Yin Yang Foods Chart in Chinese Medicine: Complete Guide

The yin yang foods chart is the reference tool for understanding the energetic classification of foods in traditional Chinese medicine. Every food possesses an intrinsic thermal nature that warms, gently warms, neutralises, cools, or deeply cools the body. This complete guide compiles over 200 foods classified by thermal nature and category, with their meridian tropisms and therapeutic indications.

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The Five Thermal Natures in TCM

Chinese dietetics identifies five main thermal natures. These natures do not correspond to the physical temperature of the food but to its energetic effect on the body after digestion.

Nature	Chinese	Pinyin	Effect	Direction
Hot	热	Rè	Warms Yang, dispels Cold, activates circulation	Strong Yang
Warm	温	Wēn	Tonifies Qi, harmonises the Centre, stimulates digestion	Moderate Yang
Neutral	平	Píng	Balances Yin and Yang, suits all temperaments	Balance
Cool	凉	Liáng	Cools gently, calms moderate Heat, nourishes Yin	Moderate Yin
Cold	寒	Hán	Cools intense Heat, clears Fire, preserves Yin	Strong Yin

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Complete Food Chart by Thermal Nature

Hot Nature Foods (热 Rè) — Strong Yang

Hot foods deeply warm Yang, dispel internal Cold, and activate the circulation of Qi and Blood. They are indicated for Yang Deficiency, internal Cold, chilliness, Cold-type pain, and Qi stagnation.

Category	Foods	Main meridian	Indications
Meats	Mutton, beef, chicken, pigeon, quail	Kidney, Spleen, Stomach	Yang Deficiency, chilliness, lower back pain, fatigue
Fish	Salmon, eel, shrimp, lobster	Kidney, Spleen	Internal Cold, Blood stagnation
Fruits	Lychee, longan, red date (jujube), pomegranate	Spleen, Heart	Qi Deficiency, fatigue, loose stools
Vegetables	Leek, spring onion, onion	Spleen, Stomach	Internal Cold, poor appetite
Spices and herbs	Dried ginger, garlic, cinnamon, clove, pepper, chilli, mustard	Stomach, Spleen, Lung	Internal Cold, Qi stagnation, nausea, cold
Grains	Glutinous rice	Spleen, Stomach	Qi Deficiency, loose stools
Beverages	Wine, coffee, black tea, alcohol	Heart, Liver, Stomach	Internal Cold (in moderation)

Warm Nature Foods (温 Wēn) — Moderate Yang

Warm foods tonify Qi and Yang, harmonise the Centre, and stimulate digestion. They are indicated for Qi Deficiency, mild Yang Deficiency, Cold-type digestive disorders, and general fatigue.

Category	Foods	Main meridian	Indications
Meats	Duck, goose, rabbit, horse	Kidney, Spleen, Stomach	Qi Deficiency, fatigue, poor appetite
Fish	Mackerel, sardine, anchovy, herring, tuna, carp	Kidney, Spleen, Stomach	Mild Yang Deficiency, joint pain
Fruits	Cherry, strawberry, blackcurrant, peach, apricot, plum, grape	Spleen, Stomach, Kidney	Qi Deficiency, fatigue, mild chilliness
Vegetables	Carrot, sweet potato, beetroot, turnip, squash, pumpkin, pumpkin, Jerusalem artichoke, parsnip, celeriac, black radish	Spleen, Stomach, Lung	Qi Deficiency, internal Cold, loose stools
Spices and herbs	Basil, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, sage, tarragon, parsley, coriander, cumin, star anise, fennel, fresh ginger	Stomach, Spleen, Lung	Qi stagnation, nausea, cough, cold
Seeds and nuts	Walnut, chestnut, almond, hazelnut, pistachio, sunflower seed, pumpkin seed, sesame seed	Kidney, Spleen, Intestine	Yang Deficiency, Jing Deficiency, constipation
Grains	Millet, quinoa, buckwheat, spelt, wheat, oats, rye	Spleen, Stomach	Qi Deficiency, fatigue, loose stools
Sugars	Honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, molasses, raw sugar	Spleen, Stomach, Kidney	Qi Deficiency, fatigue (in moderation)

Neutral Nature Foods (平 Píng) — Balance

Neutral foods balance Yin and Yang. They suit all temperaments, all seasons, and all ages. They form the foundation of a balanced diet in Chinese dietetics.

Category	Foods	Main meridian	Indications
Meats	Pork, turkey, veal	Spleen, Stomach, Kidney	Convalescence, general balance
Fish	Carp, perch, pike, zander	Spleen, Kidney	Balance, convalescence
Fruits	Apple, pear, fig, grape, papaya	Lung, Stomach, Spleen	All constitutions, all seasons
Vegetables	Cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, green bean, pea, courgette	Spleen, Stomach	General balance, convalescence
Seeds and nuts	Almond, cashew, pecan, flaxseed, lotus seed	Kidney, Spleen, Intestine	Balance, nourishes Jing
Grains	Rice, brown rice, corn, sorghum, teff, fonio, amaranth	Spleen, Stomach	Dietary staple, balance
Legumes	Soybean, lentil, chickpea, broad bean, white bean, kidney bean	Spleen, Stomach	Tonifies Qi, balance
Other	Egg, milk, yoghurt, cheese, tofu	Spleen, Stomach	Nourishes Yin and Qi

Cool Nature Foods (凉 Liáng) — Moderate Yin

Cool foods gently cool, calm moderate Heat, and nourish Yin. They are indicated for mild Heat syndromes, moderate thirst, irritability, and mild insomnia.

Category	Foods	Main meridian	Indications
Meats	Duck, rabbit, lean pork	Lung, Kidney, Stomach	Mild Heat, moderate thirst
Fish	Hake, pollock, whiting	Kidney, Spleen	Heat, inflammation
Fruits	Orange, grapefruit, mandarin, lemon, kiwi, banana, pineapple, mango	Lung, Stomach, Spleen	Mild Heat, thirst, dryness
Vegetables	Cucumber, courgette, tomato, aubergine, pepper, asparagus, celery, spinach	Stomach, Spleen, Lung	Heat, thirst, mild inflammation
Herbs	Mint, lemon balm, verbena, linden, chamomile	Stomach, Spleen, Heart	Heat, irritability, mild insomnia
Grains	Barley, dark wheat, naked oats	Spleen, Stomach	Digestive heat, thirst
Beverages	Green tea, white tea, coconut water	Heart, Stomach	Heat, thirst, detoxification

Cold Nature Foods (寒 Hán) — Strong Yin

Cold foods cool intense Heat, clear Fire, and preserve Yin. They are indicated for intense Heat syndromes, internal Fire, fever, acute inflammation, and Heat-type bleeding.

Category	Foods	Main meridian	Indications
Meats	Venison, wild boar, ostrich	Lung, Kidney	Internal Fire, fever
Fish	Crab, oyster, mussel, clam, shellfish	Kidney, Liver	Intense Heat, bleeding
Fruits	Watermelon, melon, apple, pear, persimmon, passion fruit	Lung, Stomach, Kidney	Intense Heat, intense thirst, fever
Vegetables	Watercress, endive, chicory, escarole, frisee, lamb’s lettuce, rocket, purslane, sorrel, lettuce, radish, white turnip, Chinese cabbage	Stomach, Spleen, Lung	Internal Fire, inflammation, constipation
Herbs	Chrysanthemum, dandelion, nettle, marshmallow	Liver, Stomach	Heat, toxins, bleeding
Grains	Buckwheat (raw), pearl barley	Spleen, Stomach	Digestive heat
Beverages	Cold water, fresh fruit juice, soy drink	Stomach, Spleen	Heat, intense thirst

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How to Use This Chart

Identify your energetic syndrome

Before choosing foods, you need to identify your syndrome. The main syndromes are:

• Yang Deficiency: chilliness, cold extremities, lower back pain, loose stools, pale swollen tongue, deep weak pulse. Favour hot and warm foods.
• Yin Deficiency: dryness, dry mouth, night sweats, red tongue without coating, rapid thin pulse. Favour cool and cold foods that nourish Yin.
• Heat: thirst, redness, agitation, red tongue, rapid full pulse. Favour cool and cold foods.
• Cold: chilliness, pain improved by warmth, pale tongue, slow tight pulse. Favour hot and warm foods.
• Balance: no particular symptoms. Favour neutral foods with seasonal adjustments.

Adapt to the season

Chinese dietetics recommends adapting the thermal nature of foods to the rhythm of the seasons:

• Winter (Cold): increase hot and warm foods (mutton, beef, ginger, cinnamon, carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin).
• Spring (rising Yang): balance between warm and neutral, introduce the first fresh vegetables (young shoots, asparagus).
• Summer (Heat): increase cool and cold foods (watermelon, melon, cucumber, tomato, salads, citrus).
• Autumn (descending Yin): gradual return to warm and neutral foods (rice, millet, apples, pears, almonds).

Adapt to cooking methods

The preparation method modifies the thermal nature of foods. This principle is central to Chinese dietetics:

Cooking	Effect on nature	Example
Raw	Strengthens yin character (cool/cold)	Salad, sushi, fruit
Steamed	Preserves original nature	Steamed fish, steamed vegetables
Boiled	Slightly more yang than raw	Soup, porridge
Stir-fried	More yang than boiled	Wok, stir-fried vegetables
Grilled / roasted	Significantly more yang	Grilled meat, roasted vegetables
Fried	Strongly yang	Frying, fritters
Slow-cooked	More yang, nourishes Qi	Stew, osso buco

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The Five Flavours and their Relationship to Yin-Yang

Thermal nature alone is not enough to characterise a food. Flavour (味 Wèi) completes the picture. Each of the five flavours has its own therapeutic action:

Flavour	Chinese	Nature	Action	Representative foods
Pungent	辛	Yang	Disperses, circulates Qi, induces sweating	Ginger, garlic, pepper, mint, leek
Sweet	甘	Neutral/Yang	Tonifies, harmonises, relaxes	Rice, millet, sweet potato, jujube, honey
Sour	酸	Yin	Astringes, preserves, nourishes Yin	Lemon, vinegar, tomato, plum, hibiscus
Bitter	苦	Yin	Descends, dries, clears Heat	Coffee, green tea, endive, dandelion, watercress
Salty	咸	Yin	Softens, dissolves, nourishes Kidneys	Salt, seaweed, seafood, black soybean

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Summary Chart by Food Category

This chart crosses food categories with the five thermal natures for quick reference.

Grains

Grain	Nature	Flavour	Tropism	Key indication
Rice	Neutral	Sweet	Spleen, Stomach	Dietary staple, balance
Glutinous rice	Hot	Sweet	Spleen, Stomach	Qi Deficiency, loose stools
Millet	Warm	Sweet	Spleen, Stomach	Qi Deficiency, weak digestion
Quinoa	Warm	Sweet	Spleen, Kidney	Vegetarian, protein
Buckwheat	Warm	Sweet	Spleen, Stomach	Qi Deficiency, circulation
Barley	Cool	Sweet	Spleen, Stomach	Digestive heat, thirst
Oats	Warm	Sweet	Spleen, Lung	Qi Deficiency, dryness
Corn	Neutral	Sweet	Spleen, Stomach	Balance, diuresis
Rye	Warm	Sweet	Spleen, Stomach	Qi Deficiency
Spelt	Warm	Sweet	Spleen, Stomach	Qi Deficiency, digestion

Vegetables

Vegetable	Nature	Flavour	Tropism	Key indication
Carrot	Warm	Sweet	Spleen, Stomach, Lung	Qi Deficiency, vision
Sweet potato	Warm	Sweet	Spleen, Stomach	Qi Deficiency, loose stools
Beetroot	Warm	Sweet	Spleen, Liver	Nourishes Blood
Squash / Pumpkin	Warm	Sweet	Spleen, Stomach	Qi Deficiency, digestion
Turnip	Warm	Pungent	Spleen, Lung	Cold, digestion
Leek	Hot	Pungent	Spleen, Lung	Internal Cold, circulation
Onion	Warm	Pungent	Spleen, Stomach	Qi stagnation
Garlic	Hot	Pungent	Spleen, Lung	Cold, infection, parasites
Ginger	Hot	Pungent	Spleen, Lung, Stomach	Cold, nausea, digestion
Cucumber	Cool	Sweet	Stomach, Spleen	Heat, thirst
Tomato	Cool	Sour	Stomach, Spleen	Heat, thirst
Aubergine	Cool	Sweet	Spleen, Stomach	Heat, blood
Spinach	Cool	Sweet/Sour	Stomach, Liver	Heat, blood
Watercress	Cold	Pungent	Lung, Stomach	Fire, toxins
Radish	Cold	Pungent/Sweet	Lung, Stomach	Heat, stagnation
Endive	Cold	Bitter	Stomach, Liver	Heat, digestion
Lettuce	Cold	Bitter/Sweet	Stomach, Spleen	Heat, thirst

Fruits

Fruit	Nature	Flavour	Tropism	Key indication
Jujube (red date)	Hot	Sweet	Spleen, Stomach, Heart	Qi Deficiency, Blood Deficiency
Lychee	Hot	Sweet/Sour	Spleen, Heart	Qi Deficiency, fatigue
Longan	Hot	Sweet	Spleen, Heart	Blood Deficiency, insomnia
Cherry	Warm	Sweet/Sour	Spleen, Liver	Qi Deficiency, circulation
Strawberry	Warm	Sweet/Sour	Spleen, Liver	Qi Deficiency, mild heat
Peach	Warm	Sour/Sweet	Spleen, Lung	Yin Deficiency, dryness
Apricot	Warm	Sour/Sweet	Spleen, Lung	Yin Deficiency, dryness
Apple	Neutral	Sweet/Sour	Spleen, Lung	Balance, thirst
Pear	Cool/Cold	Sweet	Lung, Stomach	Heat, dryness, cough
Watermelon	Cold	Sweet	Heart, Stomach, Spleen	Intense heat, thirst
Melon	Cold	Sweet	Heart, Stomach	Heat, thirst
Lemon	Cool	Sour	Stomach, Liver	Heat, digestion
Orange	Cool	Sour/Sweet	Spleen, Lung	Heat, digestion
Banana	Cool	Sweet	Spleen, Stomach	Heat, constipation
Kiwi	Cool	Sour/Sweet	Stomach, Spleen	Heat, digestion
Mango	Cool/Cold	Sweet/Sour	Spleen, Stomach	Heat, thirst
Pineapple	Cool	Sour/Sweet	Stomach, Spleen	Heat, digestion

Meats and fish

Food	Nature	Flavour	Tropism	Key indication
Mutton	Hot	Sweet	Kidney, Spleen	Yang Deficiency, Cold
Beef	Hot	Sweet	Spleen, Stomach	Qi Deficiency, muscles
Chicken	Hot	Sweet	Spleen, Stomach	Qi Deficiency, fatigue
Duck	Warm/Cool	Sweet/Salty	Kidney, Stomach	Yin Deficiency, heat
Pork	Neutral	Sweet/Salty	Spleen, Stomach, Kidney	Balance, nourishes Yin
Turkey	Neutral	Sweet	Spleen, Stomach	Convalescence
Rabbit	Cool	Sweet	Liver, Stomach	Heat, dryness
Salmon	Hot	Sweet	Kidney, Spleen	Yang Deficiency
Mackerel	Warm	Sweet	Spleen, Stomach	Qi Deficiency
Sardine	Warm	Sweet	Spleen, Stomach	Qi Deficiency
Tuna	Warm	Sweet	Spleen, Kidney	Qi Deficiency
Carp	Neutral	Sweet	Spleen, Kidney	Balance, diuresis
Oyster	Cold	Salty	Kidney, Liver	Heat, Yin Deficiency
Crab	Cold	Salty	Liver, Stomach	Heat, stagnation

Spices, herbs and seeds

Food	Nature	Flavour	Tropism	Key indication
Dried ginger	Hot	Pungent	Spleen, Lung, Stomach	Cold, nausea, flu
Cinnamon	Hot	Pungent/Sweet	Kidney, Spleen, Heart	Cold, pain, circulation
Clove	Hot	Pungent	Kidney, Spleen, Stomach	Cold, vomiting
Garlic	Hot	Pungent	Spleen, Lung	Infection, cold
Pepper	Hot	Pungent	Stomach, Spleen	Cold, digestion
Mint	Cool	Pungent	Lung, Liver	Heat, head, throat
Basil	Warm	Pungent	Spleen, Stomach	Qi stagnation
Thyme	Warm	Pungent	Lung, Spleen	Cough, cold
Rosemary	Warm	Pungent/Bitter	Liver, Spleen	Qi stagnation, blood
Walnut	Warm	Sweet	Kidney, Spleen, Lung	Yang Deficiency, Jing Deficiency
Almond	Neutral	Sweet	Lung, Stomach	Cough, dryness
Sesame seed	Neutral	Sweet	Liver, Kidney	Blood Deficiency, Yin Deficiency
Pumpkin seed	Warm	Sweet	Spleen, Stomach	Parasites, Qi Deficiency

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Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Confusing physical temperature with thermal nature

A cold ginger soup remains a yang food. A hot mint tea remains a yin food. Thermal nature is an intrinsic property of the food, not its serving temperature.

2. Eating systematically according to constitution

A person with a cold constitution should not eat exclusively hot foods. Dietary balance involves varying natures, simply favouring those that match the syndrome and season. An excess of hot foods can cause internal Heat.

3. Neglecting cooking methods

A raw carrot is more yin than a roasted carrot. The same food changes nature depending on preparation. This principle is as important as the choice of food itself.

4. Ignoring flavours

Thermal nature alone is not enough. A balanced diet in Chinese dietetics combines the five flavours (pungent, sweet, sour, bitter, salty) with the five natures. A monotonous diet in flavour unbalances the energetic system.

Conclusion

This yin yang foods chart compiles over 200 foods classified by thermal nature, flavour, meridian tropism, and therapeutic indications. It is a reference tool for Chinese dietetics practitioners, TCM students, and anyone interested in the energetic approach to food.

To go further, the Yin Shi app offers a free energetic test that identifies your profile among three tendencies (Yang, Yin, Balance) and generates personalised food recommendations from over 500 referenced foods.

• Thermal nature in TCM
• Hot foods in TCM
• Cold foods in TCM
• Yin-Yang and diet in TCM
• Cereals in TCM dietetics: complete guide

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