Food culture has always been the essence of the country that the Chinese nation is proud of. Different types of cuisines, different tastes of dishes, and characteristics of different places are representative of a culture, and so are different ways of eating. in this way. The Chinese nation does not always take everyone to eat together as a symbol of reunion.
After thousands of years of development and changes, the Tang Dynasty is a very obvious proof that has moved from divided food to 合 food, food is made into the mainstream diet, also shows the gradual changes in the food culture of the Tang Dynasty.
1. Inheriting the previous food sharing system and conforming to the current development of food culture
Before the Tang Dynasty, although food was present, the impact was not far-reaching. It also didn't make the food diet the mainstream way of eating at that time, and it did not contain much cultural significance, so as a newly established dynasty, food culture naturally inherited the current development status of the previous dynasty, that is, the food sharing system. In addition, the food-sharing system also has a cultural meaning that is very suitable for the feudal dynasty, and is more suitable for the development of the new dynasty in the Tang Dynasty.
(1) The food-sharing system is conducive to the establishment of correct rules for the new dynasty.
In Chinese feudal society, rules are a very important part. If rules are not established, the country will be chaotic and difficult. Governance, In addition to expressly stipulating some rules, it is necessary to imperceptibly make the people have such rules in the hearts of the people, and they cannot be forced in. So the way of eating is indirectly expressing the rules, and the food culture of the divided food system There is also such an ingredient in it.
Split food system, in simple terms, means one meal per person, as much as you want. Although the meals are the same, separation means a distance and a rule. People also follow this way of eating , in this way, in the subtlety, the awareness of the rules has penetrated into everyone's mind.
Regardless of young or old, the way of eating is the same, which creates a sense of regulation from top to bottom, which is in line with the development needs of a new dynasty. When rules are established, the social order will be better. Stable, the country will not be chaotic, and the ruler's governance will be more smooth.
In addition to the awareness of the rules in the distribution of meals, the use of tableware is also very particular about the use of tableware. "No rules are not round", So the rules are also reflected in the square tableware In this way, not only the separation of everyone's meals is a kind of rule penetration, but the shape of the tableware is also a kind of rule penetration, which truly imprints the rules into the hearts of the people.
The food-sharing system helped the ruler to complete the establishment of general rules after the establishment of the new dynasty to a certain extent. helped the ruler to govern, the society became more stable, and the country became more adapted to the people. By restoring and rejuvenating the country, the economy can develop by leaps and bounds, and the national strength will continue to grow and prosper.
(2) The food-sharing system facilitates the division of various classes.
The carrier of feudal society is hierarchy and class consciousness. The food-sharing system is well used. One point, eat separately, can fix the meals for each person, each class, and each level, creating an atmosphere that is clearly divided, and the level of awareness has become everyone’s mind. some.
First of all, men and women have to share food. Because the ancient Chinese society is essentially a patriarchal society, and the most obvious feature of the patriarchal society is that male power is above everything else. male is the highest level creature, female status is very low, otherwise There will be a saying that men are superior to women, and this thought has been influencing even now.
For the Tang Dynasty, separate meals for men and women is a manifestation of the high status of men, not onlyThe difference between men and women is only the difference between men and women, and while raising men, it also belittles women . The level consciousness of men and women is also fully reflected in the food-sharing system.
Followed by monarchs and ministers should share food. There is a sentence that says "junjun, ministers, father, son" , which emphasizes the hierarchical consciousness between monarchs and ministers. In the TV series "Langya Bang", the emperor gave dishes to various residences at the beginning of the new year. The dishes were different, the tableware was also different, and the same was true for the banquet in the palace.
The emperor’s food is definitely different from the minister’s food, so this is emphasizing the level of consciousness, food system to complete the expression of this consciousness. Food sharing is a way of eating, and its food culture greatly affected the rule of the dynasty.
The establishment of the new dynasty requires the rule to be consolidated. And the rule awareness and hierarchical culture in the food-sharing system helped the rulers at that time, so the food-sharing system was still the main thing in the early Tang Dynasty. Way of eating.
2. The economic development in the mid-Tang Dynasty, the integration of food sharing and food integration
After recuperation in the early Tang Dynasty, the economic development of the mid-Tang Dynasty ushered in a major breakthrough. Economic strength has grown rapidly year by year, industry and commerce are prosperous, and ethnic minorities can also enter the Central Plains for trading. The mixed food system brought by ethnic minorities has impacted the food sharing system. makes the mid-Tang Dynasty present a situation where food sharing and food sharing are integrated. .
(1) The introduction of ethnic Hu bed, tall furniture flows into the market The development of ethnic minorities also saw the unprecedented prosperity of the Tang Dynasty economy. Facing the lack of grassland economy, many ethnic minorities chose to enter the Central Plains for trading.
The Tang Dynasty government is also more tolerant to ethnic minorities. Instead of expelling them directly, they started business. After ethnic minorities started to do business with the Central Plains people, they brought the characteristic products of the ethnic minorities into the Central Plains, such as Hu bed and other relatively tall furniture, the appearance of these furniture also indirectly changed the way people eat.
And how does the appearance of tall furniture change the way people eat? The tall furniture is more suitable for eating than the low dining table, and relatively speaking, the dining table area is much larger than the original dining table in the Central Plains, which can support a family to eat on one table.
Many people see such a table, they are curious, few people try it, but after trying it, many people choose to give up the food sharing system. And the royal family is also useful when eating normally, but at the palace banquet, it still chooses the food sharing system.
In this period, mixed food system has developed to a certain extent, and the separate food system still exists. Because of the participation of ethnic minorities, furniture with ethnic characteristics was introduced to the Central Plains. Although
food-sharing system has been impacted to a certain extent, it is still the mainstream. and the food-sharing system is constantly emerging under the stimulation of tall furniture. Palace has also adopted it, and the food-sharing system has also been adopted. A certain mass base has gradually begun to develop.
(2) The economy is prosperous, and the people’s spending power is generally high.
Because the economy in the middle of the Tang Dynasty has been very adequately developed, is the life of the people It is also very good, and the consumption power has also improved . After the people's purchasing power has increased, they will also have a lot of purchasing power for furniture. As a new style of furniture brought by ethnic minorities, many people in the Central Plains have not seen the Hu bed, and their curiosity will be even greater.
And the increase in consumption power has made many people start to buy tall furniture brought by ethnic minorities to try, because this kind of highFor the purchase of large furniture, the diet has been partially changed. 合 Food system has gradually become the mainstream diet, but also limited to the needs of informal occasions, men and women are still not allowed Eat at the same table.
The great economic development in the mid-Tang Dynasty led to rapid development of trade and rapid development of industry and commerce. Minorities began to enter the Central Plains region and brought their own national food culture into. thus affected the Central Plains food culture , The development of the integrated food system and the integration of the separate food system.
3. The integrative food system tends to be mainstream and adapts to the emotional needs of the times.
After the mid-Tang Dynasty, the economy gradually developed at a high speed. After the Anshi Rebellion, the people became stable in the country. I am more yearning for reunion with my family. The food-sharing system is gradually unable to adapt to the psychological needs of the people. Therefore, the food-sharing system has gradually become the mainstream and is more able to adapt to the emotional needs of the times.
(1) Food is more intimate, showing the close emotional unity of the dynasty.
In the frescoes of the Wei, Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, there was a pattern of food that was a meal between husband and wife. Drinking together, and, before the Tang Dynasty, most of the records of food together happened between close people. This symbol of food, After experiencing the Anshi Rebellion, the Tang Dynasty can feel the anxiety among the people even more.
And food can strengthen the connection between people very well, not only strengthen the connection between people, but also strengthen the connection between the monarch and the people, Intimate emotion, let The entire dynasty affected by the war appears to be more united , and the dynasty's rule can also be maintained.
The Anshi Rebellion is the most devastating war since the war before the founding of the Tang Dynasty. If the people cannot be soothed in time and the traumatized souls can not be soothed in time, the dynasty will be difficult to continue. and the food production is intimate Symbol, as a symbol of unity, meets the needs of the dynasty and the needs of the people's emotions. Therefore, gradually developed into the mainstream diet in the later period.
(2) Food sharing is more free and expresses the emotional feelings of the people.
The food system is to distribute food to different people according to the amount and class. The food system does this The disadvantage is that it is not free enough and easy to eat. eating is originally a very easy thing, but the food-sharing system will make eating look very formal, and emotions are not easy to express.
And the co-food system means that everyone eats together, what to eat, there is no sense of alienation, and it is better to speak freely. The people’s emotions have a place to vent, social order will be more stable, which will help consolidate the Tang Dynasty The late turmoil.
4. Conclusion
In the early Tang Dynasty, in order to consolidate the rule of the new dynasty, the food-sharing system is undoubtedly the best way of education, which can establish a sense of rules. It can also consolidate the class foundation. The food culture of is very in line with the needs of the early Tang Dynasty . In the mid-Tang Dynasty, the economy developed rapidly, industry and commerce prospered, the income of the people increased, and the consumption ability improved.
And ethnic minorities entered the Central Plains at this time, and the introduction of tall furniture began to change the food-sharing system, and the food-sharing system appeared and developed; in the later period, after Anshi Rebellion, the people longed for a stable life.
The food system well reflects this culture. More people choose the food system , and in order to strengthen the unity of the ruler, the food system also happens to be able to form a unity, and then to unite in the later period. Food is the mainstream food culture.
