Food is not as good as beautiful utensils. People rely on clothes, which means that people need packaging to be beautiful. The same is true for food. When food reaches the stage of elegance and rises to a higher level, the exquisiteness of tableware is Something that cannot be ignored.
Li Bai's poem says: "Golden bottles of fine wine are worth ten thousand, and jade plates of delicacies are worth tens of thousands of dollars." He told us that fine wines must be paired with "golden bottles" and delicacies must be decorated with "jade plates" to make them more beautiful. Worth thousands. Du Fu was describing the luxury and splendor of the Tang Dynasty palace dining table. There is also a poem that goes: "From the purple camel's peak emerges a emerald cauldron, and from the water essence, there are plain scales." The camel's hump is indeed a delicacy. After it is cooked, it is served to the table in an emerald green "jade cauldron", and the steamed fish is served on a crystal clear plate. When it is done well and presented in front of dignitaries, it is a perfect match that fills the table with brilliance.
Today we can still feel the imperial legacy of heaping gold and jade, ringing bells and dining in some high-end hotels. The materials of gold, silver, jade, and ivory, as well as the craftsmanship of carving phoenixes and dragons, can certainly satisfy people's yearning for a better life, and satisfy people's desire to spend money to buy honor and style. There’s nothing wrong with people pursuing this feeling. But luxury is only a form of beauty. In the use of tableware, beauty can also be reflected in style and art.
The materials of tableware have evolved from pottery, copper, gold, silver, lacquer, jade, and enamel to the now popular stainless steel and high-plastic. But no tableware of any texture is as widely used and as vital as porcelain. It is sturdy and durable, not easy to absorb water, clean and beautiful, and highly appreciated by both elegance and vulgarity. Therefore, whether at home or running a restaurant, most people like to use porcelain. Shimo Douhuazhuang and Piaoxiang, a long-established Sichuan restaurant, use uniform white porcelain tableware to contrast and set off the rich Sichuan cuisine; pineapple series dishes use pineapple as tableware, and coconut series dishes use coconut as tableware; bamboo tube series dishes use Bamboo utensils are used as tableware, thus conquering diners. Bamboo cage snacks, kumquat bullfrog, bamboo woven snacks, and pottery jars for old wine created by Baguo Buyi create a harmonious and nostalgic feeling. The small purple sand tableware, gold-painted boxes and special-shaped dishes of Tanfu cuisine reflect a delicate and elegant style of the mansion's food culture.
Porcelain has a long history in our country, and there are excellent products in various places since ancient times. For example, the world-famous Jingdezhen porcelain is an outstanding representative. Nowadays, our country's porcelain factories are spread all over Kyushu, and many ancient famous porcelains have been restored and developed. For example, the wire pattern porcelain and red and green colored porcelain from Cizhou Jiao in Pengcheng, Hebei, the "Jianbai" porcelain from "Jianjiao" in Dehua, Fujian, the Qingjiao from Longquan, Zhejiang, and the Jun red glaze and Jiazhan flower glaze from "Junjiao" in Henan. Porcelain, pink green glazed porcelain from "Rujiao" in Linru, Henan, etc. Some are bold and innovative, such as underglaze colored porcelain from Liling, Hunan, which is rich in color; talc porcelain from Zibo, Shandong, is as transparent as jade; Lu jade is elegant and pleasant; porcelain from Tangshan, Hebei has fine colors, and spray-painted porcelain is bright and eye-catching; Guangcai and Shantou's Guangcai and Chaocai and gold-woven porcelain are elegant in style and dazzling. Chongqing Zhaofeng Ceramics has the modern flavor and high grade. Famous porcelains from various places have their own special uses. They are like pieces of beautiful dowry, packaging dishes and also packaging life.
Although tableware itself cannot be eaten, it brings beauty and interest. It is the dowry of the dishes.