Medicinal Dishes
Medicinal food can be used for dietetic therapy, and is processed through cooking. The end result is a combination of Chinese traditional medical knowledge and cooking experience. Medicine borrows the power of food while food supports the power of medicine and turns "good medicine with bitter taste" into "good medicine with nice taste". It has nutritional value, and also can prevent or cure diseases, protect health, build up a good physique and prolong life.
Based on the theory of Chinese traditional medicine, medicinal foods place an emphasis on differentiation of symptoms, that is, use different medicinal foods for reinforcing Qi in case of deficiency of vital energy and for replenishing blood in case of deficiency of blood. Medicine and medicinal food supplement and complement each other. Choose food according to the characteristics of diseases. In case of febrile diseases, choose food with cold nature. For example, use wax gourd, balsam pear and mung bean to prevent and cure heatstroke. In case of cold diseases, select food with warm and hot nature, for example, use ginger, cassia bark and fennel when there is cold and pain in abdomen.
Medicinal foods guarantee that the elements of food not be destroyed as far as possible and bring into full play the function of food and medicine in medical and health care. The art of traditional cooking and the methods of steaming, boiling stewing and immersing are very important to ensure effectiveness. Medicine is required to cure diseases while medicinal food is used to aid in recuperation, to build up health and assist the medicine’s curative effects through proper diet. |
