a brief talk on the history of the development and changes of China's ancient food culture

Abstract: China's food culture is a long-standing regional culture with broad vision, deep level, multi-angle and high grade. Thousands of years of production and life practice of Chinese people of all ethnic groups have formed the characteristics of Chinese food that pay attention to color, fragrance, taste, meaning and shape; In the friendly exchanges with outlands, it has continuously enriched its own food culture and deeply influenced the food culture in East Asia.

Keywords: food culture, food as the staple food

There is a saying in China: Food is the most important thing for the people. In the thousands of years of people's pursuit of food, the Chinese nation has gradually formed its own unique food culture, and China has also won the reputation of "the kingdom of cooking" and become one of the three major gourmet countries in the world. Because the author has a special preference for food, I want to talk about the evolution of Chinese food culture in combination with the ancient history of China.

First, the emergence of the four major cuisines in the pre-Qin period

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the differences between the north and the south were gradually obvious, and Shandong cuisine, the earliest local flavor dish in China, was formed in the north; In the south, Chu people, who occupy the "land of plenty", used superior natural resources and combined them with the characteristics of Nanyi to form the embryonic form of Su cuisine.

In the west, the "land of abundance" after Li Bing's flood control attracted a large number of immigrants, which combined with the dietary customs of the ancient Shu country to form the embryonic form of Sichuan cuisine. In contrast, Cantonese cuisine appeared relatively late. When Emperor Gaozu was crowned King of Vietnam, he took advantage of the mild climate, abundant products, various edible animals and plants and convenient land and water transportation in the Pearl River Delta to establish the political, economic and cultural center of Lingnan. The diet here is relatively developed, making "flying, diving, moving and planting" all delicacies, and it has been passed down to this day, and the eclectic diet fashion has produced Cantonese cuisine.

second, the catering culture of Qin and Han dynasties-the formation period of Chinese catering culture

Qin and Han dynasties were the peak period of the development of feudal society in China, and the whole Chinese nation showed a thriving trend. During this period, our communication with other places became more and more frequent, and many kinds of food were introduced. After Zhang Qian went to the Western Regions, he introduced pomegranate, grapes, walnuts, watermelons and other fruits, cucumbers, spinach, carrots, celery, lentils, green onions and other vegetables through the Silk Road, which enriched our food culture.

Tofu, known as "the fifth invention of China", was also served at this time. According to the historical data "Compendium of Materia Medica", it was initiated by Liu An, the king of Huainan, the first relative of Liu. In addition, the soy sauce, fermented soybean and vinegar that I commonly use now were all produced in this period. The fermented soybean in the Eastern Han Dynasty should have been produced in large quantities, and the artificially brewed vinegar was also produced in the Han Dynasty, which was called "Qiang" at that time. Soy sauce is called clear sauce.

Catering etiquette has also been established. For example, if a guest is mixing vegetable soup, the host will apologize and say that the cooking is not good. If the guest drinks sauce food, the host should also apologize, saying that the food prepared is not enough. After eating, the guests should get up and clean up the dishes that are popular on the table and give them to the host who is waiting next to them. The host will get up and ask the guests not to work, and then the guests will sit down. Tasting delicious food is a very enjoyable thing, so many red tape has been neglected in today's society.

Third, the peak of food culture-Tang and Song Dynasties

As a history that China people are most proud of, food culture flourished, and the inclusive Tang and Song Dynasties naturally developed with the development of economy and politics and reached a peak.

in the Tang dynasty, the status of wheat and rice rose gradually. In the early Tang Dynasty, wheat, as a staple food, was extravagant and considered a "hybrid". After the mid-Tang Dynasty, due to the growth of urban population and the popularization of cake food, it played a great role in promoting the development of wheat farming. The "two tax laws" implemented in the first year of Jianzhong, Tang Dezong has clearly taken wheat as the object of collection, and wheat has achieved the status of keeping pace with millet. The staple food in Song Dynasty was similar to that in Tang Dynasty, but rice became more and more important, and finally achieved the status of modern as the main grain in China.

The phenomenon of paying too much attention to diet is especially serious in the Tang Dynasty. The dishes are divided into three grades: high, medium and low. High-end dishes for court banquets, the most famous of which is the barbecue. The barbecue refers to the fact that scholars have just become officials or have been promoted. In order to cope with congratulations from relatives and colleagues, they must invite a meal. Shang Shu ordered Zuo Fu to shoot Wei Juyuan to set up a "tail-burning" banquet for Tang Zhongzong at home, which was rare in the world. The 58 dishes at the banquet can be said to be the representatives of high-grade dishes in the Tang Dynasty. Li Gong Tang is a health food created by Tang Wuzong's Prime Minister Li Deyu. It costs 3, yuan to decoct the juice with precious jade, orb, realgar, cinnabar and seashells!