China has a long cooking history and is one of the splendid cultures created by the Chinese nation. According to the research of archaeologists, the cooking history of China is a long development process. The survival of early humans depended on smaller animals and gathering fruits to satisfy their hunger. The food obtained is not processed, but eaten raw and swallowed. In particular, animal food is eaten with hair and blood. This stage is called "feeding on hair and blood" period. Later, with the panic of the society, human beings made progress and knew how to peel and depilate and cook with fire. Take another step forward from the low life. Therefore, the formation of China food culture can be roughly divided into five stages: germination, formation, development, prosperity and prosperity. .
The first stage: the budding stage (mainly Paleolithic Age), when the applications of fire are: natural fire, kindling and artificial fire; The processing methods of cooked food include barbecue, underground pit heating and slate cooking.
The second stage: the formation period (mainly Neolithic period), the emergence of ceramic cookware, new methods of processing cooked food, fixing tableware and cookware on the surface, and the method of processing staple food and dishes separately.
The third stage: development period (Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties), bronze cooking period:? Invented the metallurgical process of making copper tableware. Cookware has high-temperature cooking method; ? There is a division of labor in the pattern of kitchen and meal: the processing place is separated from the meal, and there are ways to reconcile the five flavors; ? Have a preliminary understanding of food nutrition in diet: Grains are nutrients-rice, millet, millet, wheat and rice; Five animals are beneficial-cattle, sheep, deer, dogs and rabbits; Five fruit gangs-jujube, plum, apricot, chestnut and peach; The five courses are fillings-sunflower, forest, leek, alfalfa and onion. 、
The fourth stage: the prosperous period, the cooking period from Qin and Han Dynasties to the Southern and Northern Dynasties: there are many raw materials-wheat flour, vegetables, bean products and vegetable oil; Examples of cooked food-hotels dealing in both wine and food, restaurants of all sizes; Fast cooking at high temperature-blanching, hanging soup, steaming, boiling, frying and baking in the oven; Expensive banquets-roast duck, roast goose, steamed pig's head, large dishes and many varieties; Sino-foreign exchanges-Chinese food was introduced to Japan, South Asia and the Indian subcontinent, and western food was also introduced; Dietotherapy-use fennel beans, Amomum villosum, elm mud, long peppers and fermented beans. ? With the cooking period of the Southern Song Dynasty: the scale expanded and the shape was exquisite; Diversified management, clear dishes; The division of labor is clear, and each has its own unique skills. Cooking period in Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties: In Yuan Dynasty, there were food exchanges between China and foreign countries, mainly with southern Europe, western Asia and central Asia; In the Ming Dynasty, the development speed of cooking food was accelerated, and there was communication between the north and the south, which began to move northward. During the Qing Dynasty, Manchu occupied the Central Plains, and it was the heyday of the Qing Dynasty from Kangxi to Jiaqing for more than 100 years. Further south, the development of wild vegetables, sealing large iron pots, coal shops, Muslim restaurants, western food and so on.
The fifth stage: heyday, modern and modern cooking period. After the Revolution of 1911, China cuisine entered a new era, with antique dishes appearing in the market and some court chefs also entering the market. For example, Tan Zongtan, the creator of Tan Jiacai, was from Nanhai, Guangdong, and was a court official in the late Qing Dynasty. He has loved good food all his life. Tan Zhenqing, the son of Tan Zongjun, pays more attention to diet than his father. When Tan Zongjun was an official, he had been to Jiangnan, Sichuan and other places. He studied local dishes. Later, he went to Beijing, and successfully blended southern and northern dishes into a unique local dish.
"Luxury dishes" have also appeared in Shanghai, Nanjing and other places in the south. During the period of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the cooking techniques of coastal cities moved westward to Sichuan, which promoted the development of Sichuan cuisine. After War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression's victory, Sichuan cuisine expanded its influence in China. In 1950s, mussel mouth cuisine was renamed as eight major cuisines. Sichuan, Shandong, Guangdong, Fujian, Hunan, Anhui, Zhejiang and Jiangsu.
China cuisine is characterized by China's ancient civilization and long-standing food culture. I have lived in the world for more than 20 years, eating and drinking, and I have learned something. Now I will summarize the following characteristics of food culture:
The wind is diverse. Because China is vast in territory and abundant in natural resources, with different climate, products and customs, it has formed many flavors in its diet for a long time. There has always been a saying in China that "south rice is north", and the tastes are divided into "sweet in the south, salty in the north, sour in the east and spicy in the west", mainly including Bashu, Qilu, Huaiyang, Guangdong and Fujian.
Four seasons are different. Eating according to seasons all year round is another major feature of China cooking. China has been seasoning and side dishes according to seasonal changes since ancient times, with rich flavor in winter and light and cool in summer; Stewed in winter and frozen in summer.
Pay attention to beauty China's cooking is not only superb, but also has a tradition of paying attention to the aesthetic feeling of dishes, and paying attention to the harmony of color, fragrance, taste, shape and container of food. There are many ways to express the beauty of dishes. Both carrots and cabbage hearts can be carved into various shapes, which are unique, achieving the harmonious unity of color, fragrance, taste, shape and beauty, giving people a special enjoyment of high spiritual and material unity.
Pay attention to interest. China pays attention to taste in cooking for a long time, and has strict requirements not only on the color, aroma and taste of snacks, but also on the naming, tasting methods and the rhythm of dining and entertainment. The name of China cuisine can be said to be superb, appealing to both refined and popular tastes. The names of dishes are not only named according to the realism of main ingredients, auxiliary materials, seasonings and cooking methods, but also according to historical anecdotes, myths and legends, and celebrities' eating interests and dishes, such as family portrait, general crossing the bridge, lion's head, beggar chicken, auspicious dragon and phoenix, Hongmen banquet and Dongpo meat.
China's cooking technology is closely related to medical treatment. Thousands of years ago, there was a saying that "medicine and food are homologous" and "medicine and food are homologous". Using the medicinal value of food raw materials, various delicious dishes are made to prevent and treat some diseases. China's food culture creates an atmosphere of unity, courtesy and harmony in the form of China's food. On the other hand, it is also related to the dietary characteristics of China people. Dishes can be placed in the center of the table at the same distance from each diner. People sit around the dining table toasting and persuading dishes. There may be some hygiene problems, but this diet is very helpful to enhance feelings. Perhaps this has something to do with China people's longing for "reunion", and it also reflects the influence of the category of "harmony" in China's classical philosophy on future generations. Therefore, even today when people pay more attention to healthy diet and healthy diet, it is difficult to bid farewell to this traditional diet mode. In a word, there are four principles in China's food culture: the harmony between doctors and patients, food preservation, original flavor and Confucius and Mencius esophagus. Features: long history, rich forms, diverse materials, many cooking skills, many ethnic characteristics, many cuisines, unique tableware and so on. If we pay attention to "culture", then studying China people's diet is not only a necessary part of studying China culture, but also a key to studying China culture. This is the proper meaning of China's food culture.