by blog contributor, Suzanne Chi (Portland, OR)

In preparation for the upcoming Chinese Five Phase Dinner, Abby asked me to share some of the concepts and ideas behind Chinese dietary therapy.  I hope that this helps you to savor the thoughtful planning Abby has put into the menu, and also provides some ideas to take into your own kitchen.

The Chinese believe that the body is a reflection of the natural world, and that the key to health is moving in synchronicity with the seasons.  Each of the five seasons – spring, summer, late summer, fall, and winter – have different energies and actions both in nature and in the body.  When we observe nature we see constant change and movement, both in the weather and seasons, and health is the ability to adapt to those changes.

Since winter is the theme of this upcoming dinner, let’s use it as an example. Winter is a time when the natural world contracts — the sun is low, leaves decompose, and animals hibernate. In Chinese medicine, our energy is thought to similarly contract in the Winter, concentrating internally. One can think of this as storing energy into an ‘internal seed’ in Winter, readying oneself to re-emerge as Spring approaches.

So, how does this relate to food?  In terms of diet, it is the flavor and thermal nature of foods that give them therapeutic properties and can be used to help align the body with the seasons.

The five flavors of sour, bitter, sweet, spicy, and salty each relate to a season. They are meant to be balanced and used together to promote healthy organ function.  In the Winter, salty and spicy flavors are used to promote health. Salty flavor is thought to act to direct energy downwards, mimicking the contracting nature of Winter.  But too much salt is not healthy in Chinese medicine; we can balance out this strong draining action with pungent or spicy flavors, which tend to bring energy to the surface of the body.  This is why we tend to sweat when eating a spicy meal!

The temperature of food, or qi, falls into one of four categories.  We think of a food as being either cold, cooling, warming, or hot natured, ranging in intensity.  This concept is a little easier to understand. Take watermelon as an example, its cold nature is what allows us to feel refreshed when eating it on a hot summer day.  Likewise, a warm beef stew cooked with red wine helps us endure those frosty winter days.  On this spectrum, there are certain foods which are neutral in qi, such as rice and oats, that have neither a strong cooling or warming affect on the body.

Chinese dietary therapy isn’t just about the foods themselves.  That is the beauty of cooking – depending on how we prepare a dish, or combine foods together, we are able to adjust the flavors and natures of the foods we eat.  Generally speaking, longer cooking-time tends to make a food more warming, while raw foods are seen as more cool in nature.  Naturally, people tend to eat more slow-roasted, or stewed foods in the winter, and more salads in the summer.  That said, you can make a salad less ‘cold’ by either adding ‘warm’ foods to the salad (e.g. onion, nuts), make a dressing out of fennel and ginger (also ‘warm’ ingredients), or gently wilting the greens.

I hope that gives you a brief introduction to Chinese dietary therapy.  Food can help us move in accordance with nature, and food can be medicine.  If you have questions about a specific health concern, please consult a licensed practitioner.

To register for the 5 Phase Dinner on February 11th at 7pm, click here.

February 11th Menu below:

Water Focus Menu
As always, menu is 100% gluten, dairy and soy free.

FIRST
Warm Endive and Watercress Salad with Wild Salmon and a Fennel-Arame Sauté

SECOND
Crispy Quinoa Cake Served with a Green Bean, Lentil and Roasted Hazelnut Salad
Served with a Lemon-Clove Vinaigrette

MAIN
Warming Spiced Lamb Stew with Turnip and Butternut Squash
Served with a Sweet Rice and Roasted Garlic Risotto

Vegan: Warming Spiced Wild Mushroom Stew with Turnip and Butternut Squash
Served with a Sweet Rice and Risotto

DESSERT
Toasted Black Sesame Seed Cookies
Served with Herbal Masala