Tasty Talks: Food Therapy Volume

Author: Chen Cunren
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: This is a classic work on dietary therapy and health preservation. The author, Chen Cunren, was a disciple of the renowned scholar Zhang Taiyan and the famous traditional Chinese medicine practitioners Ding Ganren and Ding Zhongying. A comprehensive guide to dietary therapy and food supplements by a celebrated elderly traditional Chinese medicine expert, serialized in Hong Kong's Xingdao Evening News for seventeen years.
Chen Cunren, a highly esteemed elderly traditional Chinese medicine practitioner in Shanghai and Hong Kong during the 1930s and 1940s, was also a disciple of the great scholar Zhang Taiyan. In his later years, he wrote books that combined medical theory, gourmet cuisine, and cultural anecdotes, making them quite remarkable. This book is a collection of his columns titled "Lingering Flavor Talks" in Hong Kong's Xingdao Evening News. With solid knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine and extensive clinical experience, Chen Cunren explained the properties of various ingredients in simple language, supplemented by fascinating anecdotes, creating a dietary guide that blends knowledge and entertainment.
"Lingering Flavor Talks" was a column created by Chen Cunren, a renowned traditional Chinese medicine expert and senior columnist in Shanghai and Hong Kong during the 1930s and 1940s, in Hong Kong's Xingdao Evening News. Drawing on his profound theoretical foundation in traditional Chinese medicine, rich clinical experience, and extensive social connections, Chen Cunren meticulously described the edible methods, medicinal effects, and related historical legends and anecdotes of over 130 vegetables, fruits, and Chinese medicinal materials, as well as more than 40 types of meat, poultry, and aquatic products. His writing is rich in references, uncovering hidden gems with witty and engaging language, making it a comprehensive guide to dietary therapy and food supplements.
The book also includes effective dietary therapy methods for ten common diseases, passed down through generations. Readers can not only learn about the medicinal value of various foods but also apply this knowledge to heal and maintain health. The "Lingering Flavor Talks" series is divided into three volumes: "Vegetarian Volume," "Meat Volume," and "Dietary Therapy Volume." This book is the "Dietary Therapy Volume."
The dietary and culinary methods of the Chinese people are world-renowned, representing the pinnacle of Chinese living culture. The Chinese have used food for health preservation and disease treatment for a much longer history. As early as the Zhou Dynasty, there were "Dietary Therapy Officials" appointed to guide the public in dietary practices. During the Tang Dynasty, Meng Xin wrote "Dietary Therapy Herbal," a book that provided excellent guidance on dietary therapy. Unfortunately, the entire book is lost, with only fragments preserved in "Herbal Classic of Materia Medica." To this day, the Chinese people often inquire about the "benefits" or "disadvantages" of food, showing their long-standing understanding of this philosophy.
—Chen Cunren