This record comes from Jiang Xing Zalu, which records the change of fertility concept, and it is also like we heard about a very important career. This profession is beyond everyone's expectation, that is, chef, but the gender of this chef is not male or female, so these people are called chefs.
In feudal society, people pay attention to technology and will not pass it on to women, while kitchen is a job that requires physical strength. Therefore, there are generally fewer female chefs in modern society, and even fewer in ancient society. But in fact, in the historical records, in the Song Dynasty, the concept of kitchen was comparable to that of chef, which actually changed everyone's concept of male and female fertility.
It is recorded in history that in the Song Dynasty, female chefs actually held up half the sky in the kitchen and became a popular occupation at that time. So, why was Kitchen Niang so sought after by people in the Song Dynasty? And where is the specific identity of the chef?
First, the emergence of Cook and historical obstacles
When it comes to the appearance of cooks, we have to talk about the concept of ancient feudal society. Because we are an agricultural society, and the agricultural society values boys over girls, women are often not recognized by society and can only be constrained to teach their children at home.
Moreover, China people have an idea since ancient times that all technologies are passed on from men to women. Why is there such a view? The reason is that the ancients thought that the married daughter spilled water, so the technology could not be exported to others. Therefore, these obstacles make it very difficult to produce chefs.
Then, why did the cook become a very important profession in the Song Dynasty in deus ex?
This has to talk about a development in the Song Dynasty.
According to the History of Song Dynasty, the foundation of Song Dynasty gradually changed from an agricultural empire to a commercial empire because it greatly suppressed the impulse of foreign wars and paid attention to the development of overseas commercial trade.
I still remember that one year in the college entrance examination, I took a test on a topic, that is, the data comparison of commercial tax and agricultural tax in different dynasties. Judging from the historical problems of that year, the difference between agricultural tax and commercial tax in Song Dynasty was almost the same as that in the last years of Qing Dynasty, which shows the rapid development of commodity economy in that year.
Because of this, the socio-economic structure and social customs have changed, so women can enter all walks of life.
It is against this background that chefs began to appear. So why can chefs be sought after by everyone?
Second, the reason why chefs are popular.
In fact, we really shouldn't underestimate the importance of women in charge of the kitchen. Because in modern society or back to childhood, we will have a deep feeling. I still remember when I came home as a child, my grandmother basically cooked and ate, which was delicious. When I was older, my mother took grandma's hand and began to take charge of the kitchen at home. Then my mother went upstairs to cook more delicious food than grandma did.
It can be said that in fact, in the kitchen, women are more ingenious and have better craftsmanship. More importantly, they are especially good at tricks. In fact, women should have a better command of the kitchen than men, and the patterns they make are even more dazzling. Because of this, when women get married in society, they begin to play a very important role in the kitchen field.
In addition, there is a less important reason, that is, a poet once thought that the cooks in the Song Dynasty were so popular because they were delicious, not only the food was beautiful, but also the people were beautiful, so everyone had an appetite for it. Of course, this is only an accidental reason.
Then, what is the specific performance of chefs in society after they become a major industry?
Third, the treatment of chefs.
Regarding the treatment of chefs, you can look at some scripts and interpretations about the Song Dynasty. I remember reading a very interesting story before. At that time, there was a satrap who had a meal in a noble house and liked the food there very much. After he came back, he still remembered it.
Later, I found out that the aristocratic family was a chef and she was preparing to go home, so the prefect directly invited the chef to be his own chef.
However, the chef hesitated. She said that as a prefect, it would be a little embarrassing for him to simply let himself go to work, so I hope that the prefect can invite a big sedan chair and everyone can carry her together.
Therefore, the prefect set off firecrackers with great ceremony, and invited everyone to carry the sedan chair and invite her in.
As can be seen from this, the status of the chef is actually far higher than that of the average servant.
In addition, cooks are well paid.
According to the records at that time, the monthly income of a chef was about 10 yuan. You may think it's no big deal when you see this. It seems that the salary is a little high, but it is actually just a basic salary. In addition, there are various subsidies, and Master Taishou is responsible for food, clothing, housing and transportation.
In addition, the materials and tools are arranged by the chef himself, so it is not a problem to get kickbacks. Therefore, the cost of a chef is very huge. After hiring a cook for two months, the prefect finally asked her to go home, and really felt that this could only be the existence of aristocratic consumption.
It can be seen that the chef was also a white-collar worker in the society at that time, and his salary was really good.
summary
It can be seen that the cook in Song Dynasty was a very popular profession, and her status and income had surpassed that of most male workers. It is no wonder that in the Song Dynasty, there was great enthusiasm for the chef industry, and the concept of having children also changed. This is really a very surprising phenomenon since ancient times. Actually, don't be too emotional. At that time, the working treatment of cooks was so enviable that we should reflect on some historical truths behind this incident.
During the feudal society, men suppressed women to a high degree, and there were always differences between men and women in memory inheritance, so women did not have much room for development in feudal society. However, in the Song Dynasty, the development of commodity economy and the rise of civic culture can actually change the status of women, and they can also occupy an important position in society. I have to say that this is a great change in the feudal dynasty.
However, we should also be soberly aware that although the chef was an enviable position and the women in the Song Dynasty were greatly promoted, the social foundation still existed and the commodity economy was only a temporary development. As long as the economy is not destroyed and the whole farming economy is still dominant, then the status of women cannot really change.
Moreover, a careful study of the history of the Song Dynasty reveals that there were only chefs at that time, and this job was envied by everyone, and other industries were basically dominated by men. Therefore, the cook is a beautiful dream for women in the Song Dynasty, and the Song Dynasty is also a beautiful moment for women to get married. Unfortunately, this is an ideal era that is bound, and everything is still bound by farming economy and culture. It will take a new era to truly wait for gender equality.
References:
Miscellaneous Records of General Stars and the History of Song Dynasty