The Metal element corresponds to autumn and a dry environment, along with the color white and a pungent spicy taste.  White foods correspond with the lung system and are best for the dryness of the season relieving cough and nourishing skin.  Spicy pungent tastes promote Qi and blood circulation, stimulate digestion and help expel pathogens.  Pungent (spicy) Metal foods are generally strengthening (yang) and encourage energy to expand and move upward and outward.  Ingredients are generally members of the lily family, fish, pears, cauliflower, potato and daikon radish (to name a few).

In Chinese culture, there is a belief that the seasons have a profound effect on our well-being and we should live in harmony with seasonal changes. Our body and mind make gradual day-to-day adjustments according to the seasons and we must prepare our food according to the seasonal shifts.  Living in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for example, your body requires thicker blood during the harsh cold winters and preparing for this during the fall is very important.  This idea of balance and interaction of the seasons is at the heart of understanding yin and yang.  

Metal Element = Lung & Large Intestine

The main functions of the Lungs are breathing, regulating water metabolism and descending and dispersing Qi throughout the body. The Lungs open out to the nose and control the skin, pores and hair on the skin. Sadness is a related emotion. The Large Intestines excrete wastes from the body and absorb water.

Pungent taste:

Pungent is a taste that has functions of dispersing, invigorating, and promoting digestion. Its function of dispersing is mainly used to disperse pathogens from the exterior of the body, such as we see in common colds and flu. Its function of invigorating is to promotion circulation of Qi, blood and body fluids. In Chinese medicine, disease is a result of stagnation; therefore, foods that have a pungent taste will promote and invigorate the circulation of Qi, blood and body fluids. The pungent taste, because of its dispersing quality also acts to open the pores and promote sweating. This is a way to expel the pathogens from the body.