Chinese food has long been good at color, smell and taste. "Biography of the Later Han Dynasty" said: "I believe that Niu Ding and chicken are cooked together, and the juice is more light and inedible, and the juice is less cooked and not cooked." Chinese dishes have a variety of names, including Dragon and Tiger Club, Phoenix Claw Dragon Clothes, Lion Head Buddha Jumping Wall, and names named after people, such as Dongpo Meat, Song Sao Fish Soup, kung pao chicken and so on.

Emperor Tang Yizong of the Tang Dynasty ordered the imperial palace to prepare all kinds of delicious food for Princess Tongchang. "Lingxiao Roast Duck" is made of magpie tongue, sheep apex and other materials.

Second, literature.

Chinese food records many famous dishes in different historical periods in literary works, such as A Dream of Red Mansions and Jin Ping Mei. Modern gourmets can often find ways to innovate and restore ancient dishes from these works. Chapter 60 of A Dream of Red Mansions "Milk Poria Frost" ... Just yesterday, an official from eastern Guangdong came to worship and sent two small baskets of Poria Frost to the top.

There have been the most pines and cypresses here for thousands of years. I only took the semen and medicine of Poria cocos, and somehow I got this strange frost. It is said that the first person is breast-feeding, and it is best to get up one hour every day; Second, use milk; Never, roll white water. We think it is suitable for my niece. ……"。

Third, philosophy.

China's food culture is reflected in various aspects, and ancient philosophers often use cooking as a metaphor. For example, "Lu Chunqiu Tea Classic" said: "Taste the meat and know the taste of the iron pot, and the tone of the pot is also."

Laozi also mentioned in the Tao Te Ching: "To govern a big country, if it is cooked small and fresh". Confucius once mentioned: "Never tire of eating fine food, never tire of cooking fine food" and "Never eat improper meat", which is a metaphor for being honest and being strict with yourself. Ban Gu also wrote in Hanshu: "People are the foundation of the monarch, and food is the most important thing for the people", and diet is the primary issue in governing the country.

"Skillful hands know cows" comes from Zhuangzi, which talks about the way of natural health preservation. "A gentleman cooks from afar" comes from The Book of Rites. A broad-minded person should be kind and should not go into the kitchen to slaughter animals for food. Chinese medicine believes that diet is the basis of health. Sun Simiao, the king of medicine, said: "The way to save the emergency lies in medicine, and the essence of living is food." Li Shizhen, the author of Compendium of Materia Medica, also said that "tonic with medicine is better than tonic with food".

Extended data:

A country's history is long and short, its territory is large and small, its strength is strong and weak, its population is large and small, and its ethnic composition, religious belief, political nature and economic structure are also different, so the food culture of different countries is also different.

From the perspective of evolution, China's food culture lasted for tens of thousands of years (pottery and rice seeds were found in Hunan), and it was divided into four stages: raw food, cooked food, natural cooking and scientific cooking. More than 60,000 kinds of traditional dishes, more than 20,000 kinds of industrial foods, colorful banquets and colorful flavor schools were introduced.

In terms of connotation, China catering culture involves the development and utilization of food sources, the use and innovation of tableware, the production and consumption of food, the service and reception of catering, the operation and management of catering and food industry, the relationship between catering and national security, catering and literature and art, and catering and life realm.

From the perspective of extension, China's food culture can be classified from the perspectives of times and technology, region and economy, nationality and religion, food and tableware, consumption and level, folk customs and functions, showing different cultural tastes and reflecting different use values.

Specifically, China's food culture highlights the theory of nourishing and tonifying (mainly vegetarian, paying attention to medicinal diet and tonic) and paying attention to "color, fragrance and taste". The four attributes, namely, the harmonious theory of five flavors (unique flavor, delicious taste, and the reputation of "tongue dishes"), the changing cooking method (kitchen rules-based, flexible), and the pleasing diet concept (Wen Ya, food education), are different from the natural beauty of overseas food culture.

China's food culture not only pays attention to the bright and picturesque color matching of dishes, but also matches the interest generated by the dining atmosphere. It is the personality and tradition of the Chinese nation, and it is also a prominent way of traditional etiquette in China.

From the perspective of influence, China's food culture directly affects Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore and other countries, and is the axis of the oriental food culture circle; At the same time, it also indirectly affects Europe, America, Africa and Oceania, such as vegetarian culture, tea culture, sauce and vinegar, pasta, medicated diet, ceramic tableware and soybeans in China, which have benefited billions of people all over the world.

In a word, China food culture is a regional culture with a long history, with broad vision, deep levels, many angles and high taste. It is the material wealth and spiritual wealth that people of all ethnic groups in China have created, accumulated and influenced neighboring countries and the world in the aspects of food source development, tableware development, food conditioning, nutrition and health care, food aesthetics and so on.

References:

Baidu Encyclopedia-China Food Culture