Cold Foods (寒食 Hán Shí) - Heat Clarification and Yin Preservation in TCM

Cold foods (寒食 Hán Shí) in Traditional Chinese Medicine are foods of cool or cold thermal nature that cool Heat, clear Fire, preserve Yin, nourish organic fluids and soothe irritations. They are indicated in Heat syndromes, internal Fire, Yin deficiency and in hot climates.

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In Traditional Chinese Medicine

In TCM theory, cold foods are foods of cool or cold thermal nature that possess the following properties: cooling Heat, clearing Fire, preserving Yin, nourishing organic fluids, soothing irritations, calming agitation, stopping bleeding by Heat, relieving thirst and dryness, and dissipating toxins and purifying blood.

Main cold foods

Category	Foods	Nature	Principal Meridian	Main Indications
Meats	Duck, rabbit, pork, lean beef, white chicken, turkey, venison, wild boar, ostrich, kangaroo	Cool or cold	Lung, Kidney, Stomach, Spleen	Internal Fire, Heat, intense thirst, fever, redness, bleeding, dry cough, constipation
Fish	Carp, catfish, perch, pike, zander, monkfish, hake, cod, pouting, sardine, anchovy, herring, mackerel, salmon, tuna	Cool or cold	Kidney, Spleen, Stomach	Internal Fire, Heat, intense thirst, fever, redness, inflammations, constipation
Fruits	Watermelons, melons, cucumbers, tomatoes, lemons, oranges, grapefruits, kiwis, bananas, apples, pears, grapes, figs, plums, apricots, peaches, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, blackcurrants, pomegranate, passion fruit, passion fruit, pineapple, mangoes, papayas, lychees, longans	Cool or cold	Lung, Stomach, Spleen, Kidney	Internal Fire, Heat, intense thirst, fever, redness, inflammations, constipation, dry cough
Vegetables	Cucumbers, courgettes, melons, watermelons, tomatoes, pumpkins, squashes, aubergines, peppers, chillies, asparagus, chards, spinach, salads, chicory, escarole, frisée, lamb’s lettuce, rocket, watercress, endives, radishes, turnips, kohlrabi, Chinese cabbage, red cabbage, white cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, leeks, onions, garlic, ginger	Cool or cold	Stomach, Spleen, Lung, Kidney	Internal Fire, Heat, intense thirst, fever, redness, inflammations, constipation, dry cough
Aromatic herbs	Mint, lemon balm, verbena, linden, chamomile, passionflower, valerian, lavender, rosemary, thyme, sage, tarragon, chervil, parsley, coriander, basil, chives, spring onion, Chinese chive, chives, garlic, ginger	Cool or cold	Stomach, Spleen, Lung, Heart	Internal Fire, Heat, intense thirst, fever, redness, inflammations, agitation, insomnia
Seeds and nuts	Sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, lotus seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, cashews, pine nuts, macadamia, pecans, nutmeg, coconut, chia seeds, poppy seeds	Cool or cold	Kidney, Spleen, Stomach, Intestine	Internal Fire, Heat, intense thirst, fever, redness, inflammations, constipation, dryness
Cereals	Rice, millet, quinoa, buckwheat, spelt, wheat, barley, oats, rye, maize, sorghum, teff, fonio, amaranth	Neutral or cool	Spleen, Stomach	Internal Fire, Heat, intense thirst, fever, redness, inflammations, constipation
Others	Tofu, tempeh, seitan, miso, natto, tamari, soy sauce, sesame oil, soybean oil, peanut oil, rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, grape seed oil, walnut oil, vinegar, lemon juice, orange juice, grapefruit juice, apple juice, pear juice, grape juice, carrot juice, beetroot juice, celery juice, cucumber juice, watermelon juice, melon juice, tomato juice, pomegranate juice, passion fruit juice, passion fruit juice, pineapple juice, mango juice, papaya juice, lychee juice, longan juice, green tea, white tea, oolong tea, pu-erh tea, black tea, coffee, cocoa, chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, pepper, chilli, ginger, garlic	Cool or cold	Stomach, Spleen, Lung, Kidney, Heart	Internal Fire, Heat, intense thirst, fever, redness, inflammations, constipation, agitation, insomnia

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Practical Applications

In Chinese dietary therapy, cold foods are indicated in Heat syndromes, internal Fire, Yin deficiency and in hot climates. They are particularly recommended in summer, in hot regions, in people with a hot constitution, in people with internal fire, and after exposure to heat or dryness.

Cold foods are preferably prepared raw, steamed, quickly boiled, stir-fried over high heat, or consumed fresh. Long and gentle cooking weakens their cold and cool nature. Smoking, grilling and roasting make foods hotter and less cool. Iced preparations, smoothies, cold salads and frozen desserts strengthen their cold nature.

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Concrete Examples

A patient presenting with Heart Heat with intense thirst, dry mouth, insomnia, agitation, mouth ulcers, red complexion, red tongue with yellow coating, rapid full pulse, will benefit from fresh and cold food: chrysanthemum infusion with honey (cold or at room temperature), fresh grapefruit and oranges, tomato and cucumber salad with basil and olive oil, cold watermelon and mint soup, fresh grapefruit juice, watermelon and banana smoothie, homemade fresh fruit ice cream (watermelon, melon, strawberries), iced green tea with lemon juice, passionflower and lemon balm herbal tea.

A patient presenting with Liver Fire with migraines, dizziness, irritability, insomnia, red eyes, red complexion, red tongue with yellow coating, wiry rapid pulse, will benefit from fresh and cold food: chrysanthemum infusion with lemon juice (cold or at room temperature), endive and rocket salad with grapefruit and walnuts, fresh grapefruit with honey, beetroot and lemon juice, apple and celery smoothie, homemade grapefruit and lemon ice cream, iced green tea with lemon juice, chamomile and verbena herbal tea, cold cucumber and yoghurt soup.

Conclusion

Cold foods (寒食 Hán Shí) constitute a fundamental category in Chinese dietary therapy for clarifying Heat, preserving Yin and nourishing organic fluids. Understanding their properties, indications and methods of preparation enables clearer grasp of the therapeutic reasoning and support protocols offered within the Yin Shi universe.

• Thermal Nature
• Hot Foods
• Yin Deficiency
• Dietary Therapy

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