Cantonese Classification of Food
Cantonese people pay much attention to the body's reaction to food. Food items are classified accordingly, and diet is adjusted based on the body's conditions. In effect, many Cantonese people practice food therapy in day to day situations. The following is a list of common food classifications:
| Mandarin name | rough translation | related symptoms/effects | examples | cures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 燥火 zàohuǒ | dry fire (yang) | causes dryness of skin, chapped lips, nose bleed etc. | chili pepper, deep fried food, beef jerky, lychee. | any yin or cooling food |
| 濕熱 shīrè | wet heat (yang) | causes mouth sore, urinary burning etc. probably due to the acidity or alkalinity. | mango, pineapple, cherry. | chrysanthemum, sugar cane (竹蔗 zhúzhè), Imperata arundinacea (茅根 máogēn), Prunella vulgaris L. (夏枯草 xiàkūcǎo) |
| 寒涼 hánliáng | cold cooling (yin) | causes dizziness, weakness, pale or green face (low oxygen level in blood) etc. | watermelon, cantelope, honeydew and certain kinds of melon-type fruits or vegetables, green tea. | any boosting or dry fire food |
| 滯 zhì | blocking | cause indigestion, stomach gas etc. | all fibrous food, e.g. yam, chestnuts | haw (fruit 山楂 shānzhā), malt (麥芽 màiyá) |
| 毒 dú | poisoning | causes pus or swelling in wound, outbreak of acnes, hemorrhoid etc. | duck, goose, bamboo shoot, all shellfish | abstinence at outbreak |
| 油膩 yóunì | greasy | causes gastric upset, runny stool, outbreak of acnes etc. | all greasy food, e.g. bacon etc. | abstinence at outbreak |
| 清涼 qīngliáng | clear cooling | mild yin type that counteract the dry fire type. Also listed as yin when overused. | beer, lettuce, sugar cane (竹蔗 zhúzhè), Imperata arundinacea (茅根, máogēn), American ginseng. | not needed if not overused |
| 滋潤 zīrùn | nourishing | moisturizing, soothing | apple, pear, fig, winter melon, longan, Dioscorea opposita (淮山 huáishān), lotus seed, lily bulb etc. | not needed |
| 補血益氣 bǔxuè-yìqì | boosting | replenishes blood and Qi. Also listed as dry fire when overused. | Mutton, snake, wild games, beef, red dates (紅棗 hóngzǎo). | not needed if not overused |
| 行血活氣 xíngxuè-huóqì | vigorating | circulating blood and Qi. | red wine, Korean ginseng. | not needed |
| 健脾 jiànpí, 開胃 kāiwèi, 生津 shēngjīn, 養心 yǎngxīn, 強筋 qiángjīn, 強骨 qiánggǔ etc. | generating, strengthening | improves various internal functions | various | not needed |
The yin-yang type of each individual determines how susceptible the person is to these effects of food. A neutral person is generally healthy and will have strong reactions to these effects only after overconsumption of certain kind of food. A yang type person usually can eat all yin type food with no ill effect, but may easily get a nose bleed with small amount of yang type food. A yin type person is usually very unhealthy and is reactive to either yin or yang food. Boosting or nourishing type of food is needed to bring a yin person back to health.
Read more about this topic: Chinese Food Therapy
Famous quotes containing the word food:
“Most vegetarians I ever see looked enough like their food to be classed as cannibals.”
—Finley Peter Dunne (1867–1936)