The habit of raw food, which was formed before people knew how to cook food with fire, was still followed after people knew how to cook food. However, with the development of economy, the improvement of living standards and the promotion of science, the habit of raw food gradually disappeared in various places, but it has been preserved in Lingnan, which was later civilized.
It was not until the second half of the twentieth century, after the popularization of science, that raw fish, which may bring parasites to people, were gradually eaten less.
Qu Dajun's "Guangdong New Language" said: "Cantonese customs are fond of raw fish, with perch, boat, grass white, yellow croaker, mackerel, snow age and pomfret as the top priority."
According to "A Record of Guangdong News", fish is the so-called "food" in ancient times, and the Book of Rites contains food at most. In the Jin Dynasty, there was a saying that "gold and jade are delicious in the southeast", but somehow, later people in Jiangsu and Zhejiang did not talk about the method of food, and their faces were alone in Fujian and Zhejiang.
In his book, Zhang Qu recorded in detail the materials and production of raw fish in Lingnan, saying, "Cantonese people have many opportunities for raw fish.
Those who take the fish out of the water at the beginning, remove its skin, wash its blood and cut it into pieces.
Red muscles are white and light as cicadas, compared with each other.
Woyi hot wine, and salt and pepper.
The entrance is melting, and the number is Ganzhi. "Raw fish is so delicious, delicious and attractive.
Fish is very popular in Lingnan. No matter in coastal or mountainous areas, any fish is fish. "Western Guangdong is good for fish, while eastern Guangdong is good for face.
Where there are few fish in the mountains, the customs are still poor. "
Lingnan folk customs include "dog meat in summer solstice, fish raw in winter solstice", "covering fish is Yang, and it is Yang in winter solstice, and raw food also means helping Yang".
It can be seen that Lingnan people like to eat raw fish, not only because of the preservation of the ancient style of diet, but also because of the characteristics of stressing the coordination of yin and yang in diet.