Medicinal dietetic therapy involves meals prepared with medicinal herbs, foods, and seasonings that have therapeutic effects. There are many types of medicinal diets, which can be broadly categorized into the following 11 classes based on their form and processing method:
1. Fresh Juice: This is the juice obtained by washing and pressing fresh fruits or fresh medicinal herbs together.
2. Decoction: A liquid dosage form made by decocting edible Chinese medicinal herbs or herbs with water, removing the dregs, and taking the liquid. It is consumed as a daily beverage.
3. Medicinal Tea: A product made by crushing and mixing medicinal herbs that may or may not contain tea. It can be steeped in boiling water or decocted with water and consumed as a substitute for tea.
4. Soup: A liquid made by mixing edible Chinese medicinal herbs, herbs, and water (or wine, rice, etc.). This is the soup form of medicinal dietetic therapy.
5. Medicinal Congee: Made by cooking rice with medicinal herbs or medicinal juice.
6. Medicinal Wine: A liquid dosage form that combines Chinese medicinal herbs with wine. It can be prepared by infusion or fermentation.
7. Honey Paste: A semi-solid preparation made by decocting edible Chinese medicinal herbs or herbs with water, removing the dregs, taking the liquid, concentrating it, and then adding honey or sucrose.
8. Medicinal Cake: A food made by grinding edible Chinese medicinal herbs and related drugs into a fine powder, mixing it with wheat flour, rice flour, or bean flour, or adding an appropriate amount of jujube paste, sugar, or cooking oil to form a cake, which is then prepared by methods such as pan-frying, steaming, baking, or pan-searing.
9. Medicinal Cake: A food made by grinding edible Chinese medicinal herbs or related herbs with therapeutic or health-preserving effects into a fine powder, mixing it with rice flour, wheat flour, or bean flour, adding an appropriate amount of sugar and cooking oil to make a cake, which is then steamed or baked.
10. Dishes: This is a major category of medicinal diets, including various meat and vegetable dishes with therapeutic or health-preserving effects. They are made by cooking ingredients like chicken, duck, fish, and vegetables with medicinal herbs. Cooking methods include stewing, simmering, boiling, stir-frying, braising, steaming, and deep-frying.
11. Others: There are also other types such as rice, thick soups, wontons, and candies, which will not be described one by one here.