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Medicinal cuisine, in simple terms, is a type of food made under the guidance of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theories, combining culinary science, nutrition, and individual physical conditions. It incorporates medicinal herbs or food ingredients with dual medicinal and dietary functions, processed and cooked with other ingredients to create delicious foods that have certain therapeutic and health-preserving effects. The different combinations of medicinal materials and ingredients can help prevent and treat diseases, promote health, enhance beauty, improve cognitive function, and prolong life, aiding in the restoration and regulation of bodily functions.
Who Can Consume Medicinal Cuisine?
Since medicinal cuisine is made under the guidance of TCM theories, using medicinal herbs or food ingredients with dual functions, it has certain medicinal properties. In simple terms, this refers to the cold, hot, warm, cool, and neutral properties of herbs, as well as their sour, bitter, sweet, spicy, salty flavors, ascending and descending qualities, meridian affiliations, and whether they are toxic or non-toxic. Therefore, the selection of medicinal cuisine is suitable for specific groups of people. Generally, individuals who are weak due to prolonged illness, prone to colds, or easily fatigued, regardless of age or gender, can choose appropriate medicinal cuisine to enhance their constitution and improve bodily functions.
What Are the Common Classifications of Medicinal Cuisine?
There are many types of medicinal cuisine, and the classification methods are quite diverse. Generally, they can be classified according to the following aspects:
By Texture:
Porridge, pastries, soups, dishes, rice and flour products, beverages, canned foods, candies, and preserved fruits.
By Preparation Method:
Steaming, boiling, simmering, braising, stewing, roasting, frying, and deep-frying.
By Therapeutic Effect:
Health-Promoting and Strengthening:
Common health-promoting medicinal cuisines include Cordyceps Duck, Mulberry Syrup, Eight Treasures Cake, Ginseng Old Duck Soup, Shiquan Dabu Soup, Strengthening Spleen and Stopping Diarrhea Porridge, Cardamom Hawthorn Buns, Poria and Job’s Tears Buns, Hawthorn Soup, Radish Porridge, Longan and Lotus Seed Soup, Lily and Egg Yolk Soup, Sour Jujube Seed Porridge, and Biota Seed Stewed Pig Heart, etc. These dishes are effective for health promotion and strengthening the body, suitable for both weak individuals and healthy people to consume regularly.
Treating Diseases:
This type of medicinal cuisine is mainly tailored to the specific conditions of patients, using appropriate medicinal dishes for treatment, especially suitable for chronic disease patients. These dishes not only satisfy hunger but also assist in treating various diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, edema, stone diseases, diarrhea, dysentery, coronary heart disease, sleep disorders, gynecological diseases, chronic bronchitis, etc.
Common medicinal cuisines for treating diseases can be further divided by their effects:
01Exterior Releasing Medicinal Cuisine
This cuisine is made with pungent dispersing herbs and food. It has the effect of inducing sweating and releasing the exterior, suitable for the early stages of colds and external pathogens. Examples include Ginger Sugar Drink, Yinqiao Huoxiang Drink, and Five Gods Soup.
02Laxative Medicinal Cuisine
This cuisine is made with laxative or moistening herbs and food, having the effect of promoting bowel movements, eliminating stagnation, and invigorating blood circulation. It is suitable for constipation, food stagnation, water retention, and blood stasis, such as Honey Radish Soup, Yuli Ren and Biota Seed Porridge, and Red Bean and Job’s Tears Porridge.
03Heat-Clearing Medicinal Cuisine
This cuisine is made with cold and cooling herbs and food, having the effect of clearing heat, detoxifying, and generating fluids to quench thirst. It is suitable for heat-related diseases. Examples include Honeysuckle Dew, Seven Fresh Soup, Four Raw Drink, and Watermelon Drink.
04Cough-Relieving and Phlegm-Resolving Medicinal Cuisine
This cuisine is made with herbs that relieve cough and resolve phlegm, having the effect of stopping cough and moistening the lungs. It is suitable for cough with phlegm, such as Snow Pear and Fritillaria Soup, Tremella Soup, Almond and Pig Lung Soup, and Tangerine Peel and Bamboo Shavings Old Duck Soup.
05Yang-Warming and Cold-Dispelling Medicinal Cuisine
This cuisine is made with warm or hot herbs and food, having the effect of warming Yang and dispelling cold. It is suitable for various cold-related conditions, such as Angelica and Aconite Lamb Soup, Ginseng and Dried Ginger Old Hen Soup, etc.
06Moisture-Removing Medicinal Cuisine
This cuisine is made with herbs that promote diuresis and eliminate dampness, suitable for conditions of water retention and dampness obstructing the spleen, such as Poria Buns, Winter Melon and Red Bean Soup, and Cardamom Soup.
In summary, the preparation and consumption of medicinal cuisine should be tailored to the individual differences of different groups, organically combining herbs, ingredients, and the differences among people to achieve the effect of regulating bodily functions.
