First of all, the problem of ingredients. Vegetables in ancient times were very scarce, and many fruits and vegetables that we now think are common were invisible in ancient times, such as tomatoes, potatoes and cucumbers. According to records, ancient people could only eat five kinds of vegetables, namely, Polygonum cuspidatum and leek. In modern times, all three vegetables have become wild vegetables, and only onions and leeks are in the ingredients. It can be seen that there are too many varieties of vegetables in ancient times, and it is difficult for a clever woman to cook without rice. The lack of ingredients led to the ancient people's pursuit of dishes.
Secondly, the problem of oil. This problem was well solved in ancient times, because there were records about oil a long time ago, and there were seven kinds of oil products in the Northern Wei Dynasty. The common vegetable oil varieties that we like to see now, rapeseed oil and sesame oil, were there at that time. Moreover, there were many oil mills in ancient times, so oil was not a problem in ancient times.
Finally, the problem of the pot. There was no pot in the early ancient times, and even the iron pot that felt very old was not widely used until the Song Dynasty. Before the Song Dynasty, it was difficult for ordinary people to have woks at home because of poor ironmaking technology and low output. Iron is a very precious metal, most of which is used to make weapons, so iron pots are generally owned by the royal family and nobles, and have nothing to do with ordinary people.
Therefore, the "appetite" of ancient ancestors for a dish is difficult for people to understand now, but it is actually a luxury wish.