About the food culture of The Romance of the Three Kingdoms?

The following is a copy of the ancient diet from "The Story of the Three Kingdoms" written by Qingliao

If one day you came to the Han Dynasty, what would you eat?

First of all, in terms of probability, you are a commoner, so you have two meals a day, one in the morning and one in the evening. If you are a noble, then at this time, you have three meals a day. If it is extremely small, The probability is that if you climb up to the Emperor of Han Dynasty, you can eat four meals.

During the Han Dynasty, the main cooking methods were basically available.

Frying is different from today. This refers to dry frying or adding water and boiling until it is dry. If there is still water left in the end, it is called boiling. Barbecuing and barbecuing are probably the earliest cooking techniques used by humans since the advent of fire. Steamed, same as today. To fry, use boiling water or deep frying. However, according to the Qin and Han Dynasty Volume of "Chinese Folklore History", there was solid animal oil at this time, but it was not used for frying yet. Sashimi, raw meat, chopped finely with a knife, is how it is made. There was no Jiemo at that time, so ginger was used with raw fish. There is a poem by Xin Yannian that goes, "Ask me for precious food, a golden plate with carp and meatballs."

Preserved meat, bacon.

The main condiments include salt, vinegar, sauce, sugar (caramel sugar, sugar cane sugar was introduced from India in the Tang Dynasty), onions, ginger, pepper, meat sauce, caviar, and garlic. Haha, people who don't like spicy food are suffering. There is no way. Pepper comes from Southeast Asia, and chili peppers only appeared after the discovery of the New World.

In terms of staple food, most people drink porridge, including wheat porridge and rice porridge. Rice porridge is divided into glutinous rice porridge, yellow rice porridge, millet porridge, and rice porridge. Of course, you can also drink bean porridge. Made from rice water and beans. And you can also eat pancakes. Before the Song Dynasty, pancakes were the general name for pasta. They were usually mixed with boiling water, or they could be kneaded directly and then steamed or fried. In addition, you can also eat soup cakes, which are similar to today's Pian'erchuan, but they are made of dead noodles (pure and kneaded dough), but instead of being cut with a knife, Shu Xi of the Jin Dynasty said in "Cake Fu" that they were torn by hand. . Of course, there is also dry rice, which is grainy, similar to today’s rice and yellow rice. In the Han Dynasty, people liked to eat sticky rice, so in the south, glutinous rice was often eaten, while in the north, yellow rice was usually eaten. After it was cooked, just like today, dates were always added. After the passage to the Western Regions, there were Hu cakes and Hu rice, which were also used as staple foods. Hu cakes were similar to today’s sesame cakes. Haha, Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty liked to eat this very much. "Book of the Later Han? Five Elements Chronicles" recorded: Han Dynasty At that time, "Emperor Ling likes Hu clothes, Hu tents, Hu beds, Hu seats, and Hu rice." Hu rice is made of pickled cucumbers, roasted fat meat, and lettuce rolled in the noodles, rolled into two layers, and cut into two inches. Six segments of size.

Of course you have to eat vegetables when you eat. Let’s talk about vegetables first.

"Winter", the main vegetable in the Han Dynasty. "Shuowen": "Kui, also known as sunflower." Cabbage, spinach, taro, radish, leek, cucumber, gourd, lotus root, beans, etc., are all available today, except for potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, onions, basically all are available. .

Through the Western Regions, soybeans and grapes were introduced, and soybeans later led to the emergence of tofu, bean sprouts and other soy products similar to today.

Meat is basically the same as today. Generally speaking, it is mainly the traditional Chinese "six livestock", horses, cattle, sheep, pigs, dogs, and chickens. People in the Han Dynasty had no taboos. Eggs were available in this era, but dairy products were rarely eaten by people in the Han Dynasty. Of course, people in the Han Dynasty also loved eating fish and shellfish. In the Shang Dynasty, fish was something that ordinary people could eat regularly. After the Warring States Period, fish and meat were symbols of status (refer to the story of Mengchangjun).

Very similar to people today, the nobles of the Han Dynasty later regarded meat as something that corrupts the body, and advocated a healthy diet and eating vegetables, while the poor people regarded meat as a very longing for meat. But meat is relatively expensive, so offal (animal offal) is also popular.

After Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty specialized in salt and iron, salt became more expensive in the Han Dynasty. People with weak taste would feel similar to today if they lived in the Han Dynasty.

It seems that making "preserved meat" was more popular among wealthy people in the Han Dynasty. Everything was dried and pickled. All kinds of wild bird jerky (there were so many wild game at that time, the world was environmentally friendly), dried meat, animals, fish, etc..., I can’t stop thinking about it...

< p> No wonder, there is no refrigerator.

During the Han Dynasty (I have forgotten who the emperor was), there was a "Zhou Bazhen". Have you tried it?

- The earliest palace banquet - the eight delicacies of the Zhou Dynasty

Chun Nao: rice cooked with meat and soy sauce; Chun Mu: roasted with yellow rice with meat and soy sauce; Pao Pork: simmered, grilled, fried and stewed Suckling pig; Pao: braised, roasted, fried and stewed lamb; Pounded Zhen: roasted beef, lamb, deer tenderloin; Pickled: Beef and mutton with distiller's grains; Boiled: similar to spiced beef jerky; Liver oil: roasted pork liver wrapped in net oil.

There is a dish in "The Songs of Chu. Soul Calling" that can represent a famous dish at that time. Guo Moruo once translated it into modern Chinese:

The family follows each other and is really particular about food. Rice, millet, new wheat, and yellow rice are everywhere. Sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, everything is delicious. The fragrant stew of fat beef tendons is the hot and sour soup made by the chef of Wu State. Braised turtle, barbecued pork and lamb with sweet sauce. Boil the duck, stew the teal, and add some physalis. Braised chicken and braised turtle are delicious and refreshing. Fried flour cakes and rice cakes dipped in honey. Frozen liqueur, a full glass of it is really refreshing. To relieve hangover, there is also sour plum soup.

Cooking methods in the Middle Ages

The cooking methods in ancient China, as seen in the "Book of Songs" and other ancient books, are probably nothing more than roasting with an open fire, cooking with a tripod, and cooking with a pot. It goes without saying that steaming and roasting are placed on the fire. The tripod and the tripod are all supported by the feet and placed on the fire. Since the Warring States Period, cooking pots and steamers have to be placed on the stove without feet. superior. "Mencius Tengwengong 1", "Xu Zi used a cauldron to cook", which means that the cauldron and steamer were the most common cooking utensils at that time. Ming utensils and tomb brick portraits of the Han Dynasty, the most common cooking utensils have at least two burners on the stove, and there are cauldrons and steamers sitting on the burners. The bottom of the cauldron is deep into the stove, so the fire-receiving area is large, so the efficiency should not be bad. The general arrangement is that the steamer for steaming things is placed near the fire door, and the cauldron or pot is placed at the back, close to the smoke pipe, so that only the heat of the remaining fire can be used. The main method of cooking rice and millet is to steam it, which requires a long time and high firepower; the main method of cooking or frying vegetables is to use kettles.

Cooked with Han Dynasty cooking utensils, the staple food is steamed millet rice, bean rice, and wheat rice. If cooked in a cauldron, it will be a porridge-like soup. If cooked and dried, it will be stored as dry food. It's Zong. As for food, take the Han Tomb No. 1 at Mawangdui in Changsha as an example. According to the unearthed forty-eight bamboo baskets and fifty-one clay pots, the remains of food stored in it can be verified. The meat includes cattle, sheep, pigs, dogs, rabbits, and poultry. There are chickens, ducks, geese, pheasants and some birds, and fish include carp and perch. There are also 312 bamboo slips in the remains, which record the names of the burial objects and the food, which is the name of the cooking. Although there is a grilled type among them, most of them are soup type, and many of them are cooked with two kinds of ingredients.

According to the types of meals recorded in "The Book of Rites Nei Principles", rice includes millet, rice, and rice beams, especially white millet and yellow beams. The meal includes beef, sheep and hog cooked separately, grilled beef, beef gizzards, beef breasts, lamb, mutton gizzards, roasted pigs and mustard sauce, fish breasts, pheasants and rabbits, and quails and chickens. In addition, there are various ways to use ingredients, such as scorpion glutinous rice with fern (i.e. carved beard), pheasant soup with wheat food,... and "Rungu Bao Kushi Polygonum" (sweated pork, bitter tea, and spices) )... All kinds of dried meat (dried meat) must be served with vegetables and leaves... Each has various details, and the soup is available to everyone from princes to common people.

In addition to minced meat, these foods are called Xuan or 胃 if they are cut into large pieces, and they are called 荍 or 脔 if they are cut into small pieces. Knife skill. This cutting method is used to cook soup and basically requires high heat. Using an open fire for roasting consumes a lot of fuel; the open fire only serves to set up charcoal, and there are no other measures to improve it. Making soup on the stove can still improve the structure of the stove to save fire. The Shaogou Han Tomb in Luoyang is one of the earliest large-scale tombs discovered in recent decades. A total of 155 pottery stoves were unearthed. Pottery stoves are all rectangular, consisting of a stove body, a stove surface, a stove door, a burner, a cauldron, a steamer, etc. Other details vary widely. The age of these tombs ranges from the mid-Western Han Dynasty to the late Eastern Han Dynasty. The pottery stoves in the mid-Western Han Dynasty were simple in shape, with only one flame hole on the stove and no idea of ??utilizing the remaining heat. In the late Western Han Dynasty, it was known to use the residual heat by adding a small eye after the big fire and before the smoke. There was usually a water cauldron placed on the small fire. In and around Wang Mang, the number of small fire eyes increased to two to three, some in front of and on both sides of the big fire eyes, and some behind the big fire eyes. In the middle of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the two small fire holes were quite large and were placed in front of the big fire hole. Fish, food and forks and hooks were carved on the stove surface. In the stoves of the late Eastern Han Dynasty, the small burners were larger, often with one burner in front of the larger burner, and fish and cooking utensils were also carved on the stove surface.

From this series of evolutions, it can be seen that the position of the cauldron gradually moved from the back of the steamer to the front, and the heat used gradually changed from residual heat to the main heat directly utilizing the fire door. This change shows that the Han people pay more and more attention to the use of the cauldron; fish and cooking utensils are scattered around the cauldron, which also shows that cooking activities are no longer simply chopping and cooking in the cauldron.

However, the shape of the Han cauldron is still most likely to have a deep mouth and belly, which is good for cooking but not good for frying. The spoon in the cooker also has a crank handle and a bent tongue, which is good for stirring and serving soup. Soup cannot be used for frying at all. The most distinctive quick-frying method among Chinese cooking methods seems to have not yet appeared in the Han Dynasty. From the perspective of utilizing heat, quick-frying is almost the most economical and effective method. In ancient China, the main source of fuel was woodcutting and firewood. When children grow up, it is symbolized by being able to bear a salary, which shows its importance. Because the ancients continued to cut down trees for fuel, China's natural ecology has suffered serious damage since ancient times. According to "Mencius Gaozi 1", Niushan Mountain, which had beautiful vegetation, finally became Tongshan Mountain due to the damage caused by people from nearby cities. In order to increase cultivated land in the Han Dynasty, public lands were continuously opened up and turned into farmland for the people, and local governors also made it a matter of increasing acres of farmland. After four hundred years of cultivation, China's forest area will be greatly reduced. During the Three Kingdoms, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, foreign tribes invaded the northern lands one after another. These foreigners, before finally being assimilated into Chinese culture, often converted large tracts of farmland into pasture. The pastures are long and hidden, and the trees are not abundant. The agricultural activities of the Han people and Sinicized foreigners in the north are vast and sparsely populated due to the war, which is conducive to the development of extensive agriculture. The management of wandering farming also requires frequent large-scale burning of hazel bushes. Therefore, in the northern wilderness, the forest area has not increased (relatively speaking) due to population decline. From the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Eastern Jin Dynasty, a large number of people from the north moved southward, first settling in Jianghan, then exploring the Yangtze River Basin and its tributaries and lake areas, and finally developed the Fujian and Guangdong coastal areas. The population in the south increased several times; the area of ??cultivated land and urban roads increased, while the area of ??forest trees decreased sharply.

Forest trees can also be used to make charcoal. There was a large-scale charcoal-making industry in the Han Dynasty. A large number of workers went deep into the mountains and forests to attack wood and make charcoal to supply fuel for the iron industry and general household use. According to "Historical Records: A Family of Wife and Relatives", Shaojun, the younger brother of Emperor Dou of the Han Dynasty, was once a charcoal-burning worker, with as many as a hundred people working together. But in the Middle Ages, charcoal was already a very valuable item and was actually a gift from princes and nobles. Liu Xiaoqi has "Xie Donggong and Tan Qi", and Kui Wu also has "Xie Xiangdong Wang and Tan Qi", so ordinary people may not be able to easily use charcoal as daily fuel. Ordinary people still generally use wood as fuel. Therefore, in "Qi Min Yao Shu", planting elm trees can be used as utensils. People who have no business compete for it and sell it for profit. They have no money. According to the original note, it is estimated that a bunch of three grains and ten thousand bunches of three thousand strings can be sold for money. In addition, when poplars are planted, their bad branches can also be sold. Firewood is sold. In addition to the rafters, one hundred trees will get firewood, and each load is worth one hundred coins. Compared with the price of elm firewood, one load can have thirty-three bundles, which is about the load of a small car. According to Tao Zhu's "Gongshu" quoted in the same book, planting a thousand willow trees will provide enough firewood, and two hundred trees will be enough for one year. According to these data, the cost of burning firewood for a year is 20,000 yuan. At that time, the price of oak rafters was that one rafter in ten years was worth ten cents, and one rafter in twenty years was worth one hundred cents. By analogy, the price of firewood was quite expensive for most people. Wheat straw is used as fuel. For example, in the method of making sauce in "Qi Min Yao Shu", the fuel used is "take dried cow dung, round it up, make the center empty, and burn it without smoke. Those with good coal potential can harvest more for regular food, both There is no dust and no fire, and it is better than grass that is far away." In today's Chinese life, dung is used to dry wheat husks in the north, and straw and chaff are used in the south. This is still in the memory of many people.

Cereals were the main food of the Chinese people in the Han Dynasty, and they were also the staple food on which the people of the Han Dynasty relied for survival.

There is historical data to prove it!

-------In 1972, when the famous "Mawangdui Han Tomb No. 1" was excavated in the eastern suburbs of Changsha, Hunan, China, important archaeological discoveries were made about the diet of the Han Dynasty. In the body of the tomb owner, 138 melon seeds were found in the esophagus, stomach and intestines. In addition, several sacks of agricultural products were found in the tomb ear chamber. In addition to the food left behind, there are 312 bamboo slips that provide other information on food and cooking. Archaeological The discovery also provides an important basis for people to infer the dietary culture of the upper-class nobility in the Han Dynasty.

The archaeological results unearthed at Mawangdui clearly describe to modern people the dietary structure of the upper-class nobility in the Han Dynasty at that time. The most common main dish among aristocratic families in the Han Dynasty, soup was generally made with mixed ingredients. The commonly used ingredients were large pieces of cooked vegetables or meat or both. According to the beef recorded on bamboo slip No. 11 White soup has been identified as beef and rice stew. It can be seen that meat and grain stew was a very important and common soup for the nobles of the Han Dynasty. The bamboo slips also mentioned that people in the Han Dynasty used different animals to make food. In addition to the common pigs and sheep, In addition to cattle and dog meat, Bamboo Slip No. 98 also lists horse meat. Although according to written materials, horse meat was a popular dish in the Han Dynasty, no horse meat has been found left to this day. This fact shows that As a precious strategic material for China's transportation and military in the Han Dynasty, horses were not a common food at least at that time. It was even less likely to be used as food for ordinary people.

For the study of the diet of the Han Dynasty, horses , archaeological discoveries have also added another important dimension. Han Dynasty murals have another special significance compared to bamboo slips, because banquet scenes often appear in Han Dynasty murals. For example, a famous mural in the Han Dynasty In the Tiger Fighting Pavilion, in addition to the general banquet scenes outlined in the murals, the murals also express the significance of the events. This also proves that in addition to the delicacies, the murals usually record political events that received widespread attention at the time.

Due to the nature of Mawangdui bamboo slips and Han Dynasty murals, we can understand the diet of the upper class in the Han Dynasty, but historical records usually do not reflect the food in the daily lives of ordinary people in the Han Dynasty. After all, political figures and The figures in the tombs of the Han Dynasty are only a small part of the 60 million Chinese people in the Han Dynasty. Therefore, we must try to find out the diet of most people in the Han Dynasty in their daily lives and explain the food culture of the Han Dynasty from a historical perspective. This task is very important to the author. It is undoubtedly a considerable challenge. After all, it takes a lot of time and arduous academic research to directly find relevant archaeological evidence. Although the information is very limited, we can also make a superficial analysis based on the characteristics of ancient Chinese culture and some historical materials. imagination.

As we all know, ancient Chinese civilization was characterized by farming, and the farming economy of the Han Dynasty was an important foundation for maintaining the order of the Han Empire. Therefore, it is not difficult for us to imagine that cereals were the main food of the Chinese people in the Han Dynasty, and even more so. The staple food for people in the Han Dynasty. Although theoretically speaking, meat was reserved for the elderly and nobles over eighty years old. (Lu Simian>, pp. 571-572), but for ordinary people in the Han Dynasty, meat was not It is not as easy to obtain as rich people. From the military logistics supplies used by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to attack the Xiongnu in the north, we can learn that the main food supply for the Han army at that time was grain. A soldier needed 18 dried dendrobium during a 300-day march. Rice. (>Volume 94, Page 10) The daily consumption reached 0.6 liters. In 99 BC, when Li Ling's army was surrounded by the Xiongnu, he gave each soldier 2 handfuls of dried rice and a piece of ice to let them have a meal. As soon as they broke out of the siege. Obviously, the Han Dynasty government often hoarded a large amount of dry food for military needs. In addition to war, there was also a large amount of dry food as a political gift to the Huns for surrendering to the Han Dynasty. Indeed, we can safely say that the Han Dynasty Ordinary people eat dry food almost every day. Although it is difficult to directly discover details about the meals of the poor in the Han Dynasty in history, onions, garlic and leeks are very likely to be listed on the diet of the poor according to records. In 33 BC, Zhao With the support of Emperor Yuan of the Han Dynasty, Xinchen closed the royal "greenhouse" out of season, and planted onions and leeks among the cooked vegetables. As a result, the Han government saved tens of millions of money every year. (>Volume 89, p. 10) As can be seen from the above, the food of ordinary people in the Han Dynasty mainly came from planting in the agricultural economy.

An important feature of the Han Dynasty was openness, and

An open society makes it inevitable for China to come into contact with foreign things, including food. According to historical records, these foods include grapes, alfalfa, pomegranates, walnuts, sesame seeds, onions, coriander, peas, and cucumbers from the Western Regions. Such as grapes and alfalfa The seeds of wine were introduced to China from Dawan around 100 BC. By the 2nd century AD, wine imported from the Western Regions was extremely popular. With the continuous diversification of food, cooking skills have naturally been improved. For example, people in the Zhou Dynasty only We know wheat rice but not cakes, and the era of cakes has to be postponed to the Western Jin Dynasty. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, a variety of pasta appeared in China, including boiled noodles, steamed buns and sesame cakes. In some ancient tombs unearthed in the Han Dynasty and Wei and Jin Dynasties They all discovered the scene of kneading dough. From a historical perspective, it was the Han Dynasty’s absorption of foreign products from the most common food raw materials, coupled with their willingness to learn other people’s cultures, that finally opened up a new era in the history of Chinese food. Chapter.