Evidently taking tonic food was only for those who could afford it. In Taiwan the most popular tonic food is chicken soup with a ten-drug decoction, "but the Hakka people prefer to save money by making their soup with a less expensive decoction of four drugs," points out herbal medicine doctor Wei K'ai-yu of the T'ung Te T'ang.
可見還得經濟條件不錯的人家才補得起。至於本地，以十全大補湯燉雞最普遍，「客家人比較節儉，所以傳統上都吃花費不大的四神湯」，同德堂中醫師魏開瑜表示。