Why did the ancients love dog meat more than modern people?

In traditional cuisine, there is a special praise for the smell of dog meat-dog meat is rolled three times, and the gods can't stand it.

That is to say, after the dog meat has been cooked in the pot for several times, even the immortals can't help running fast and lose their usual composure.

How many years has this sentence been circulating? No one can say for sure, but the history of China people eating dog meat can be traced back to the pre-Qin period, when there was a record that "their livestock were six disturbances".

Zuo Zhuan first put forward the concept of "six animals", which refers to horses, cows, sheep, pigs, dogs and chickens.

Apart from horses, one of the functions of five animals is to provide meat for people.

The Zhou dynasty also defined all kinds of meat eaters:

1, Tian Zi can eat beef.

Governors can eat mutton and beef on the first day of every month.

Doctors can eat pork, dog meat and mutton on the first day of every month.

Doctors can eat beef when offering sacrifices or banquets for the emperor.

In ancient times, cattle were responsible for farming and plowing fields, so beef was "the food of emperors" and "the food of princes".

"Warlords don't kill cows for no reason, doctors don't kill sheep for no reason, scholars don't kill dogs for no reason, and Shu Ren doesn't eat treasures for no reason." This carnivorous rule directly divides people into three or six categories, and powerful people are later called "carnivores".

Let's talk about the status of five animals on the ancient dining table:

1. In ancient times, killing and stealing cattle without permission were capital crimes. "Cattle are forbidden to be slaughtered because of their crops."

The description of "Xiao Er, cut me two Jin of beef" in literary books is actually a metaphor of rebellious spirit: what kind of prince would you rather have? I also want to eat beef. ...

Mutton has occupied the main position of eating meat on the table for thousands of years.

South Renye Fang thinks mutton and fish are "fresh" when cooked together.

However, China's farming civilization is centered on self-sufficiency. Cattle and sheep breeding will occupy a lot of cultivated land, with high cost and long cycle, so it is impossible for everyone to eat beef and mutton.

3. Pork was "inferior meat" before Qing Dynasty.

"Zhou Li" once said, "The fishy smell makes you ashamed to eat."

The word "fishy" refers to the "star grain" in pork (now called "pox pork"). The ancients found that eating "pox pork" would make them sick, so they thought pork could not be eaten.

The word "Sao", especially "Gougao stinks", means that improper processing of pork will smell like urine.

4. Chicken didn't have a high status in ancient times, and it was considered as "food for the people". "Chicken, dolphin and dog's livestock" are all things on the table of ordinary people, so it can't be elegant.

Let's focus on dog meat.

After domestication and breeding, dogs are one of the main carnivorous livestock in China. Ancient books once recorded that Zhou "ate hemp and dogs."

Since Qin and Han dynasties, eating dog meat has become a fashion, and professional "dog butchers" have emerged. They make a living by selling dog meat. According to historical records, Fan Kuai made a scene at the Hongmen Banquet, and before following Liu Bang, he "took killing dogs as a matter".

Compared with cattle, mutton, pork and chicken, dogs have faster reproduction speed, lower feeding cost and delicious meat.

Therefore, among the five carnivores, dog meat has become the first choice for ordinary people.

The threshold for eating dog meat is low, and there are no control taboos. Meat tastes better than beef and mutton as long as it is cooked properly.

Therefore, it was deeply loved by the ancients.

The ancients loved dog meat more than modern people, and it also originated from a traditional cultural psychology.

Dogs were regarded by the ancients as poor, greedy and servile animals driven by food and compulsory orders.

Because dogs are extremely loyal to their owners, killing dogs and eating dog meat is regarded as chivalry, which is a sign that friends can do anything.

In some areas of Shandong, dogs used to be called "field sheep", which means they can be eaten and taste better than mutton.

In the final analysis, the ancients' love for dog meat was based on the actual cost of breeding and followed a dietary psychology and cultural tradition.

In recent years, the status of dogs has improved significantly. People project loyal feelings to dogs, and dogs become the carrier of "loyalty" spirit. Many people also pretend to be "dog slaves" of Wang Xingren.

Coupled with the extremely rich material life, it is not difficult to "eat meat". The role of dogs as meat suppliers has naturally changed in China for thousands of years, and eating dog meat is regarded as a backward and cruel habit.

"Dog meat rolls three times, and the gods can't stand" has become a legend.