Chinese food has experienced four or five thousand years of development. It is composed of imperial court cuisine, official cuisine and local cuisines, with local cuisine as the main body. Its superb cooking skills and rich cultural connotations.

The concept of food with five flavors harmonizes. Huangdi Neijing says: "Heaven eats people with five flavors, while earth eats people with five flavors", "Harmony with five flavors, healthy bones and soft muscles, flowing qi and blood, and dense reasoning. If so, the backbone is fine, the Tao is like the law, and there is a destiny. " Taste is a general term for the five flavors of diet, and harmony is the best realm of the beauty of diet. This harmony, obtained by modulation, can not only meet people's physiological needs, but also meet people's psychological needs, so that physical and mental needs can be unified in the harmony of five flavors. The harmony of food is the result of a deep understanding of the nature and relationship of diet. Taste is the basis of harmony. The balance of yin and yang is a necessary condition for human health. The harmony of the five flavors of diet is based on the principle of timing. China cooking science is based on the principle of adjusting the seasons, and pays attention to the proper seasons when mixing and side dishes, and makes dishes in time. In the pursuit of palatability, the palatable should be treasured.

The development of China's diet can be roughly divided into four periods: Pre-Qin, Han, Wei and Six Dynasties, Sui, Tang, Song and Yuan Dynasties and Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Pre-Qin period

This refers to the historical period before the Qin Dynasty, that is, from the date of the birth of cooking to the reunification of China by Qin Shihuang in 221 AD, * * * about 7811 years. This is the initial period of China's cooking, which includes three distinctive development stages: Neolithic Age (about 6111 years), Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties (about 1311 years) and Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period (about 511 years).

Cooking in the Neolithic Age

Since there are no characters in the Neolithic Age, the general situation of cooking evolution can only be inferred from unearthed cultural relics, myths and legends and historical records of later generations.

Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties

Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties belong to a slave society in the history of social development, and they are also the "menarche" in the history of China cuisine development. It has made breakthroughs in many aspects and has a far-reaching impact on future generations.

During the Qin, Han, Wei and Six Dynasties,

many foreign raw materials were introduced, which improved the farming technology of agricultural and sideline products, further expanded the food sources, improved stoves and cookers, and the tableware represented by lacquerware was light and beautiful; Condiments increased significantly, vegetable oil was used, and frying method came out; The variety of dishes has increased, the quality has improved, and vegetarian dishes have developed rapidly. Qi Min Yao Shu has made outstanding contributions

Sui, Tang, Song and Yuan Dynasties

This period belongs to the middle period of feudal society in China, and has experienced more than 21 dynasties, including Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, Northern Song, Liao, Xixia, Southern Song, Jin and Yuan Dynasties. It has a long unified situation, short division time, stable political situation, rapid economic development and remarkable achievements in food culture.

during the Ming and Qing dynasties,

the ruling class was extravagant and greedy, and its cooking developed rapidly, and palace dishes and official dishes flourished. Super banquets marked by "Man-Han Banquet" were active in the north and south, and China's meals produced huge flower buds, which reached the highest level in ancient society.