Yi Yin was a prominent minister in the early Shang Dynasty. His given name was Zhi, while “Yin” was his official title. Originally a slave serving the ruler of the Youshen tribe, he yearned to join Tang of Shang after hearing of the latter’s virtue and benevolence. When Tang married a woman from the Youshen tribe, Yi Yin accompanied her as a dowry servant and became one of Tang’s close attendants.
A master of culinary arts, he used the philosophy of “harmonizing the five flavors” to illustrate the principles of statecraft to Tang. Deeply impressed, Tang entrusted him with the administration of the state. Yi Yin assisted King Tang in overthrowing the tyrannical rule of Jie of Xia and establishing the Shang Dynasty. Following the dynasty’s founding, he helped King Tang implement a series of measures, making indelible contributions to the prosperity and strength of the Shang. He is revered by later generations as the “Grand Master of Chefs.”
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