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Medicine in Chinese Traditional Cooking
from: EpochChinese cooking is one of the most varied and sophisticated in the world, due
in part to the size of the country, the culture, its ancient history and its
huge population. Traditionally, there is also a fascinating complexity behind
each meal that is based on natural laws and good manners.
One of the main characteristics of traditional Chinese cooking is that it
takes the theory of yin and yang into account when the dish is prepared.Traditional Chinese cooking takes very seriously the theories of balance and seasonality. Its strict adherence to yin-yang theory rises from the idea that food is medicine, and different foods are closely tied with different parts of the body.
According to this theory, a diet that has a balance of yin and yang foods will help prevent illness and emotional problems. One should eat “cool” food when it is warm and “warm” food when it is cold.
The five elements
Another fundamental theory in Chinese cooking is the theory of the five elements.
All matter in the universe is made up of the five elements fire, earth, metal, water, and wood. From this theory comes the idea of the five flavors—bitter, sweet,
spicy, salty, and sour.
The five elements also correspond to the colors red, yellow, white, blue, and green, which in turn correspond to the five main organs of the body (heart, spleen, lungs, kidneys, and gallbladder).
Chinese
scholar Yi Yin of the Shang Dynasty related the five organs to the five
flavors, since it was believed that each food has specific properties
to maintain health and harmony in the body.
Other factors are also taken into account during preparation, such as the
characteristics of the foods the smell, flavour and particularly the
nutritional value. The Chinese scholar Yi Yin of the Shang Dynasty related the
five main organs of the body (heart, spleen, lungs, kidneys and gallbladder)
with the five flavours, since it was believed that each food has specific
properties to maintain health and harmony in the body. According to ancient
Chinese customs, food has always been linked with spiritual and physical
well-being.
In Chinese culture, food, and medicine are closely related. The practice of traditional Chinese medicine places great emphasis on achieving balance in one’s body for the regeneration of the body’s systems and organs.
Over 3,000 years ago, the Yellow Emperor wrote in his classic book on internal medicine, “Huangdineijing,” that if people wanted to obtain health and longevity, they should eat food with “five colors, five tastes, and five fragrances.”
White (metal) food: White-colored foods give people a clean feeling and purify the lungs.
Green (wood) food: Green is the color of life and impacts the liver. It is a fundamental link in the food chain, and green food is the food source of both people and animals.
Black (water) food: Black impacts the kidneys. The kidneys are the fatal organs among the five organs, and the origin of life.
Red (fire) food: Red impacts the heart. Eating more red-colored food can help one’s immune system and prevent colds.
Yellow (earth) food: Yellow corresponds to the spleen. The spleen transforms and transports the energy from food and drink throughout the body. Yellow foods also correspond to the stomach
When it comes to sitting down and eating, just like in the West, the Chinese
have their own customs. For example, the table is often round and has set places
for each member of the family and for any guests. The guest of honour is usually
seated facing the door and opposite the host, who sits with his back to the
door. This allows the host to be closest to the kitchen so that he can bring the
dishes to the table quickly.
The guest picks up the chopsticks first to begin eating, but it is the host
who starts eating first. Chopsticks are generally made of wood, but there are
also other materials like ivory and silver. Soup is not served as the first
dish, as it is in the West, but as the last dish. The spoon traditionally used
for soup is ceramic, with a flat back. Another notable difference is that
dessert is not a Chinese custom, since some sweet foods, like fruit, are used
within the main dishes.
Behind each plate of Chinese food is a whole culture of ancestral wisdom.
While a Western guest wouldn't be expected to know all the traditions associated
with a Chinese meal, it does show respect to the host to be aware of some of
them.
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