Temperature of Food

From: http://library.thinkquest.org/11960/facts/chinese.htm

In China, the temperature of food does not refer to how hot or cold the food is physically, but rather the heating effect and the cooling effect of the food. Food can be classified as Hot, Warm, Neutral, Cool or Cold.

Hot food has a heating effect on us. Have you eaten curry and found that there is heat stirring up within you and you even start sweating? This also happens when we eat chili or something spicy. This is due to the heat present in the food. This heat warms our bodies, and is also responsible for causing heat-related health problems such as fever, headache, sore eyes, sore throat, and bloodshot eyes. It is this heat that causes pimples to rise on your face, so the Chinese are careful not eat too much hot food. The heat can also irritate us and make our temper "hotter". During cold seasons, the Chinese eat more hot food to keep warm.

Have you seen women sticking slices of fruit or cucumber on their face? You may wonder how does it helps their faces. Cucumbers and other fruits and vegetables are known for their cooling effect, and cucumbers have been used for facials. Beauticians have also encouraged people to eat more fruits and vegetables and to drink water (water is neutral) to have a good skin. Cold food cool us down, but also require more energy for digestion, as they take away warmth. But overcooling can cause us to have a cold, cough, diarrhea, and stomach pains.

It is possible to balance the heat in our food. People have also adjusted the temperature of the food they eat according to the climate.

Here is a list of foods and their temperatures:

Hot: Black pepper, butter, chicken fat, chocolate, coffee, crispy rice, curry, hot chilies, lamb, mango, onions, peanut butter, sesame seeds, smoked fish, trout, whisky

Warm: Beef, brown sugar, cheese, chestnuts, chicken, egg yolk, dates, garlic, ginger, green pepper, ham, leeks, oats, peaches, pomegranates, potato, turkey, turnips, walnuts, vinegar, wine

Neutral Apricots, beet roots, bread, broad beans, brown rice, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, cherries, egg whites, grapes, honey, water, milk, oysters, peanuts, peas, plums, pork, raisins, salmon, sugar, sweet potatoes

Cool Almonds, apples, barley, broccoli, celery, corn, fish, mushrooms, mangos, oranges, pears, pineapple, radishes, salt, seaweed, spinach, strawberries, tangerines, turnip, watermelon, wheat

Cold Bananas, bean sprouts, cucumbers, duck, grapefruit, green tea, lettuce, ice cream, mussels, peppermint, tofu, tomato, yogurt


Eating Cooking and Raw Food

Generally raw food is cold and should not be eaten in excess. The Chinese maintain that food should be cooked before consumption. Moreover, taking cold raw food may upset our stomachs because digestion will require more energy.

The Taste of the Food

There are five main tastes of food: Sour, Sweet, Bitter, Pungent, and Salty. It is recommended that our diets contain all these flavors, not taking too much of any. It is also believed that salt should be avoided because it can affect the functioning of the kidneys.

Quality of the Food

It is best that we eat food that is fresh and pure, free from chemicals, preservatives, and additives. The vegetables and fruits we buy in our supermarket often have been sprayed with insecticides, and we should wash them before consumption. Some animals are also injected with antibiotics or hormones to prevent diseases from attacking them. Do you know that an apple can be sprayed up to 26 times before reaching your fruit basket? Processed food should also be avoided.

How and When We Eat the Food

If you have always gobbled fast food, eating on the run, then you may be shocked to know that a Chinese meal can take hours. The Chinese believe that eating has to be at a leisurely pace to give time for digestion, and it is best to eat in a relaxing environment. The food is to be chewed thoroughly and properly. This breaks down the food and aids digestion. Drinking is not advisable when eating because the fluid may wash down the food rather than allow it to be digested fully. We should drink before the meal or between meals. It is good to eat up to three-quarters full, so that the stomach would not be over-stressed, causing us to feel tired due to the extra energy spent in digestion.

We should eat regularly at usual times of the day. The breakfast should be nourishing enough to provide us with enough energy for the day. Heavy meals late at night can make our digestive system work overtime, even after we sleep. This may cause insomnia and we will not be well rested. Hence it is best to eat our last meal early in the evening.