Appears in
Oxford Companion to Food

By Alan Davidson

Published 2014

  • About

Yin-Yang a concept of Chinese philosophy which can be described as the interaction of the two basic opposing forces of the universe, namely yin (female, dark, cold) and yang (male, light, hot). The sun is the symbol of yang, while the moon represents yin. This duality is all pervasive but has acquired (possibly as a result of influences from, or transmitted through, India) a specific application to food. The necessity to maintain a balance in the body and in the diet between yin and yang is a fundamental principle, often unspoken, which underlies the planning of diets and meals for the Chinese.