In "The Twelve Hours of Chang'an", I noticed an interesting little detail. In addition to strategizing in the mansion, Right Prime Minister Lin Jiulang also took up a little personal hobby, that is, "flower cultivation". Stills of "Chang'an Twelve Hours" There is a lot of knowledge in flower cultivation, watering, fertilizing, sowing, temperature , humidity and other processes and conditions are indispensable, but in addition to the "" ornamental function" that we are familiar with, flower cultivation also had another very special purpose in the Tang Dynasty. It can be summarized in four words: using flowers as food . In the Tang Dynasty, flowers from China were not only pleasing in appearance, but also regarded as rare and delicious ingredients by literati. However, it is well known that not all flowers can be eaten. Some flowers are both health-promoting. Flowers are poisonous if eaten. For example, narcissus is beautiful to look at, but it contains a variety of alkaloids. If people eat it directly, it will cause a series of uncomfortable symptoms such as dizziness and diarrhea. However, narcissus is also an analgesic in surgery. Basic raw materials. Narcissus is another example of tuberose. You won’t feel any discomfort when you first smell it. The aroma is refreshing, but you will feel dizzy after smelling it for a long time. Therefore, not all flowers are suitable for eating flowers. If you eat them directly, you need to carefully select them. So the question is, since flowers can be divided into "poisonous" and "non-toxic", how did the literati and elegant guests in the Tang Dynasty eat flowers? If divided by dishes, There are two types: First, cold dishes. Maybe when you go to eat in many big hotels now, there will be several appetizers before the hot dishes are officially served, and it is not difficult to see flowers decorating the dishes. In the Tang Dynasty, the role of flowers was not limited to decoration, but often served as the main ingredient in cold dishes. For example, the great poet Liu Yuxi once loved a cold dish called: chrysanthemum seedlings and reeds (鑑: jī, 藔: fú). The name of the dish seems very literary, but in fact the ingredients required are very simple. Chrysanthemum sprouts are naturally the young leaves of chrysanthemums. As for the radish, they are what we now call chrysanthemums. So this cold dish actually uses chopped chrysanthemum sprouts. Mixed with shredded radish, the current name is ""Chrysanthemum shredded radish"~ I think it must be very refreshing with the crispness of radish and the refreshing taste of chrysanthemum seedlings. Chrysanthemum shredded radish (reference picture) because radish usually refers to white radish As for why this dish was the favorite of literati in the Tang Dynasty, it comes from a novel in the Later Tang Dynasty called "Yunxian Sanlu", which was written by Feng Zhi (zhì), a literati in the Later Tang Dynasty, in which the great poet Liu Yuxi was vividly described. An interesting story about exchanging a plate of "" chrysanthemum seedlings, glutinous rice and glutinous rice" in exchange for Bai Juyi's bowl of "" "six classes tea"". "Yunxian Sanlu·Changing tea to sober up": Lotte Fang entered the customs, and Liu Yuxi recovered from his illness. Yu Xi then presented chrysanthemum seedlings. This "Liuban tea" is a famous tea created by Bai Juyi. Drinking it has the effect of relieving hangover. Therefore, after drinking too much the night before, Liu Yuxi drank a lot. The next morning, he went to see Bai Juyi. The two brothers met with each other very warmly. In order to sober up, Liu Yuxi took out his favorite - "Ju Miao Ju Lun" and exchanged it for a bowl of Bai Juyi's "Liuban Tea". This leaves behind an eternal anecdote between the two great poets. This story is enough to show that at least among the literati in the Tang Dynasty, they were very fond of cold dishes using flowers as ingredients, especially chrysanthemum seedlings. Lu Lian is an indispensable appetizer on the table. It is said that the "Chrysanthemum seedlings and radish" are restored by modern people. The chrysanthemum seedlings and radish are cut into thin strips. I can't see it. Can anyone else see it? Speaking of cold dishes made with flowers as ingredients, There is also a famous dish in history, which is the "Jin Yu Yu" that was very popular in the Tang and Song Dynasties. (齑: jī, 鲲: kuài) Pi Rixiu, a great writer in the late Tang Dynasty, once wrote a poem praising Jin Yu. Guo: It’s time to congratulate Mr. *** for having nothing to do, and it’s time for the golden and jade carp again - "Three Poems for New Autumn Events" And this delicacy made of flowers and seabass is the favorite meal of the people in the south of the Yangtze River. One of the delicacies. For example, Bai Juyi's "Salt Merchant's Woman" vividly describes the scene of fishermen along the river eating fish: What's more, the fish and rice in Jiangtou are cheap, and the rice with red clam, yellow orange and fragrant rice is regarded as "". The representative delicacy of "flowers in dishes" was not only popular in the Tang Dynasty, but also a famous delicacy in the Song Dynasty. The ""Golden Jade Turtle"" in "A Bite of China" first follows the statement in "Taiping Guangji", One of the main ingredients of the golden and jade carp is flowers. However, when the frost falls in August or September, the sea carps less than three feet tall are harvested and dried. After soaking, they are wrapped in cloth, drained, and scattered on a plate. Take the fragrant flowers and leaves, finely chop them, and mix them with the sea bass after frost. The meat is as white as snow and not fishy. The so-called "golden jade sea carp" is also a delicacy in the southeast. - "Taiping Guangji·Volume". 234·Food" (edible, non-edible) What is mentioned in the article ""taking fragrant flowers and leaves" is to pick the young leaves of flowers, cut them into filaments of similar thickness, and then dry them with seabass. Mix it evenly, and you will have the famous delicacy in the southeast region, the modern version of "Jin Jade Carp". This unique delicacy was not only loved by literati in the Tang Dynasty, but was also sought after by literati and poets in the Song Dynasty. For example, the great poet Lu You once praised the gold and jade clams: "Summer": It doesn't say that there are piles of jade clams, but watch the mortar pounding the gold clams.

Even during the Sui Dynasty, the golden jade carp was a tribute. It was presented to Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty by Wu County in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. After tasting this peculiar cold dish, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty was full of praise on the spot, and the name of the golden carp and jade carp became famous. The world. "Da Ye Supplementary Notes": Wujun offered the sea and four bottles of dried beauties... and also described the method of making dry beakers. The emperor told his ministers: "In the past, the magician Jie Xiang caught a sea fish in the palace, and this illusion turned into an ear." Why is it so different? Today's turtle is made by a real sea fish, coming from thousands of miles away, and it is also a temporary flavor. ” As mentioned above, the history of adding flowers to dishes and making cold concoctions has gained a certain degree of popularity and development due to the stable and prosperous economic environment during the Tang Dynasty and the unique tastes of literati. However, it did not end with the decline of the Tang Dynasty. disappeared, but were completely inherited in subsequent dynasties, such as the Song Dynasty. However, the above list is enough to show the ancients' love for "flowers". In the eyes of the ancients, flowers are not only an ornamental object, but also a So after talking about cold dishes and appetizing, let’s talk about another way to eat flowers as an ingredient in the Tang Dynasty: Second, hot dishes can. The cooking methods used are endless. It can be fried, cooked, porridge, and pickled. For example, I tasted a bottle of Yunnan's local "rose sauce" a few days ago. It’s just that the sauce was too sweet. It was so sweet that I couldn’t help but cough after just one spoonful. But in the Tang Dynasty, people at that time paid more attention to the health-preserving functions of flowers, so pickled dishes were made. It is relatively rare. There are two main cooking methods: 1. Deep-frying. It is strange to say that some friends may ask, can these flowers be eaten once they are fried? I can tell you very responsibly. , edible, and tastes very good. Due to family reasons, I have liked to eat fried mint leaves since I was very young. Although mint leaves are not strictly speaking "flowers", this type of plant has a unique fragrance. After being rolled in hot oil, it is enough to retain the original refreshing taste, even crispy but not greasy. Fried mint leaves are still a favorite of the great poet Pi Rixiu. After eating to satisfy his hunger, he likes to eat fried flowers. The snack is called: chrysanthemum. (煠: zhá, same as fried.) This dish is very simple, it is to fry the fresh chrysanthemum leaves and make it a delicious complementary food, or steam one cohosh or two. The chrysanthemums are used to read the wonders, but how can they be used for food and drink? - "Bitter Rain in Wuzhong Sends a Hundred Rhymes to Lu Wang" Fried chrysanthemums 2, stew and cover. Some friends may ask, this. Stewing is easy to understand. It is nothing more than tearing flowers into petals and adding them to the porridge to cook together. But what the hell is this ""covering""? Hey, the wonder of eating flowers in the Tang Dynasty lies in the word "covering", that is, What I mentioned earlier is "" cooking." The specific manifestation is that the flowers and pork are boiled together. With the fragrance of the flowers, the cooked meat has a unique aroma. What is the specific aroma, because we are not People lived in the Tang Dynasty, so I can’t describe it, but before talking about rice bowls, let me tell you a piece of historical trivia. In fact, rice bowls are not a modern invention, but were invented in the Zhou Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago. Pan-fried pork chop rice bowl has appeared, and it is more natural than the current ingredients, and there are not so many condiments and additives. The "Book of Rites·Nei Ze" records in detail how people in the Zhou Dynasty made rice bowl, and the name at that time. It is not called rice dumpling, but is called: Chun Nao. "Book of Rites Nei Principles": Chun Nao, fried glutinous rice and fermented with paste, is called Chun Nao. Kong Yingda, a classics scholar in the Tang Dynasty, said this. One record is Shuyun: Chun Nao is the name of one of the eight delicacies. Chun means fertile, so fertile means the ointment. Boiling means frying, so it means frying the glutinous rice. Upland rice is called rice on the land. It means to use upland rice, cook it into rice, fry it and boil it, and add it to the rice. If it is afraid that the taste will be thin, it will be richer and more fermented with paste to make the taste darker, which is called Chunbo. ——"Book of Rites Justice" First of all, it is this "fried glutinous rice". To put it bluntly, it means frying the meat. The fried meat is mixed with ingredients and then boiled into soup. If the taste is too bland, lard will be added during the cooking process to make it "Chun". Then, when it is covered with rice, it will be a mouth-watering "Chunbo" dish that is full of color, flavor and flavor. (醢: hǎi, meat sauce) So no matter how the name changes, I believe you will understand when you see it. Isn't this the "fried pork chop rice bowl" that can be seen everywhere now? The fried pork chop rice bowl is similar to the people of the Tang Dynasty. What does it have to do with it? The answer is that after thousands of years of development, people who were good at eating in the Tang Dynasty added flowers to Chun Nao. Here, this famous dish that has lasted for thousands of years has evolved into a The new form is the famous ""Paeony Chun Nao""! This peony is exactly the peony flower known as the ""Prime Minister of Flowers"". It is slightly cold in nature, not sour in taste, and has a laxative effect when eaten. Bright The blooming "" peony flowers"" In the Tang Dynasty, peony flowers were added to the boiling water to make an ""upgraded version of fried pork rice bowl" that is suitable for all ages. It is both delicious and medicinal. It has to be It’s a sigh of relief that people in the Tang Dynasty still knew how to eat it~! "In order to merge with the governor, Zhang Rendan entered the Jiuding Mingbiao": the peony is boiled, and the polyphylla is mixed with the paste to protect the beauty of Jiuzhou and the harmony of the four seasons. As a common ingredient in the Tang Dynasty, the main cooking methods were cold cooking, boiling, and even making rice bowls.

But in addition, because of the beauty and characteristics of flowers, they can be eaten raw. For example, Yang Liping, a famous Chinese dance artist, eats flowers raw for three meals a day. She also said that eating raw flowers for a long time can make her regular. Flowers are also commonly used in the south to make wine, such as osmanthus wine, or to make daily drinks, such as chrysanthemum tea, etc., and it is difficult for me to describe them in detail in this article. But these production methods actually appeared thousands of years ago in the Tang Dynasty. It is no exaggeration to say that the ancients’ innovation and research in food were no worse than our modern people. Perhaps the biggest difference is that The cooking utensils or fuel used for cooking are different, but in the final analysis, the love for food has been passed down from ancient to modern times in our country for five thousand years. This also reflects the broad and profound Chinese culture that we often say. At the same time, it also reflects the Chinese nation’s love for nature. It takes nature, eats nature, and eats flowers. It has a unique cultural interest and thousands of years of history. The cultural elegance accumulated over the years has become a legendary symbol that is different from other human civilizations. The last sentence ends: I am proud to be born in China, and I am even more proud of Chinese food! —————— Follow the author: Qian Pinju, learn more historical and cultural interesting facts, and help you discover a bigger world~! —————— References: "Yunxian Sanlu·Changing Tea to Sober Up": Lotte Fang entered the customs, and Liu Yuxi was recovering from illness. Yu Xinai gave chrysanthemum seedlings, reeds, and bream in exchange for two bags of Lotte Sixth Class tea to sober up. "Three Poems on New Autumn Events": Mr. *** has nothing to do, so I can congratulate you. It's time for gold and jade again. "Salt Merchant's Woman": What's more, the fish and rice in Jiangtou are cheap, and the rice with red spinach, yellow orange and fragrant rice is cheap. "Taiping Guangji·Volume 234·Food" (edible, non-edible): However, to make sea bass, it must be under the frost in August or September. Collect the bass that are less than three feet long and make them into dried fish. After soaking, wrap them in cloth, drain them, and scatter them on a plate. Take the fragrant flowers and leaves, finely chop them alternately, and mix well with the kuo dialing. After frost, the meat is as white as snow and not fishy. The so-called "gold and jade turtle" is a delicacy in the southeast. "Summer": It doesn't say about piles of jade dumplings, but about pounding gold dumplings in a mortar. "Daye Shiyiji": Wujun offered four bottles of dried turtles from the sea... and recorded them together. The emperor told his ministers: "In the past, the magician Jie Xiang caught a sea fish in the palace, and this turned into an illusion." Why is it so different? Today's fish is made by real sea fish, coming from thousands of miles away, and it is also a temporary flavor. ""Bitter Rain in Wuzhong Sends a Book of One Hundred Rhymes to Lu Wang": Either steam a cohosh, or boil two handfuls of chrysanthemum. It is used to read the wonders, but it can't be used to satisfy the appetite. "Book of Rites·Nei Principles": Chunbo, decoction "Chun Nao" is one of the eight delicacies. Chun means "fertile", so it is fertilized with ointment. Ye. Boiling means frying, so upland rice is also called rice from the land. It means cooking the rice into rice and then adding it to the rice to avoid losing its flavor. When fertilized with ointment, the taste will be pure and stained, and it is called "Chunbo". "For the Bingzhou Governor Shi Zhang Rendan entered the Jiuding Mingbiao": The peony is boiled in a pure way, and the purifier and paste are used to control the beauty of Jiuzhou and the harmony of the four seasons.