It is mentioned in the ancient poem: for Confucianism, eating is the first morning. Many modern people don't know much about food, and even think that as long as Grandpa Yuan Longping is still in this world, China people can't go hungry. This is only because the era and environment in which modern people were born are so good that people have never suffered from lack of food.

1942, the people of China also experienced a great famine. At that time, many poor people could not save their lives, and there were many bloodshed. If time goes further, the level of productivity will be lower in feudal and slavery periods, and the living conditions of the poor will be worse. What were the ancients eating in the poorest circumstances at that time?

People can't find the answer in costume dramas. If they know the truth, most modern people may not last a day. The social status of ancient farmers was relatively high, but their productivity was relatively low. Every day, farmers need to work hard on the land. After the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, China has basically realized a family-based and self-sufficient lifestyle.

And the people have to work hard to farm, in addition to eating enough, there is another reason because the state has to levy taxes. In ancient China, the degree of taxation was very strict, and it was divided according to the head. Even newborn children need to pay taxes in severe times. Until 1974, the grain output in China was very low, especially in the feudal era.

If natural disasters occur, farmers living on the ground will become poor in an instant. Without any economic income, there is no way to pay taxes, and most people will become beggars because of natural disasters. It is possible to eat wild vegetables and bark, and even cause public security problems.

Most of the ancients in feudal times ate some whole grains. There are only 33 kinds of cereals and only 14 kinds of beans. The so-called sweet potato was introduced to China after 1600 years. It was not until 1700 that the whole country was slowly planted. So it's not that people can eat sweet potatoes without rice. Sweet potato was a luxury in ancient times.

If people meet better times, their lives may be relatively better. For example, after 1860, China had completely entered the late Qing Dynasty. During this period, more people have become the squeezed products of the times, and what they can eat is even more terrible than people think.

Chinese workers entering the United States and other countries can only eat some food such as swill. For example, sweet potato skin is mixed with leftovers discarded by others a few days ago to make food. And this kind of rice will be heated once before being eaten. This situation was most common in the Qing Dynasty. However, if such food is put on the dining table of modern people, I believe many people can't persist for a day, and even see or think about it, their stomachs will feel uncomfortable.