According to Chinese medicine, the sweet flavor mainly enters the spleen channel. Sweet food is gentle, not cold or hot in nature. It has properties that give an alleviating and replenishing effect to the body. Consuming adequate amounts of sweet food can regulate the body functions. The bird’s nest tastes and swells better as sweet dish.
ImageFor preparing a sweet dish: The rock sugar should be added 15 min prior to completion of the dish. This will maintain the best qualities of the bird’s nest.
A salty dish is referred to all foodstuffs that are seasoned with salt. Salt is cold in nature and tastes salty. It can clear away heat, cool the blood and expel toxins. The salty flavor mainly enters the kidney channel. Consuming adequate amounts of salt can replenish and nourish the kidney. It is particularly suitable for patients with diabetes mellitus.
For preparing a salty dish: the salt should be added to the bird’s nest upon serving. If salt is added before cooking the bird’s nest will disintegrate, shrink and become crunchy.
Hot is warm and dry and is Yang is nature. Its property is active, moving and open. Hot dishes are suitable for people whose bodies are cool or cold in nature.
Cold is cool and cold and is Yin in nature. Its properties are calming and resting. Cold dishes are suitable for people whose bodies are warm or hot in nature.
ImageTraditional Chinese medicine extensively uses the theory of Yin and Yang to explain the histological structure, physiological function, and pathological changes of the human body, and to serve as guide for diagnosis of treatment. Yin and Yang represent two opposite aspects of every object that always restricts and act on the other. Generally speaking, anything that is moving, ascending, bright, progressing, hyperactive, including functional disease of the body, pertains to Yang. The characteristics of stillness descending, darkness, degeneration, hypoactive, including organic disease, pertain to Yin.
