The scale

Chinese dietary therapy classes every food by its nature (四气) — hot, warm, neutral, cool, cold. That is a temperature scale, so Kelvin treats it as one, in the unit that already means warm to cool. A candle is 1900K; an overcast sky 7200K. Hot foods sit at the low-Kelvin end.

Patterns are ranges, not points

A pattern covers a stretch of the scale, and several overlap — warm sits inside Deep Warming, Gentle Warming and Balanced alike. That is why the bands are drawn under the scale rather than listed beside it.

Cooking changes the temperature

Dry heat adds yang; steaming and boiling are moistening and hold roughly level; raw adds nothing. Every recipe carries a warmer and a cooler variation for exactly that reason.

What this is not

It is a cooking app built on a traditional classification. It is not medical advice, not a diagnostic tool, and it does not pretend the classification is mechanistic. Where sources genuinely disagree about an ingredient — oats, beef, oolong — the database says so rather than quietly picking a side.

Terms of Service

Last updated 31 August 2026

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What is not claimed: the traditional classifications themselves, and the dishes. Those belong to a shared culinary and cultural inheritance, and nothing here asserts ownership of them.

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No Medical Advice

Kelvin describes food using the four natures (四气), a traditional Chinese system of classification. That system is cultural and historical rather than clinical. Nothing in the Service has been evaluated by any medical or regulatory body, and the Service does not diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any condition.

THE CONTENT OF THIS SERVICE IS PROVIDED FOR GENERAL INFORMATION AND COOKING PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A QUALIFIED HEALTH PROVIDER WITH ANY QUESTION YOU HAVE ABOUT A MEDICAL CONDITION, A MEDICATION, A PREGNANCY, OR A CHANGE IN DIET. NEVER DISREGARD PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE, OR DELAY SEEKING IT, BECAUSE OF SOMETHING YOU HAVE READ HERE.

Food Preparation, Allergens, and Ingredients

Recipes here are starting points for a cook, not tested procedures. Ingredients described in the Service — including herbs, dried botanicals, and traditional preparations such as astragalus, goji, jujube, and Sichuan pepper — can cause allergic reactions, can interact with medications, and may be unsuitable during pregnancy or for children. Check every ingredient against your own circumstances before you cook with it. Quantities, cooking times, temperatures, and any storage guidance are approximate and are not a food-safety standard; follow safe food-handling practice for your jurisdiction.

YOU ASSUME ALL RISK ARISING FROM YOUR PREPARATION AND CONSUMPTION OF ANY DISH, INCLUDING THE RISK OF ALLERGIC REACTION, FOODBORNE ILLNESS, AND ADVERSE INTERACTION WITH ANY MEDICATION OR MEDICAL CONDITION.