of that “power.”
Some Final Thoughts and Realizations
Look, this Ji Nei Jin stuff isn’t a cure-all. It didn’t magically solve every problem. And making it yourself? It’s a lot of work, frankly. You can buy it pre-powdered from traditional medicine shops, and that’s probably what I’d do if I were to use it regularly. Saves a ton of hassle.
But going through the process myself, from raw membrane to powder, was an interesting experience. It made me appreciate the effort that goes into some of these traditional preparations. It’s not just about popping a pill.
So, yeah, that was my little experiment with chicken gizzard membranes. It’s one of those things that’s part of a much older system of looking at health and food. I wouldn’t tell anyone to ditch their doctor’s advice for it, absolutely not. But as a gentle, traditional aid, especially for mild digestive stuff or picky eaters? I found it to be kinda interesting, and maybe a little bit helpful. It’s a piece of that old wisdom that just keeps hanging around.
