Yin Shan Zheng Yao (饮膳正要): Principles of Correct Diet — The First TCM Nutrition Classic

Yin Shan Zheng Yao: The First Dietary Therapy Text

Yin Shan Zheng Yao (饮膳正要, Yǐn Shàn Zhèng Yào), or Principles of Correct Diet and Drink, was presented to the Yuan dynasty emperor in 1330 by Hu Sihui (忽思慧), a court nutritionist and physician. It stands as the first systematic Chinese medical text devoted entirely to dietary therapy — predating Western nutritional science by centuries and establishing principles that remain foundational to TCM nutrition today.

What makes this text particularly remarkable is its multicultural origins. Hu Sihui was likely of Mongol or Central Asian heritage and served in the imperial court of the Yuan dynasty (established by Kublai Khan). His work synthesizes traditional Chinese medical theory with the dietary practices of Mongolian, Turkic, Persian, and other cultures represented at the cosmopolitan Yuan court. The result is a uniquely comprehensive guide to food and health that bridges civilizations.

Historical Context

The Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) was established by the Mongols and ruled over a vast, multiethnic empire. The imperial court in Beijing (then called Khanbaliq) was a cultural melting pot where Chinese, Mongolian, Tibetan, Central Asian, and Persian physicians and scholars worked side by side. The Mongol elite had a diet heavy in meat and dairy — very different from the grain-and-vegetable-centered Chinese diet — and they needed medical guidance on how to maintain health while enjoying their traditional foods.

Hu Sihui served as a dietary physician (饮膳太医) in this court. His job was to ensure that the emperor’s meals were not only delicious but therapeutically balanced. Over years of practice, he compiled his knowledge into Yin Shan Zheng Yao, which he presented to Emperor Toghon Temür.

Structure and Content

The text is organized into three main sections:

Section 1: Principles of Dietary Health

This section establishes the theoretical foundation:

• Food before medicine — diet should be the first line of health maintenance; herbs intervene only when diet is insufficient
• Moderation in eating and drinking — overindulgence is the root of disease
• Seasonal eating — adjusting diet according to the time of year
• Food combinations — which foods complement each other and which conflict
• Food safety and hygiene — proper storage, preparation, and avoidance of spoiled foods

Section 2: Materia Dietetica — Food Substances

This is the largest section, cataloging hundreds of foods with their TCM properties:

Category	Examples	Content
Grains and legumes	Rice, wheat, millet, soybean	Properties, effects, cooking methods
Meats and poultry	Lamb, beef, chicken, duck	Therapeutic nature, organ affinity, preparation
Fish and seafood	Carp, shrimp, oyster	Temperature nature, contraindications
Vegetables	Chinese cabbage, radish, lotus root	Seasonal use, medicinal effects
Fruits	Jujube, pear, pomegranate	Moistening, cooling, or warming properties
Beverages	Tea, wine, various broths	Effects on Qi, blood, and organ systems
Spices and condiments	Ginger, cinnamon, pepper	Temperature properties, therapeutic uses

Each food entry includes its temperature nature (cold, cool, neutral, warm, hot), flavor, toxicity status, and therapeutic applications — following the same analytical framework used for medicinal herbs.

Section 3: Therapeutic Recipes and Food Preparations

This practical section contains:

• Medicinal soups and congees — combining foods with herbs for specific conditions
• Imperial banquet dishes — luxurious recipes designed to nourish while delighting
• Therapeutic wines and beverages — medicinal drinks for various health goals
• Emergency food remedies — simple preparations for acute conditions

Key Contributions

1. Food as Primary Medicine

Yin Shan Zheng Yao elevated dietary therapy from folk wisdom to a systematic medical discipline. Its core principle — “first regulate the diet, then use herbs if needed” — became a cornerstone of TCM preventive medicine.

2. Cross-Cultural Dietary Synthesis

The text uniquely combined:

• Chinese food energetics — temperature, flavor, and organ affinity
• Mongolian dietary practices — meat-heavy nutrition with dairy
• Central Asian food traditions — specific preparation methods and food combinations
• Islamic dietary principles — Halal considerations in food selection

This created a truly inclusive nutritional framework that went beyond any single cultural tradition.

3. Nutritional Therapy for Specific Conditions

Hu Sihui documented dietary approaches for conditions including:

• Digestive weakness and poor appetite
• Fatigue and Qi deficiency
• Bone and joint problems (relevant to the Mongol equestrian lifestyle)
• Eye strain and vision problems
• Pregnancy and postpartum nutrition
• Aging and vitality maintenance

4. Food Safety and Hygiene

Remarkably for the 14th century, the text included guidelines on:

• Avoiding spoiled or contaminated food
• Proper food storage
• Identifying poisonous foods and mushrooms
• Hygienic food preparation practices
• Timing of meals and eating patterns

Notable Recipes

Recipe	Purpose	Key Ingredients
Mutton and ginger soup	Warms the middle, dispels cold	Lamb, ginger, green onion, pepper
Ginseng chicken congee	Tonifies Qi and blood	Chicken, ginseng, rice, jujube
Goji berry and chrysanthemum tea	Nourishes Liver, benefits eyes	Goji berries, chrysanthemum, rock sugar
Walnut and sesame paste	Nourishes Kidney, moistens intestines	Black sesame, walnut, honey

Legacy and Modern Relevance

Yin Shan Zheng Yao’s influence extends to the present day:

• TCM dietary therapy as practiced in modern clinics traces its systematic roots to this text
• The principle of food energetics (温度、味道、归经) is now a standard part of TCM education
• Many of the text’s recipes are still used in Chinese households as home remedies
• The text’s multicultural approach resonates with modern integrative nutrition

Related Reading

• TCM Food Energetics
• TCM Dietary Therapy
• Bencao Gangmu (本草纲目): Compendium of Materia Medica
• Huangdi Neijing (黄帝内经): Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic