Compared with the later Song and Ming Dynasties, although the Tang Dynasty was not a civil society, people had initially understood how to enjoy life. One of the characteristics was that the nobles and scholars in the Tang Dynasty were fond of eating. According to this article in Youyang Miscellany, the popular foods at that time were as follows:

Today, people dressed in clothes are famous for their food, including Xiao's wonton, which can be boiled with soup fat; Yu family brown son, white jade; Han Yue can make cherry biro with the same color, and can also make cold Hu Tu silver carp, fish speculation, and even steamed grass cakes. General Qu Lianghan can cook the donkey's mane hump.

In other words, the famous cuisines in Chang 'an at that time were:

A. Xiao's wonton. It is speculated by later generations that wonton was independent from jiaozi and became a delicacy in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, but there are few examples. And this record is an excellent proof. The wonton of Xiao family in Chang 'an is delicious, and the soup is fat but not greasy. You can make tea by removing the soup.

B. Yu's zongzi, white as jade, probably belongs to Jiangmi jujube.

C. "Cherry Biluo" made by Han Yue (Biluo was introduced from the western regions, simply speaking, it is a kind of baked cake with stuffing), and the color of cherries will not change after ripening. Say a few more words here. Who is Han Yue? The key figure of the most famous coup in the middle of the Tang Dynasty, "The Change of Ganlu". In the ninth year of Daiwa, that is, in the winter of 835 A.D., Emperor Tang Wenzong Li Ang, who was bullied by eunuch Chou Shiliang and couldn't bear it, wanted to contact Prime Minister Li Xun, Wang Ya, Shu Yuan and Sakingo general Han Yue and others to kill Chou Shiliang. The plan was to ask Han Yue to lie about the sudden drop of dew on the pomegranate tree in Jinwu Hospital and invite Chou Shiliang and other eunuchs to visit it and take the opportunity to cull it. The original plan was quite good, and several prime ministers also participated. However, after seeing Chou Shiliang, Han Yue was too nervous and sweated constantly in the winter, which led to Chou Shiliang's suspicion. Then he quickly evacuated and hijacked the emperor and led the Shence army to fight back, which led to the complete failure of the plan of the emperor and ministers. Then eunuch Chou Shiliang killed all the prime ministers and related ministers involved in the incident, and thousands of Chang 'an courtiers and their families died. Of course, Han Yue didn't run away either. It can be said that "the change of manna" is the most regrettable and lamentable event in the history of the Tang Dynasty and even in the ancient history of China. The person who directly led to the failure of the incident was Han Yue, the general of Sakingo who saw the eunuch trembling with nervousness! Although General Han's psychological quality is poor, he has a way of cooking delicious food. Apart from being good at making "Cherry Biluo", he can also make cold-boiled silver carp (sliced soup with fish), fried fish (sweet fish breast) and steamed grass-steamed bread (a kind of meat pie). Take it.

D. General Qu Lianghan is good at roasting donkey's mane hump. The roast hump also came from the western regions, which shows that many delicious foods in the Tang Dynasty at that time had the color of conference semifinals. Before baking, cut the hump into thin slices and add all kinds of spicy seasoning, which makes it delicious after cooking. People in the Tang Dynasty loved to eat, which had something to do with the popularity of "barbecue" among the intellectuals. In the Tang dynasty, if the imperial officials were promoted by the emperor, they would entertain the emperor; Of course, if you enter the imperial examination, you should also entertain friends and relatives. This kind of dinner is called "barbecue". Because according to the understanding of the people in the Tang Dynasty, being promoted or being a scholar is equivalent to carp jumping over the dragon gate. According to the popular saying at that time, "After the fish jumps over the dragon gate, there will be a flame in the sky to burn its tail and make it change its face." Throughout the Tang Dynasty, the most famous "barbecue banquet" appeared in 719 AD, the third year of Jinglong in Tang Zhongzong. At that time, Wei Juyuan, an official, was promoted and was appointed as the left servant of Shangshu. He hosted a banquet for Emperor Tang Zhongzong in Chang 'an. At that banquet, hundreds of dishes appeared. Now, they are handed down as follows: Golden Milk Crisp, Crystal Dragon and Phoenix Cake, Gold and Silver Sandwiched Piece, Longevity Porridge, Seeing the Wind, Expensive Pink, Royal Queen Mother Rice, Yulu Tuan, and Eight Sides Cold Food Cake ..

There is also the meaning of promoting Wei Juyuan.

There is another dish that has to be mentioned, that is, the "peony swallow dish" in Luoyang water mat is a traditional Chinese dish that has been passed down for thousands of years and is still respected by gluttonous diners at home and abroad, and originated from the palace in Zetian period of Wu Huang! The making and material selection of "Peony Swallow Dish" fully embodies the wisdom of oriental food culture, which is simple but profound.

Some literati diners praised this: On the banquet of Luoyang's century-old "Really Different", as the protagonist of the water mat table, "Peony Swallow" appeared. She was like a lady dressed in gorgeous clothes in the heyday of the Tang Dynasty. As soon as she appeared, she attracted everyone's attention. I saw a peony flower with a dazzling yellow color floating on the noodle soup, which was gorgeous, fragrant, delicious and sour. What is even more impressive is that the diners who tasted it for the first time, nine times out of ten, did not expect such a vivid taste of the world, and its ingredients turned out to be so homely and ordinary.

There is a beautiful story about the origin of "Peony Swallow".

In other words, the Emperor Wu ascended to the great pole at the beginning, and the government was harmonious and the weather was favorable. One day, Luoyang Dongguan Xiayuan cemetery produced a huge radish, which was three feet long, green on the top and white on the bottom, and the single weight reached dozens of kilograms, which is rare in a hundred years! At that time, the folk customs were simple, and the people thought that this was a auspicious thing brought by the benevolent government of the Queen (which touched heaven). They dared not neglect it and rushed to report it to the official to pay tribute to the court. Wu Huang Dayue told the chef to make radish into delicious food. Suddenly, it is difficult to break the high-level chef. Because people know that it is very difficult to make delicious food with a bland and simple dish like radish/cabbage. However, it is hard to violate the sacred order. Being awed by the majesty of the Queen, the royal chefs finally had an idea after pondering/brainstorming all night. They cut the extra-large radish into fine filaments, processed it many times, and cooked it with delicacies to make a delicious soup without losing the flavor of imperial cuisine. After the queen tasted it, she praised it for its mellow and refreshing taste. Because it looks like bird's nest silk, she immediately named it "fake swallow dish" and later renamed it "swallow dish".

In the 1971s, after Premier Zhou Enlai came to taste it, he named this thousand-year-old delicacy, which has been improved by many generations of famous chefs, "Peony Swallow Dish", which has been well-known and internationally renowned. Hehe, there is a local saying that "it's no use coming to Luoyang without tasting' Peony Swallow' (Youlong Gate, enjoying peony)". A glimpse of the whole leopard shows the extraordinary influence of the food culture in the prosperous Tang Dynasty through time and space!