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Opposite attracts! This universal rule of contrasting but complementary partners is true in every walk of life. When it comes to the gastronomical world, the study of Yin and Yang has always fascinated me. The Chinese philosophy of using opposite but complementary forces achieves harmony and balance and is termed Yin and Yang. In culinary terms, Yin represents the cool, light, and refreshing elements, whereas Yang represents the warm and heavy elements. In its application, the balance of Yin and Yang in flavour, ingredients, and cooking style helps create a healthy and delicious cuisine. Chinese and other Asian cuisines use Yin and Yang prominently and seek the benefits of ancient wisdom.
For a healthy diet, a balance of yin and yang is essential. Sweet and hot flavours are yang, and salty, sour or bitter flavours are Yin. Light and cooler ingredients like Cucumber, lentils, mushrooms, tofu, noodles, tomatoes, potatoes, pasta, spinach, eggplant etc., are Yin, along with fruits like Banana, grapefruit, apples, pineapple, pears, plum, oranges, tangerine, lemons, strawberry etc. Mutton beef, pork, Poultry, shellfish, and fish like salmon and tuna, are yang, along with rice, grains, millet, oats, and sauces like Miso, Soy etc.
Cooking methods like boiling, steaming, simmering, stewing etc., are Yin, whereas grilling, frying, and sauteing are Yang cooking methods. Cooler weather is Yin; Hotter weather is Yang. The night is Yin; the Days are Yang. Cold is Yin, and hot is Yang. On this basis and concept of Yin and Yang, Asian cuisines, prominently Chinese cuisines, are based around.
The use of contrasting flavours and elements creates a healthy preparation, the taste of which lingers on our palate for a long. A hot and sour soup is an ideal example of yin and yang playing a flavourful melody. Similarly, flavours like sweet chilli, sweet and sour, etc., create a harmonious balance. Stir-fried dishes in Chinese cuisine use meat and vegetables together and a harmonious balance of hot, spicy and sweet flavours to create a perfect Yin-Yang. Many Chinese and Asian dishes follow Yin Yang principles, like Dim sum, Hot Pot, Steamed Fish, Sushi, Bibimbap, Pho, Nasi Lemak, and many other curries, stir-fries, and meal combinations. Tea, considered a Yin Beverage, is consumed along with meals to balance out hot yang flavours.
In colder weather, more Yang foods are consumed; Yin foods are consumed in hotter weather. Yin and Yang also represent the balance between indulgence and health consciousness; At the same time, we do eat yang foods like chocolates, sugar, fried meats and poultry, etc., and we must balance them with Healthy Yin foods like vegetables, fruits, and grains etc. The right balance of colours is considered necessary too, with colours like green and blue representing Yin, and warm colours like Red, Yellow and Orange are considered Yang. Soft textured ingredients are Yin, whereas hard and crisp texture is Yang.
The Yin Yang balance is critical to keeping physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being in check. During winters or colder days, or when you are unwell and feeling cold, hotter yang foods help in healing, whereas on hot yang days, when the bodily fluids are drained, colder water-based foods, or refreshing beverages, citrus fruits etc., help build up the Yin in the body. Treating each ingredient, flavour, method, colour, and temperature of the food based on their yin-yang attributes helps build medicinal healing portions customised to the requirement of each body type. It creates a diet template for people at large. Such culinary wisdom has guided us to consume food healthily and responsibly, making the best nutritional use of products and helping create balanced dishes and menus.
In Indian cuisines and the ancient medicinal system of Ayurveda, a similar concept is followed, known as the Concept of Doshas, wherein Vata (Yin), Pitta (Yang) and Kapha (Balanced) forces or dosha represents their unique characteristics, and thus, affecting the physical and mental traits of a person. Whenever there is an imbalance in the doshas, dosha-pacifying foods are recommended. Like Yin Yang, colder foods are recommended to pacify the Pitta Dosha, and Warmer foods are recommended to pacify the Vata Dosha. And in various Indian cuisines, you can find the careful balance between the Yin and Yang elements. If you understand it well, you can appreciate the wisdom of using Warm Spices, Cooling Yoghurt, refreshing herbs, various legumes, and vegetables and using different cooking methods and mediums to prepare traditional Indian meals. Our indigenous concept of Thali is a perfect balance of these elements, where Hot, Cold, Soft, and Crisp, Spicy and Sweet, Dry and Runny, grains and rice, and various other elements are dished out, creating a balanced diet, which keeps us healthy, balanced, and provides delicious food for our palate to relish.
For a healthy body, a healthy diet is its foremost requirement; however, in today’s fast-paced and stressful life patterns, it is critical to balance mental, spiritual, and emotional well-being. Traditional concepts and culinary wisdom, like Yin Yang or Indian Ayurveda, provide us with practical guidance on how to live a healthy and balanced life. Each household can benefit from following the traditional methods and practices, and increasingly, chefs worldwide are recognising these nuances, creating delicious and healthy culinary concepts. In our Daily lives, maintaining balance in every aspect is vital, as too much of anything is wrong. As each of us aspires to be a balanced individual, a healthy body and mind are critical, and the food we intake can fuel us with a healthy body and mind, albeit we consume it in the right balance, the yin-yang way.
Sidharth Bhan Gupta, Founder of 361 Degrees Hospitality, is a Hospitality / Food and Beverage / Restaurant Consultant, Travelling across India on a Cultural and Culinary Exploration.
