So, was the diet in ancient Japan really that miserable? Why is this happening?
Rice was introduced to Japan very late.
As we all know, Japan's fishery is very developed, so we can naturally associate it with Japan's geographical conditions.
Although Japan is small, its internal geographical conditions are very different, and the agricultural production capacity of different regions is also different. Although the agriculture in ancient Japan mainly produced grain and vegetables, the output was still very limited in the case of lack of land resources and backward farming technology.
From about 14500 BC to 300 BC, the sources of Japanese early food were millet and weeds. Like Chinese characters, it was China who introduced rice to Japan.
Later, immigrants from Chinese mainland once again brought many new crops and farming techniques, such as red beans, soybeans and wheat. Now these ingredients have become an indispensable part of Japanese food culture.
I wonder how long the Japanese would eat weeds if there were no Japanese.
Paddy fields in the Yayoi era (imagine)
As mentioned above, due to geographical reasons, the agricultural development in ancient Japan was extremely slow, and it was not until the ancient times (AD 250-538) that iron and technology were introduced from Korea that the farming efficiency was improved (but it was still not optimistic).
Even in the Nara era (AD 7 10-794), agriculture still relied on primitive tools:
There was not enough land to grow crops and low irrigation technology, which led to low crop yield and even famine in Japan at that time.
It was not until the Kamakura era (A.D. 1 185- 1333) and the Middle Ages that the double cropping system (planting two crops on one piece of land at the same time) and improved crop seeds appeared in Japanese agriculture.
In order to cope with this food shortage, the Japanese only eat two meals a day. Of course, rich people will eat snacks besides dinner, while ordinary people may only look for wild fruits and vegetables to satisfy their hunger.
In terms of meat food, as Japan is an island country, seafood is naturally easy to obtain, even more popular than poultry meat.
An important reason why poultry meat is uncommon is the introduction of Buddhism, which was introduced to Japan in the 6th century A.D. and was accepted by the state and society.
Warring States period? Just rice? Only people with some status can do it.
Life in Japan during the Warring States Period (1467? 16 15), all activities revolve around the war. Eat to live, live to fight, and fight to eat better.
Although almost all farmland in Japan is planted with rice, it is still a luxury for ordinary people.
The fruits of poor farmers' labor should be turned over to the feudal lords in ancient Japan as taxes, so most farmers can only eat a mixture of wild wheat, millet, oats and other grains.
Farmers who can afford it have a recipe: mix cooked vegetables (chopped radish roots or radish vegetables or various wild vegetables) with various grains to make vegetable soup.
The picture shows modern food.
This situation even lasted until Japan before World War II, when many Japanese volunteered to become militaristic cannon fodder, partly because there was white rice to eat there.
The typical middle-class city diet is a little better, a bowl of rice, a bowl of soup (probably miso soup), kimchi and a side dish. Side dishes are usually vegetables or tofu, sometimes fish, and rarely meat. Depending on how much wealth you have, the frequency of fish as a side dish is different, so you can eat it once a week.
Ancient Lord-level cookbooks
How scarce was the Japanese diet during the Warring States Period?
It is said that the two armies fought fiercely for many days, and the water source for guarding the city was cut off. Seeing that they were about to lose, they poured the rice from the horse into the pot, which looked like bathing the horse from a distance. As soon as the siege party saw it, it was ambushed and had to negotiate.
At that time, the soldiers were all ordinary farmers, and they rarely touched rice in their lives. No one thought that the substance disguised as water turned out to be rice.
As a famous Takeda Shingen at that time, he only ate.
Daoxiao Noodles.
In ancient Japanese recipes, there was little meat except seafood, and basically no beef and pork except some wild animals. In addition to the high cost of animal husbandry, religious reasons, land scarcity, and environmental and geographical conditions, there is another important reason that is to protect cultivated land.
From 1603 to 1868, laws prohibiting eating beef have always existed. As a strategic resource, horses naturally lie on the fasting list.
Some friends may ask, what about pork?
As we mentioned earlier, Japan's fishery is very developed, and the development of animal husbandry will bring many losses to its own resources and environment. Over time, seafood and vegetables have occupied the highland of Japanese food culture.
In 600 AD, there was a record of raising domestic pigs in Japan.
It was not until the edo period that things got better. At that time, the Journal of Animal Husbandry recorded in 1664 ~ 169 1 that domestic pigs were imported from China in Nagasaki Prefecture. In addition, a travel book in the Edo era also wrote about raising pigs to make fertilizer in Kagoshima Prefecture. In addition, Chiba Prefecture, Kanagawa Prefecture, saitama, Hokkaido, Ibaraki Prefecture, etc. It also left a record of raising pigs in the edo period.
However, with the introduction of Buddhism, the idea of prohibiting killing was popularized in Japan, the habit of eating meat disappeared, and the nascent pig industry declined. In the Warring States period when materials were scarce, meat was even more unimaginable.
Later, with the gradual stability of the social situation and the improvement of people's living standards, people gradually ignored the taboos of meat products, and meat products were enriched.
Japan's simple diet at that time was also related to the economic shortage during the Warring States period. After all, no one has enough to eat there.
It was not until the edo period that people's quality of life changed greatly. Generally speaking, due to the geographical environment, food in ancient Japan was naturally not as rich as that in China.