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The Five Elements Theory of Chinese Cooking

Learn about the Role of the Five Elements in Chinese Cooking


"He that takes medicine and neglects diet, wastes the skills
of the physician."
(Chinese proverb)

Like the concept of yin and yang, the Five Elements Theory
is at the cornerstone of Chinese culture. What is the Five
Elements Theory? The Chinese believe that we are surrounded
by five energy fields: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water.

However, the elements are not static: they are constantly
moving and changing. (In fact, some scientists think the
term "element" is misleading, and prefer to refer to the
"five phases" or "five forces.")

Once the Chinese identified the five elements, they set
about categorizing all phenomena within the five categories.
Everything, from a river to sounds to the organs in our
bodies, can be described in terms of the five elements.
How things are characterized depends on their individual
qualities. For example, earth is associated with growth
and nourishment, so the spleen, which monitors the blood -
digesting debris and producing antibodies when necessary -
is categorized as an earth element.

Just as an imbalance between yin and yang can produce
destructive forces, keeping all elements in balance
promotes harmony both in our surroundings and ourselves.
Of course, balancing five elements is a little more
complicated than achieving harmony between two opposing
forces. According to Chinese belief, each element acts
upon two others, either giving birth to it or controlling
it. For example, wood gives birth to fire and controls or
suppresses earth. Similarly, fire gives birth to earth and
controls metal. All the elements are constantly interacting
with other elements - none stand alone. The table below


outlines the relationships.

Gives Birth To Controlling
Wood - Fire Wood - Earth
Fire - Earth Earth - Water
Earth - Metal Water - Fire
Metal - Water Fire - Metal
Water - Wood Metal - Wood


To give an example from nature, a plant (wood) grows when
it is given water. When burnt, wood gives birth to fire,
and the burnt ashes subsequently return to the earth.

What role does the Five Elements Theory Play in the
Chinese diet?

You'll see adherence to the five elements theory in many
facets of Chinese life. Martial arts, for example: many
schools have a series of basic movements, each designed
to keep the body in harmony with one the elements. And
the five elements theory plays a large role in Feng Shui,
the latest trend in both landscaping and interior
decorating. Literally meaning "wind and water," Feng Shui
is all about aligning energies in your home or work
environment in a way that is most conducive with your own
personal energy.

As for diet, Chinese herbalists believe that, to properly
treat a patient, you must know the state of the five
elements in their body. A deficiency or an excess of an
element can lead to illness. In The Chinese Kitchen: Recipes,
Techniques, Ingredients, History, and Memories from
America's Leading Authority on Chinese Cooking, Eileen
Yin Fei-Lo provides some wonderful examples of how her
grandmother used the principles of the five elements theory
to cure common illnesses. Treating a cough with winter
melon tea and fresh water chestnuts is just one example.

A detailed look at the use of five elements theory in
diagnosing and treating illnesses is beyond the scope
of this article. Suffice to say that practitioners of
traditional Chinese medicine rely on it to explain the
relationships between the body organs and tissues, as
well as between the body and the outside environment.
The table below outlines the relationship between the
five elements and body parts, feelings, colors, and
taste.

Element|Yin | Yang | Feelings| Colors|Tastes
-------------------------------------------------------
Wood Liver Gall Bladder Rage Green Sour
Fire Heart Small Intestine Happiness Red Bitter
Earth Spleen Stomach Thought Yellow Sweet
Metal Lungs Large Intestine Sorrow White Spicy
Water Kidneys Bladder Fear Black Salty

How would a physician use the above information to make a
diagnosis? Let's say a patient suddenly developed a preference
for sour food. This could indicate liver problems. Of
course, the actual process of examining a patient and making
a diagnosis is much more complex than merely consulting a
chart. It requires a thorough understanding of the interaction
between all the elements. Because time and date of birth are
also thought to play a role in an individual's "state of the
five elements," many physicians will consult astrological
charts before making a diagnosis.



Nicholas Zhou - Author
"Real and Healthy Chinese Cooking" http://www.chinesefooddiy.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FREE RECIPES: To claim your free Chinese recipes, cooking tips
and health articles, email to

EARN 55% COMMISSION: http://www.chinesefooddiy.com/affiliateprogram.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One has no right to comment if he hasn't investigated it. Here are what my
subscribers are saying about out web site and newsletters. I promise I
didn't change any thing before I posted and I have their permissions to post
it here. If you want, I can post more than 800 emails from my subscribers.
But obviously there is no such need. (To keep their privacy, I didn't reveal
their emails.)

I only think SOME people just have discrimination over people from OTHER
nations.

Nicholas Zhou

---------------------------------------------------------
Hi, Zhou
Thank you with your on going everyday recipe & cooking tips! they are a
great help when I'm cooking, they keep my family guessing what dish would it
be for the day. The new problem now is that no one in the family wants to
cook for us lately & I no longer have required time to spend with my
fianc?. Do you maybe have dishes that are good for the whole family but
require little time & effort to do them? so I can make for lost time within
my relationship.


TX
Veli
-----------------------------------------------------------

hello friend, i really enjoyed d whole recipes and all. please i would ilike
you 2 please send me a recipe for cooking rice and spagehetti. thanks alot.

------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Nicholas


This is Mair, Jim's wife...Can you send me a recipes for Beef with String
Beans,
the String Beans at Chinese Restaurant are always so crispy and
tender..Also,
a recipe for Beef Fried Rice. I've had it with rice that is more white
than
fried. There use to be a restaurant where I live that made the best
fried
rice ever, but no one comes close...the beef tasted like it was grilled
and
the rice was really dark..They also made the best Wonton Soup too...Also,
Roast Pork LoMein. The pork is always so tender and I don't know how
they make Roast Pork.


I have not made any of the recipes yet, cause I just became a
subscriber..


Thank you for all your help and advice.

Mair
PS It's very cold here in New Jersey...We even had some snow flurries
yesterday
morning...
---------------------------------------------------------------

Hi Zhou,
am a great fan of chinese cooking. Your emails are really encouraging me.
Please keep sending them. Iam turning out to be a not-so-bad chinese
cook!!!
Reggards
Evelyn

----------------------------------------------------------------

Hi Nike, Have been reading your comment on asian food etc. It is
interesting and agree with your comments and suggestions. Would
like to keep in touch with your newsletter thru this email. Where are
you located? Thanks. Ed.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Hey nic, recipes are great mate!
am having much fun experimenting..cheers mate!


Dale

------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello Nicholas,


Many thanks for your excellent recipes and advice. Unfortunately I have
lost your previous newsletters (3 or 4 in number) due to my computer burning
out on me. I am an invalid and live on my own, however, I look forward to
my health improving once I start using your healthy recipes. Due to a recent
heart attack I am determined to change my diet from the fat saturated roast
meats and vegetables of the past. I am lucky enough to have an electric wok
and also enjoy fish.


One question I do have is this: how do I store ginger root and how long can
I kep it for? I am also very fortunate that here in Christchurch, New
Zealand we have an excellent Asian Market, not far from my home, that I will
be visiting on benefit days. Over the past several months I have been
cooking a lot of rice in my wok by the absorbtion tmethod and have been
using lemon-pepper instead of salt. It makes a very nice base for steamed
fish and I find that by puting sliced vegatables or fruit in with the rice
as it cooks, I have a very enjoyable and tasty meal for so little cost.


Many thanks, once again for the excellent and informative newsletters.


Regards
Jerome (Barry Newell)


P.S. I bought a pack of floppy disks today so that I can backup your
newsletters in future.

------------------------------------------------------------

Hello Mr. Nocholas Zhou,

Let me hope that you are fairly moving on with life and your work at the
company, over there in China. Well I am also fine over here in Uganda and I
need to say that I have realy been impressed by the instructions concerning
the preparation of Chainese meals and anytime I will be taking the chance to
have any of those meals you have indicated, prepared at my place.

Secondly I need to appriciate your newsletter and your organisation is realy
good on the basis of the services that you have briefed me about. So I beg
that my dear friend, let's keep initiating through emails and you never know
one time I will be flying over to your country and I will live to test your
meals.

The other thing is a request that atleast you talk to your bosses such that
they try to extend thier services to our African countries and mainly Uganda
because Ugandans too enjoy Chinese meals. Thank you and Bye-bye.

Yours Sinserely,

MALIME ANDREW.

-----------------------------------------------------------

HI, I would still read your letters even if there were only 2 recipes
included. Your letters are so informative and very interesting but the
reason I signed on was for the recipes and as far as I am concerned the more
the better that way you have more to chose from. from what I have read so
far you can never include too many!! So keep 'em commin!!!!! And Thank you!!


*ANA*

If you fill your heart with regrets of yesterday and the worries of
tomorrow, you have no today to be thankful for.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Nicholas Zhou

"Real and Healthy Chinese Cooking" http://www.chinesefooddiy.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FREE RECIPES: To claim your free Chinese recipes, cooking tips
and health articles, email to

EARN 55% COMMISSION: http://www.chinesefooddiy.com/affiliateprogram.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~





"Steve Wertz" wrote in message
news
On Sun, 07 Dec 2003 03:47:26 GMT, "Nicholas Zhou"
wrote:

Lemon Chicken (Steamed)

Recipe stolen from:

http://chinesefood.about.com/library/blrecipe386.htm

Which is exactly what you'll get if you buy his book or subscrbe to
his newsletter: A book full of stolen and plagerized recipes.

-sw
"Steve Wertz" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 07 Dec 2003 03:54:43 GMT, "Nicholas Zhou"
wrote:

The Five Elements Theory of Chinese Cooking

More plagerized information from:
http://chinesefood.about.com/library.../aa041900a.htm

Don't ever give your email address to a spammer. They will harass and
harrass you until you buy their product, which in this case is a book
full of 500 STOLEN and PLAGERIZED recipes that are freely available on
the net.

-sw

"Nicholas Zhou" wrote in message
...

"Steve Wertz" wrote in message
news On Sun, 07 Dec 2003 03:47:26 GMT, "Nicholas Zhou"
wrote:

Lemon Chicken (Steamed)

Recipe stolen from:

http://chinesefood.about.com/library/blrecipe386.htm

Which is exactly what you'll get if you buy his book or subscrbe to
his newsletter: A book full of stolen and plagiarized recipes.

-sw
"Steve Wertz" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 07 Dec 2003 03:54:43 GMT, "Nicholas Zhou"
wrote:

The Five Elements Theory of Chinese Cooking

More plagiarized information from:
http://chinesefood.about.com/library.../aa041900a.htm

Don't ever give your email address to a spammer. They will harass and
harass you until you buy their product, which in this case is a book
full of 500 STOLEN and PLAGIARIZED recipes that are freely available on
the net.

-sw

One has no right to comment if he hasn't investigated it. Here are what
my
subscribers are saying about out web site and newsletters. I promise I
didn't change any thing before I posted and I have their permissions to
post
it here. If you want, I can post more than 800 emails from my subscribers.
But obviously there is no such need. (To keep their privacy, I didn't
reveal
their emails.)

I only think SOME people just have discrimination over people from OTHER
nations.

Nicholas Zhou

spam snipped
Nicholas Zhou is a plagiarizing shitbag spammer.
If you call him out he will call you a bigot and a racist.
He perpetuates the stereotype of a thieving pirate from the
Communist Chinese mainland who can only copy the work of
others and re-package it as his own.

/´¯/)
,/¯ /
/ /
/´¯/' '/´¯¯·¸
/'/ / / /¨¨/¯\
('( ´ ´ ¯&;/' ')
\ ' /
'\' \ _.·´
\ (
\ \

--
His Wizardship,
Mr. Wizard

"See there boy. Once you pull their teeth they're toothless"

"They love the milk and honey but forget
who bought it and what the price was."

"Peace isn't the absence of conflict.
It is the presence of justice"





----== Posted via Newsfeed.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeed.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 100,000 Newsgroups
---= 19 East/West-Coast Specialized Servers - Total Privacy via Encryption =---

We will see....
"Mr. Wizard" wrote in message
...
"Nicholas Zhou" wrote in message
...

"Steve Wertz" wrote in message
news On Sun, 07 Dec 2003 03:47:26 GMT, "Nicholas Zhou"
wrote:

Lemon Chicken (Steamed)

Recipe stolen from:

http://chinesefood.about.com/library/blrecipe386.htm

Which is exactly what you'll get if you buy his book or subscrbe to
his newsletter: A book full of stolen and plagiarized recipes.

-sw
"Steve Wertz" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 07 Dec 2003 03:54:43 GMT, "Nicholas Zhou"
wrote:

The Five Elements Theory of Chinese Cooking

More plagiarized information from:
http://chinesefood.about.com/library.../aa041900a.htm

Don't ever give your email address to a spammer. They will harass and
harass you until you buy their product, which in this case is a book
full of 500 STOLEN and PLAGIARIZED recipes that are freely available
on
the net.

-sw

One has no right to comment if he hasn't investigated it. Here are what
my
subscribers are saying about out web site and newsletters. I promise I
didn't change any thing before I posted and I have their permissions to
post
it here. If you want, I can post more than 800 emails from my
subscribers.
But obviously there is no such need. (To keep their privacy, I didn't
reveal
their emails.)

I only think SOME people just have discrimination over people from OTHER
nations.

Nicholas Zhou

spam snipped
Nicholas Zhou is a plagiarizing shitbag spammer.
If you call him out he will call you a bigot and a racist.
He perpetuates the stereotype of a thieving pirate from the
Communist Chinese mainland who can only copy the work of
others and re-package it as his own.

/´¯/)
,/? /
/ /
/´¯/' '/´¯¯·?
/'/ / / /¨¨/¯\
('( ? ? ?;/' ')
\ ' /
'\' \ _.·´
\ (
\ \

--
His Wizardship,
Mr. Wizard

"See there boy. Once you pull their teeth they're toothless"

"They love the milk and honey but forget
who bought it and what the price was."

"Peace isn't the absence of conflict.
It is the presence of justice"





----== Posted via Newsfeed.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet
News==----
http://www.newsfeed.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 100,000
Newsgroups
---= 19 East/West-Coast Specialized Servers - Total Privacy via Encryption
=---

In article ,
"Nicholas Zhou" wrote:

One has no right to comment if he hasn't investigated it. Here are what my
subscribers are saying about out web site and newsletters. I promise I
didn't change any thing before I posted and I have their permissions to post
it here. If you want, I can post more than 800 emails from my subscribers.
But obviously there is no such need. (To keep their privacy, I didn't reveal
their emails.)

I only think SOME people just have discrimination over people from OTHER
nations.

But the emails you posted do not address the allegation of plagiarism.

--
to respond, change "spamless.invalid" with "optonline.net"
please mail OT responses only

"Communist Chinese mainland who can only copy the work of others and
re-package it as his own"

--- Mr. Wizard's Motto


"Mr. Wizard" wrote in message
...
"Nicholas Zhou" wrote in message
...

"Steve Wertz" wrote in message
news On Sun, 07 Dec 2003 03:47:26 GMT, "Nicholas Zhou"
wrote:

Lemon Chicken (Steamed)

Recipe stolen from:

http://chinesefood.about.com/library/blrecipe386.htm

Which is exactly what you'll get if you buy his book or subscrbe to
his newsletter: A book full of stolen and plagiarized recipes.

-sw
"Steve Wertz" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 07 Dec 2003 03:54:43 GMT, "Nicholas Zhou"
wrote:

The Five Elements Theory of Chinese Cooking

More plagiarized information from:
http://chinesefood.about.com/library.../aa041900a.htm

Don't ever give your email address to a spammer. They will harass and
harass you until you buy their product, which in this case is a book
full of 500 STOLEN and PLAGIARIZED recipes that are freely available
on
the net.

-sw

One has no right to comment if he hasn't investigated it. Here are what
my
subscribers are saying about out web site and newsletters. I promise I
didn't change any thing before I posted and I have their permissions to
post
it here. If you want, I can post more than 800 emails from my
subscribers.
But obviously there is no such need. (To keep their privacy, I didn't
reveal
their emails.)

I only think SOME people just have discrimination over people from OTHER
nations.

Nicholas Zhou

spam snipped
Nicholas Zhou is a plagiarizing shitbag spammer.
If you call him out he will call you a bigot and a racist.
He perpetuates the stereotype of a thieving pirate from the
Communist Chinese mainland who can only copy the work of
others and re-package it as his own.

/´¯/)
,/? /
/ /
/´¯/' '/´¯¯·?
/'/ / / /¨¨/¯\
('( ? ? ?;/' ')
\ ' /
'\' \ _.·´
\ (
\ \

--
His Wizardship,
Mr. Wizard

"See there boy. Once you pull their teeth they're toothless"

"They love the milk and honey but forget
who bought it and what the price was."

"Peace isn't the absence of conflict.
It is the presence of justice"





----== Posted via Newsfeed.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet
News==----
http://www.newsfeed.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 100,000
Newsgroups
---= 19 East/West-Coast Specialized Servers - Total Privacy via Encryption
=---