Speaking of Zhang Qian, everyone knows that he was an envoy sent by Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty to the Huns. Zhang Qian's mission to the Western Regions opened up the epoch-making Silk Road, spread the culture of the Central Plains, and made great contributions to the economic and cultural exchanges between Dahan and the Western Regions.

During this period, the food culture was also very prosperous. One of the reasons was that Zhang Qian introduced many special foods from the western regions, which enriched the pedigree of China cuisine. What are these delicious foods? Let's take a look. Flaxseed

Flaxseed is a kind of panicum miliaceum, and it has other names such as oil flax and fat flax. As the name implies, flax is a very important crop because it can extract oil.

In Meng Xi Bi Tan, Shen Kuo mentioned that Zhang Qian sent a mission to Dawan to get flax seeds, and Li Shizhen also said that flax seeds can be used for oil extraction and flax skin can be used for textile, which is suitable for large-scale planting. White flax is suitable for oil extraction, and black flax is better to take, which has the effect of relaxing bowels.

nowadays, people generally call flax sesame. It is also widely used, and can be used for cooking, oil extraction and so on. Chili oil made of flax is very unique in taste, spicy and mellow, and is deeply loved by people in northwest China.

At present, flax is mainly distributed in Shanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia and other provinces in China. Grape

Grape was also called "Pu Tao" in ancient times, and it was also brought back by Zhang Qian from the Western Regions.

in the pre-Qin period, all countries in the western regions regarded wine as a tribute. Zhang Qian introduced Dawan grape varieties, which were deeply loved by Central Plains people. Not only large-scale grape cultivation appeared, but also wine appeared in the Central Plains. For example, the famous sentence "grape wine luminous cup, want to drink pipa immediately" can prove it.

Grape is sweet and juicy, which is a very healthy fruit. Nowadays, people eat or make raisins raw, and also use grapes to make wine. Grape has also become the description object of many literati. Grape roots and vines are also used as medicine to treat diseases. Pomegranate

According to Lu Gong's records, pomegranate was introduced from the western regions by Zhang Qian. There is also an interesting legend.

It is said that there was a country named "Anshi Kingdom" in the Han Dynasty, where the specialty was pomegranate, which was called "Anshi Pomegranate".

Zhang Qian sent a mission to the western regions through Anshi country, and found that it was a dry year and the grain production was reduced, so the king was very anxious. Zhang Qian had a brainwave and spread the knowledge of water conservancy in the Central Plains to Anshiguo, and soon the problem was solved.

The king was ecstatic and wanted to give Zhang Qian a big reward, but Zhang Qian only took away the pomegranate seeds.

At present, pomegranate is cultivated in the south and north of China, and even becomes a specialty in some places. At the same time, pomegranate is also used as a dye. "Pomegranate skirt" refers to a fiery red skirt. In history, pomegranate, because of its many seeds, also symbolizes many children and many blessings. Guo Moruo's Pomegranate and Yang Wanli's Pomegranate both reflect this point. Vicia faba

Vicia faba is also called Hudou, and its origin can be seen. Taiping Yulan records that broad beans were introduced into the Central Plains from Zhang Qian in the Han Dynasty.

Broad beans have been planted in China for a long time, more than 2, years ago, and the planting range is also very wide. It is also one of the important export crops in China. The fennel beans in Lu Xun's Kong Yiji are cooked with broad beans, which is a delicious and cheap side dish. Summary

China is rich in natural products and delicious food, a large part of which originated from Zhang Qian's missions to the Western Regions. In addition to the above, there are coriander, carrot, garlic and so on. The Central Plains people used cumin, sesame and other western spices for traditional cooking and oil extraction. Put loquat into vegetables to make a different flavor; Pepper and hot pepper make China's hot pot culture go to the world. It can be seen that western cuisine enriches the original food system in the Central Plains.

Zhang Qian's mission to the western regions also inspired us to adhere to inclusiveness and absorb many cultures. Zhang Qian's mission to the Western Regions has made indelible contributions to the cultural diversity of our Chinese nation. In modern society, cultural exchanges among countries are getting closer and closer, and the earth has become a global village. We should actively absorb the merits of his culture, constantly improve and develop ourselves, and not rest on our laurels.