the formation of a culture should have a certain historical accumulation, and general history can often create a food culture. China has a long history of more than 2,111 years, and has created countless splendid civilizations. It is really amazing that China's diet is more extensive and profound, its technology is superb, its dishes are diverse and its modeling is exquisite. However, some countries in the west were once colonies of some countries, and immigrants from various countries gathered together. Therefore, these countries were deeply influenced by the food cultures of various countries, learned from others, and combined with their own eating habits, thus making the western food culture a comprehensive food culture.

China people's dietary customs

The traditional dietary customs of China people are mainly plant-based foods. The staple food is grains, the complementary food is vegetables, plus a small amount of meat. The main reason for the formation of this custom is that agricultural production is the main type of economic production in the Central Plains. But in different classes, the proportion of food allocation is not the same. Therefore, in ancient times, people who were in power were called "meat eaters".

giving priority to hot food and cooked food is also a major feature of China people's dietary customs. This is related to the early civilization of China and the development of cooking technology. The ancients in China thought: "People who live in water are fishy, and their flesh glands are herbaceous, that is, sandalwood." Hot food and cooked food can "remove fishy smell, dryness and sandalwood" ("Lu Chunqiu Ben Wei"). China people's diet has always been famous for its extensive recipes and exquisite cooking techniques.

According to historical records, in the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Xiao Yan, a chef in Liang Wudi, could make ten styles with one melon and dozens of flavors with amazing cooking skills.

In terms of diet, China people also have their own characteristics, that is, the food gathering system. The origin of the food gathering system is very early. It can be seen from the excavation of many underground cultural relics that the ancient cooking room and the food gathering place are unified. The cooking room is in the center of the house, with smoke from the skylight above and fire below. When cooking on the fire, the eaters gather around the fire. This ancient custom of gathering food lasted until later generations. The long-term spread of the food gathering system is a reflection of China's emphasis on consanguinity and family concept in his diet.

In terms of tableware, a major feature of China people's eating habits is the use of chopsticks. Chopsticks, called in ancient times, have a long history in China. In the Book of Rites, it was said: "There is no rice and millet." It can be seen that at least in the Shang dynasty, chopsticks were used to eat. Chopsticks are generally made of bamboo, a pair in hand, and can be used freely, which is simple, economical and convenient. Many Europeans and Americans are amazed at the use of chopsticks by orientals and praise them as an artistic creation. In fact, the origin of chopsticks used in eastern countries mostly comes from China. The ancestors of China invented chopsticks, which was indeed a great contribution to human civilization.

the history of food development in China

1. The earliest one was Youchao (Paleolithic Age): at that time, people didn't know how to make fire and cook food artificially. The diet is like eating birds' hair and drinking blood, which does not belong to the food culture.

2. Suiren's family: drilling wood for fire, from then on cooked food, entered the era of stone cooking. The main cooking methods: ① cannon, that is, drilling fire to burn the pulp; (2) stew: wrap it in mud and burn it; ③ Fill water and food with a stone mortar, and cook food with red-hot stones; (4) Baking and frying: heat the stone slices, and then fry the plant seeds on them.

3. Fu Xishi: In diet, make a net to teach tenants to fish, and raise sacrifices to serve as a kitchen.

4. Shennong: "Farming and pottery" is the pioneer of agriculture in China. He tasted white grass, initiated ancient medicine, invented Lei, and taught people to cultivate crops. Pottery utensils make people have cookers and containers for the first time, which makes it possible to make fermented foods, such as wine, sugar, acyl (vinegar), cheese, sugar, sugar and so on. Ding was one of the earliest cookers. It had claws because there was no stove at that time, and there was a pot. Its claws were hollow and used for cooking wine.

5. The Yellow Emperor: The diet of the Chinese nation has improved again. The emperor started cooking as a kitchen god, concentrated fire to save fuel and make food cooked quickly. It was widely used in Qin and Han Dynasties, when the kettle and high-legged cooker gradually withdrew from the historical stage. "Steaming grain for drinking and cooking grain for porridge" was the first time to distinguish food because of cooking methods, and the steamer was invented, called retort. Steamed salt industry was invented by Su Sha, a courtier of the Yellow Emperor. Since then, he has learned not only how to cook but also how to adjust it, which is beneficial to people's health.

6. Zhou and Qin Dynasties: It was the formative period of China's food culture, with cereals and vegetables as its staple food. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the self-produced cereals and vegetables were basically available, but the structure was different from that of today. At that time, the early field operations were mainly millet, and (most importantly) millet, also known as millet, which was dominant for a long time and was the length of five grains. A good millet was called Liang's masterpiece and Huangliang. Millet, the glutinous rice of rhubarb is second only to millet, also known as millet, and it is threshed millet. Wheat, barley. Bitter, beans, was mainly soybeans, black beans. Hemp is pockmarked. Both glutinous rice and hemp are eaten by the poor people, and hemp is also called glutinous rice. There is also rice in the south. The ancient rice was glutinous rice, and the common rice was called japonica rice. It was not until weeks later that rice was introduced to the Central Plains, which belongs to flour and rice and is more precious. Zizania latifolia, a kind of aquatic plant Zizania latifolia, is black, called carved Hu rice, which is particularly fragrant and smooth. It is put in a leather bag with broken porcelain pieces and rubbed and threshed.

7. Han Dynasty: the rich period of China's food culture was attributed to the exchange of food culture between China and the West (western regions) in the Han Dynasty, and pomegranate, sesame, grapes, walnuts (namely walnuts), watermelon, melon, cucumber, spinach, carrots, fennel, celery, lentils, alfalfa (mainly used for horse food), lettuce, green onions and garlic were introduced. Liu An, the king of Huainan, invented tofu, which digested the nutrition of beans and made them cheap. Many kinds of dishes can be made. In 1961, there was a stone carving of tofu workshop on the large portrait stone in the Han tomb discovered in Mi County, Henan Province. Vegetable oil was also invented in the Eastern Han Dynasty. Before that, animal oil was called grease, animal oil with horns was called grease, and animal oil without horns was called ointment. The fat is hard and the paste is thin and soft. The vegetable oils include almond oil, shea butter and sesame oil, but they are rare. After the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the varieties of vegetable oils increased and the prices were cheap.

8. Tang and Song Dynasties: the peak of food culture, with excessive stress. The most representative example of "Su Steamed Voice Department and Wangchuan Map Sample" is the barbecue.

9. Ming and Qing Dynasties: Food culture is another peak, which is the continuation and development of food customs in Tang and Song Dynasties. At the same time, it is full of Mongolian characteristics, and the food structure has changed greatly. The staple food: wild rice has been completely eliminated, and pockmarked has withdrawn from the staple food and used to extract oil. Bean materials are no longer used as staple food and become dishes. The proportion of wheat in the Yellow River valley in the north has increased greatly, and flour has become the staple food in the north since the Song Dynasty, and it has become big again in the Ming Dynasty. Meat: Livestock and poultry raised artificially become the main source of meat. Man-Han banquet represents the highest level of food culture in Qing Dynasty.

China's food culture

The history of a country is long and short, the territory is large and small, the strength is strong and weak, the population is large and small, and the ethnic composition, religious beliefs, political power and economic structure are also different, so the food culture of different countries is different.

China cuisine culture

Under the influence of many factors such as the philosophy of Yin-Yang and Five Elements, Confucian ethics and morality, TCM nutrition theory, as well as cultural and artistic achievements, food aesthetic fashion and national personality characteristics in China traditional culture education, China cuisine skills have been created in history, and a profound China cuisine culture has been formed.

From the perspective of evolution, China's food culture has lasted for more than 1.7 million years, divided into four development stages: raw food, cooked food, natural cooking and scientific cooking. More than 61,111 kinds of traditional dishes, more than 21,111 kinds of industrial foods, colorful banquets and colorful flavor schools have been introduced, and it has won the reputation of "cooking kingdom".

In terms of connotation, China's food culture involves the development and utilization of food sources, the application and innovation of tableware, the production and consumption of food, the service and reception of catering, the operation and management of catering and food industry, and the relationship between catering and national security, catering and literature and art, and catering and life realm.

from the extension, China's food culture can be classified from the perspectives of times and techniques, region and economy, nationality and religion, food and tableware, consumption and level, folk customs and functions, showing different cultural tastes and reflecting different use values.

in terms of characteristics, China's food culture highlights the theory of nourishing and supplementing (vegetarian diet, attaching importance to medicinal diet and tonic), the theory of harmonious realm of five flavors (distinctive flavor, palatable taste, and the reputation of "tongue dishes"), the cooking method of changing the odd and the positive (kitchen rules-based, flexible), and the food concept of pleasing to the mind (gentle and elegant, educating and eating).

From the perspective of influence, China's food culture directly affects Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore and other countries, and is the axis of the oriental food culture circle; At the same time, it also indirectly affects Europe, America, Africa and Oceania, such as China's vegetarian culture, tea culture, sauce and vinegar, pasta, medicated diet, ceramic tableware and soybeans, all of which benefit billions of people all over the world.

In a word, China's food culture is a long-standing regional culture with wide vision, deep level, multi-angle and high taste. It is the material wealth and spiritual wealth that people of all ethnic groups in China have created, accumulated and influenced neighboring countries and the world in the aspects of food source development, tableware development, food conditioning, nutrition and health care, and food aesthetics during more than 1 million years of production and life practice.