Seasonal Conditioning Medicinal Cuisine

Author: Peng Mingquan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-11-01
Features: TCM cuisine is the most dazzling gem in the vast garden of Chinese dietary health culture. From ancient royalty, scholars, and recluses to modern overseas Chinese, wealthy celebrities, and many ordinary Chinese families, there is a long-standing tradition of consuming traditional TCM cuisine to enhance health and treat illnesses. TCM cuisine serves both as a nourishing and therapeutic food, but to fully harness its benefits, blindly consuming it like ordinary food is not advisable. Why? Because the properties of ordinary food are generally mild (some are slightly warm or cool), whereas the properties of Chinese medicinal herbs vary greatly. Many TCM dishes, which incorporate multiple herbs, tend to be distinctly warm or cool. Therefore, when consuming TCM cuisine, it is essential to consider whether its properties match the individual's body condition. For example, during cold seasons, consuming overly cool or cold food is known to be detrimental to health, so warm or hot foods are recommended. Similarly, a person with insufficient yang energy, who is frail and afraid of cold, or someone suffering from certain cold-related conditions, should avoid consuming cool or cold TCM cuisine, as it will have no effect in enhancing health or treating illnesses. The same principle applies to summer: the effectiveness of warm tonics is generally poor unless the individual has a cold constitution or suffers from cold-related conditions. On the other hand, those with excessive yang heat or suffering from hot-related conditions should consume slightly cool TCM cuisine for dietary health benefits.