Winter is hidden in essence, and food is nourished by taste: A study of winter medicated diet culture from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine classics

According to the "Huangdi Neijing", there is a saying, "In the third month of winter, this is called closed storage." At that time, there was a situation of ice and water on the ground. Do not disturb the Yang Qi. This is the period when all things in the world converge to hide their vitality and accumulate and store energy.

Chinese food culture has always paid attention to the "correspondence between heaven and man", the order of the four seasons, and the order of food.

The ancients believed that at this time, the yang energy in the human body will converge inward and the metabolic rate will gradually slow down. This is the perfect time to use medicinal foods to nourish the essence and strengthen the foundation.

Exploring the traces of the past, medicinal diet culture has come along the way and has a long history. Since the establishment of the "food medicine" system in the Zhou Dynasty, the pioneering door of "medicine and food have the same origin" has been opened and has its initial beginning.

By the time of the Tang and Song dynasties, the theory of dietary therapy became more and more complete due to the emergence of specialized works such as "Qianjin Yaofang·Food Therapy".

Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, both the court and the people have formed a complete seasonal diet system.

For example, the widely circulated Cordyceps Rehmannia Duck Soup follows the method of "nourishing the kidneys and lungs".

Duck is an animal whose meat is relatively cool in nature. Stew it with cordyceps sinensis and rehmannia glutinosa, which have warming effects, and slowly heat it over low heat for three hours, so that the medicinal properties can be fully and fully integrated into the soup. It can not only remove the dryness of the duck meat itself, but also add moisture to the soup. This is really the essence of the stew culture.

In Lingnan, the humidity is relatively high. Although it is not very cold in winter, the cold and dampness invades the body and can easily damage the spleen and stomach.

White pepper is hot in nature and pungent in taste, warming and dispelling cold, while pork belly is used to nourish the stomach and strengthen the stomach.

This soup is simmered until it becomes thick and the belly is soft and tender. Its rich and mellow taste not only makes it a good way to warm the stomach before meals in winter, but also demonstrates the folk wisdom's deep understanding of the various properties and flavors of ingredients.

In the history of Chinese food development , the combination of meat also has its profound humanistic connotations .

For example, in the dish of stewed mutton with Astragalus Codonopsis and Codonopsis, mutton is an excellent food for warming and tonic. After the integration of northern nomadic people and the farming culture of the Central Plains, the cooking techniques of mutton have become more sophisticated.

Astragalus has the effect of strengthening the surface and replenishing qi, Codonopsis pilosula has the effect of strengthening the spleen and replenishing qi, and black dates can nourish the blood and calm the mind. These four are combined into one, and together they have the effect of warming but not drying, tonifying but not greasy.

This dish is great news for those who are afraid of colds and are weak, and it also demonstrates the philosophy of "qi and blood tonifying together" that ancient Chinese medicine upheld.

In addition, bird's nest lean meat soup is a relatively refined and nourishing product. Bird's nest has the property of nourishing and nourishing. Fritillaria fritillaris and Bletilla striata are all classified into the lung meridian. For dry cough caused by fatigue, it has the effect of dietary therapy. This reflects the ancient scholar-official class's pursuit of quality of life and body conditioning to the maximum extent.

Sheep Kidney, Eucommia and Five Flavors Soup is made by taking sheep kidney and stewing it with Eucommia ulmoides and Schisandra chinensis. This is completely rooted in the ancient concept of "complementing the shape with the shape".

Eucommia ulmoides is listed as the top grade in "Shen Nong's Materia Medica". It is mainly used to nourish the middle, replenish essence and Qi, and strengthen muscles and bones.

Schisandra chinensis can astringe and solidify astringency, replenish qi and promote fluid production.

This soup is specially formulated for kidney deficiency and strain. It should be taken on an empty stomach, so that the medicinal power can directly reach the lower Jiao. It demonstrates the strict requirements of the traditional Chinese medicine concept of "medicine and food come from the same source" in terms of dietary etiquette and taking methods.

The teal teal soup is made from teal duck for the purpose of nourishing yin. It is combined with wolfberry and yam to make the soup tonic but not dry. It is especially suitable for people with physical weakness and those who are recovering after childbirth. It is a perfect interpretation of the concept of "clearing and nourishing" in the soup culture of Hakka cuisine.

Starting from the authentic characteristics of the selection of materials, moving towards the compatible relationship between monarch, ministers and envoys, and then to the civil and military stage of preparation, each step carries the wisdom of life and aesthetic taste accumulated by the Chinese nation over thousands of years.

In the cold winter, savoring those [traditional meals] that have traveled through the ages is not only to warm and nourish the body, but also to embark on an affectionate retrospective and cultural tour of the Chinese food civilization.