Luoyang Water Banquet started in the Tang Dynasty and has a history of 1000 years. It is one of the oldest famous banquets preserved in China.
The water mat originated in Luoyang, which is directly related to its geographical climate. Luoyang is surrounded by mountains and is located in the basin with little rain and dryness. In ancient times, the weather was cold and no fruit was produced, so soup was often used in folk meals. The reason why it is called a water mat is that every dish is inseparable from soup and water, and the other is that it is like flowing water when you eat one on the ground.
There are generally 24 dishes at a banquet, including 8 cold cuts, 4 large items, 8 medium items and 4 table pressing dishes, which are both cold and hot, vegetarian, sweet and salty, and sour and spicy. The order of serving is very elegant. First, eight cold dishes are served as appetizers, each dish is three pieces of meat and vegetables, one *** 16 sample; Hospitality guests drink three rounds before serving hot dishes: first, serve four large hot dishes, and each one keeps up with two Chinese dishes, which is euphemistically called "taking the court"; Finally, four dishes were served, including an egg soup, also known as Fujian soup, to show that the whole table was full. Hot dishes must be served with soup and water. Chicken, duck, fish, fresh goods, fungi and seasonal vegetables are all delicious. Silk, chips, strips, blocks and diced are fried, cooked and burned, and the changes are endless. However, there are still many folk water mat practices, for example, some of the last dishes are eight treasures.