The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Taisu "states:" Fasting food is food, and the patient's food is medicine, "reflecting the idea of" medicine and food sharing the same origin. 'Food and medicine share the same origin' refers to the fact that many foods and medicines come from the same source, and there is no absolute boundary between them. Both food and medicine can prevent and treat diseases.

s of 2023, China has officially approved 93 medicinal and edible substances that are both food and traditional Chinese medicine.

Clove, star anise, sword bean, native ginseng (ginseng dish), cumin, thistle, yam, hawthorn, purslane, Zaocys dhumnades, prunus mume, papaya, hemp seed, daidaihua, polygonatum odoratum, liquorice, angelica dahurica, ginkgo, white lentil, white flat tofu pudding, longan meat (longan), cassia seed, lily, nutmeg, cinnamon, yuganzi, bergamot, almond (sweet and bitter), seabuckthorn, oyster, gorgon fruit, prickly ash, red bean, ass hide glue, chicken nugget, malt, kumbus, jujube (jujube, wild jujube, black jujube), siraitia grosvenorii, plum kernel, honeysuckle, blueberry, fishweed, ginger (ginger, dried ginger), hovenia dulcis, wolfberry, gardenia jasminoides, amomum villosum, fat sea, poria cocos, citron, elsholtzia chinensis, peach kernel, mulberry leaf, mulberry, tangerine, platycodon grandiflorum, Alpinia oxyphylla, lotus leaf, radish seed, lotus seed, galangal, light bamboo leaf, light lobster sauce Chrysanthemum, chicory, mustard seed, Polygonatum sibiricum, perilla, perilla seed, kudzu root, black sesame, black pepper, locust, locust flower, dandelion, honey, Chinese chestnut, jujube seed, fresh white fescue root, fresh reed root, pit viper, orange peel, mint, Job's tears seed, Allium macrostemon, raspberry, patchouli, Angelica sinensis, hawthorn, saffron, grass fruit, turmeric, and long pepper.