Su Shi (Bu Dongpo, a layman) is frank and has a bad career, which can be described in four words: the ups and downs of the official sea. He is one of the eight masters in Tang and Song Dynasties. His achievements are not only in literature, but also in calligraphy and painting. He is worthy of being a great writer.
But these are all recognized achievements, in fact, his promotion of food is also indispensable.
Su Shi spent most of his life being demoted. His beloved concubine, Wang Chaoyun, once quipped that Su Sheng was ill-timed, and it was true. He was demoted many times because he was out of date.
When the reformists were in power, he thought that some reforms actually harmed the interests of ordinary people, so he came out to speak, offended people several times and even almost lost his life.
When the old coach came to power, he didn't like the way the old coach endangered the interests of the people. He still wanted to speak his mind and speak for the people, so he was demoted again and again and went to Danzhou, Hainan. In the Song Dynasty, demoting an official was the second most severe punishment here, but Su Shi could still enjoy himself and continue his journey of food discovery.
Su Shi mocked Wang Anshi's New Deal and was involved in Wutai Poetry Case, where he was detained 103 days. There are people out there who protect him and want to kill him. In the end, Wang Anshi pleaded for him. In addition, the management system of civil servants in the Song Dynasty was relatively loose, and there was no literary inquisition like that in the Qing Dynasty, otherwise Su Shi would be dead this time.
Su Shi was demoted to Huangzhou, and his income level plummeted. As a glutton, life without food is too sad, so he began to think about this problem and look for delicious food himself. Later, this became a compulsory course on his way to demotion.
In Huangzhou, Su Shi discovered many food practices:
At that time, the price of pork in Song Dynasty was the lowest. Su Shi likes eating meat, so he studied the practice of pork. Su Dongpo also wrote a doggerel for this: "Huangzhou good pork is as cheap as dirt, the rich refuse to eat it, and the poor don't cook it fresh." Slow fire, less water, and beautiful when the firepower is fully open. "
Dongpo meat was invented at this time, and the Meizhou sausage now eaten is also the result of Su Dongpo's painstaking research. Because he was poor and couldn't afford meat, Su Dongpo also studied the practice of tofu. The food he made with Huangzhou tofu is full of praise.
Later, Su Dongpo was exiled to Huizhou, a more distant place, where he wrote a famous sentence about litchi: "There are 300 lychees a day, and I will not hesitate to be a Lingnan person."
As long as there is delicious food, any place in the world can be his home.
Su Dongpo left many poems praising food, except pork, litchi, tea, bamboo shoots, fish and so on.
For example, "the Yangtze River knows the beauty of fish around the country, and the bamboo is good and the mountain feels the fragrance of bamboo shoots" and "the sunrise river swims like a jade bottle. No matter who says "shrink the items", every time the greedy bait is cooked. Du Lao was very interested in this. He remembered Meng Sheng in the stream. I feel sorry for my son now, and my eyes are full of tears "... There is a love for food between the lines.
In the last few years of Su Dongpo's life, he was exiled to Danzhou, Hainan, and he began to explore the practice of oysters again. He also wrote to tell his sons that oysters are delicious, so keep it a secret and don't let others know.
People who love beauty are often less prone to depression. Su Shi has been demoted so many times, but he still maintains an optimistic attitude, which is estimated to have a lot to do with it.