Ming and Qing cuisine is the peak of the whole ancient diet, especially in the south of the Yangtze River. Gao Lian, Yuan Mei, Zhang Dai and Li Yu, these four are outstanding "gourmets" among food lovers. What kind of person is qualified to be a gourmet?
First, an objective factor, leisure time. Scholars who live in seclusion in cities are popular in the south of the Yangtze River and are called "urban hermits". These people are not ordinary people, but they have gained fame and fortune, leading to disgust and despair and turning to art and a quiet life. Gao Lian lived in Hangzhou after his resignation; Zhang Dai lived in Hangzhou, Suzhou, Yangzhou, Nanjing and other places all his life. Li Yu lived in Hangzhou first and then in Nanjing. Yuan Mei lives in Nanjing.
Secondly, an important condition? , a solid foundation for a rich life. What we are talking about now is material conditions. These anonymous gourmets are all rich people, and their residences are so luxurious that even the magistrate of a county is envious to death. The "Mustard Garden" built by Li Yu in Nanjing is rich in flowers and trees, pavilions and Yungu Mountain Springs. There are not many introductions to Yuan Mei's Suiyuan. Please combine the imagination of a big family in the Qing Dynasty drama. Zhang Dai has more than 300 mu of fish, many kinds of clams, rural life and the most authentic food. The other two also have their own homes. In ancient times, farmers who had no conditions could only eat limited food, and they had no conditions to become gourmets. For modern times, material is not the most important thing, because there are many delicious things that are not expensive and suitable for public consumption and taste. Isn't it better?
The third premise, I think, is cultural literacy and language expression. In ancient times, it was about writing articles and writing the level of expression. These people have been studying since childhood and gained fame. Their writing attainments are very high, and they all have masterpieces of diet books and articles. No matter how delicious the food is, how can it be accurately expressed, so that people who see it will have a desire to eat and even feel the same? This is very important. Why do I speak language skills? Because the current media, the taste of gourmets, and the subsequent vocabulary description, if appropriate, are actually quite infectious.
The last one, some people may think it is a hobby, of course, it is also very important, but why are there so many foodies? Besides the above three points, thinking is very important. Real gourmets not only know the cooking method and taste of food in front of them, but also know the source of ingredients, the story of food, local civilization and culture, which are closely related to food.
Therefore, real food has a story. A gourmet must be a person who is willing to spend time, has a certain material foundation, has great hobbies, is educated and thoughtful.