Source: Outlook Think Tank Author: Chen Zhonghai
At the beginning of 2020, the sudden outbreak of the new coronavirus pneumonia epidemic has had a profound impact on people's lives and consumption habits. While everyone is generally raising their awareness of healthy living, the "meal-sharing system" as a healthy eating trend has gradually been paid attention to and accepted by people.
For a long time, Chinese people are more accustomed to dining together than the Western system of sharing meals. Gathering friends to sit around a table, setting out delicious food and wine, everyone sharing the food with chopsticks and drinking wine from glasses is really one of the joys of life!
But in fact, among the 5,000 years of recorded history, the meal-sharing system has dominated China for at least 3,500 years.
So, why did our ancestors share meals? Later, what was the reason why the sharing meal system failed to get together? Will the meal-sharing system, which once occupied most of China’s historical records, make a comeback?
On April 1, 2020, in a shopping mall in Haidian District, Beijing, catering companies began to resume operations in an orderly manner, through various prevention and control measures such as providing disinfectants, controlling the number of diners in the store, and using meal-sharing baffles.
On March 21, 2020, in a cold noodle shop in Hunchun City, Jilin Province, after the opening of dine-in dining, the store layout was adjusted from the original table of four people to a table of two people.
1 Food is scarce and one has to share meals.
Primitive society has low productivity. Dozens of people often form a group to live and work together. They mainly make a living by hunting and gathering wild fruits.
At that time, "eating" was the top priority in people's lives. As Maslow pointed out in the book "Motivation and Personality":
"His dreams are food, his memories are food, the center of his thinking activities is food, and the object of his emotions is food. He They only perceive food and only want to get food. "
Because the food available was very limited, in order to ensure that every member of the group could survive, our ancestors had to divide the food into several small portions, one for each person.
This kind of production and lifestyle also meets people's safety needs to a certain extent. Collective labor and unified distribution make it easier for people to develop a mentality of mutual trust and interdependence.
In addition, the living conditions at that time were simple and there were no decent food utensils. After everyone got their share of food, they usually found a place to stand or sit on the ground to eat, which was not very particular.
html The 5-point meal system came into being naturally in this way, and to a certain extent it was a "last resort".
After the end of the Neolithic Age, humans entered the Bronze Age, productivity was greatly developed, surplus food increased, and tableware also underwent many innovations, but people still practiced sharing meals.
At that time, there was a very common food utensil called a kei, which was generally shaped like a mouth (the rim of the mouth is tilted outward), with 2 ears on the top and 3 hollow feet on the bottom. This shape is convenient for cooking and heating on the fire. An essential tool in people's lives.
Three-legged Li
Judging from the actual objects unearthed from archaeological excavations, the capacity of Li is usually not large, and the food it holds is often only enough for one person to eat. This shows that people at that time still used the method of sharing meals.
Another type of food utensil that is somewhat similar in shape to the kei is the tripod. It also had 2 ears and 3 legs at the beginning. Its main purpose was to cook and hold food. It was much more particular in terms of shape, material, and production.
[Note: According to "Shuowen Jiezi", a tripod has three legs and two ears, and is also a treasure with five flavors. 】
The size, pattern and quantity of the large tripod
indicate a person's status. It has evolved from a simple food vessel to a status symbol and a ritual vessel.
The same applies to wine vessels such as 卣, 罍, and 彝.
2 Class needs, furniture dictates
Eaters usually sit upright on a mat spread on the ground, with their upper body straight, their knees on the mat, and their buttocks erect or pressed on their feet. The host and guests distinguish their identities and statuses through location and seating. Each person has their own food in front of them, one for each person.
The ancient meal-sharing system in the murals
This ritualistic way of eating is very in line with people's need to distinguish between high and low after entering a class society, that is, "the beginning of husband's etiquette begins with food" advocated by Confucianism.
People with different identities have different types and quantities of food placed in front of them, and the food utensils they use are also different. For example:
When the monarch and his subjects eat together for , "The emperor has nine cauldrons and eight guis, the princes have seven cauldrons and six guis, the officials have five cauldrons and four guis, and the scholars have three cauldrons and two guis." The tenth person has four beans, the eighty person has five beans, and the ninety person has six beans.";
When the guest and the host eat together, "the host respects the guest, so the guest sits in the northwest, and the guest sits in the southwest to assist the guest and receive others. Those who are righteous, so they sit in the northwest; those who are masters are those who are virtuous, so they sit in the southeast; and those who sit in the northeast are to assist the master. "
[Note: Gui and Dou are the same as the tripod. It's a food utensil. 】
The meal-sharing system was implemented, which was also closely related to the furniture at that time.
Chairs are a kind of seat that appeared relatively late. Before it appeared and became popular, people usually sat on the floor, and "seats" were the most common seats. Modern scholar Shang Binghe believed in "An Examination of Social Customs and Affairs of the Past Dynasties": "If the ancient utensils are not ready for use, they all sit on the ground and use mats."
[Note: According to the "Chinese Dictionary", mats are utensils for sitting and sleeping. . A flat piece woven from bamboo strips, reed strips or grass. 】
The "banquet" we are talking about now is developed from "çµ" and "西". "çŤ" is something similar to "çŤ", but the difference is that "çŤ" is bigger than the mat and is usually spread under the "çŤ".
[Note: According to Eastern Han Dynasty Zheng Xuan’s explanation, a feast is also a banquet. The presentation is called a feast, and the basis is called a banquet. The banquet is spread on the top and the mat is spread on the bottom, so it is called a seat. According to the fact that the banquet is larger than the mat, the entire floor is spread so that there is no gap and the ground is considered clean. 】
These utensils were the "standard configuration" for people to eat at that time. There are no chairs, so you can only sit on the floor; there are no tables, so you can only use low food tables. It is inconvenient to dine in such a situation and gather many people around to dine together.
People's clothing at that time also decided to implement the meal sharing system.
Before the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the clothes that ordinary people often wore were trousers or hakama, which were crotchless pants. The top is usually a robe with wide sleeves, which is more suitable for sitting on the floor.
3 History changed by the meal-sharing system
History books record many stories about the meal-sharing system.
" Historical Records·Biography of Meng Changjun " tells the story of a "murderous case" caused by the meal-sharing system.
As one of the Four Gentlemen of the Warring States Period, Lord Mengchang was very kind to his diners. Thousands of his diners usually ate the same food as himself. This kind of equality was quite rare in the time of strict hierarchy, so it was very popular.
Once, a new knight discovered that Meng Changjun blocked the light during the banquet, and he was heartbroken - the leader was giving special treatment and eating small dishes, deliberately not being seen.
became more and more angry as he thought about it, so he left the table angrily.
Mr. Mengchang said that he couldn't carry this pot, so he explained it to the angry hero personally and showed him his meal. Sure enough, it was no different from everyone else's.
As a result, the man was so ashamed that he drew his sword and killed himself to apologize.
Imagine if everyone was dining at the same table, there would be no misunderstandings like this, and suicides would not happen.
The "Hongmen Banquet" that we are familiar with (from "Historical Records· Xiang Yu Benji"), it is precisely because of the implementation of the meal sharing system that Fan Zeng was able to set up the " Xiangzhuang Sword Dance" killing game - Xiang Yu, Fan Zeng, Liu Bang , Zhang Liang and others were seated in different directions according to their status, with an open space in the middle. If a few of them had gathered around a table to eat, Xiang Zhuang would have had no room to play, and it would have been possible to forcefully play the game. If you accidentally hurt your own people, the gain outweighs the loss.
Hongmen Banquet
htmlThe five-part meal system also provides convenience to poor officials who are filial to their parents.
"Chen Shu · Xu Xiaoke Biography" records that every time Xu Xiaoke, the Minister of Southern Chen, accompanied the emperor to a banquet, he did not see what he ate. When the banquet was over, there was a lot less food in front of his seat. Chen Gaozong asked Guan Bin, a member of Zhongshushe what's going on.
So Guan Bin observed carefully and found that Xu Xiaoke secretly stuffed the food into his wide belt, and after the banquet was over, he took it back to his mother to eat. Chen Gaozong was very moved when he learned about this incident and ordered the relevant management personnel to "package" all the food placed in front of Xu Xiaoke's case at banquets and take it home.
The famous "raising the case to raise eyebrows" also comes from the meal sharing system.
"Book of the Later Han·Yi Min Biography" records that the hermit Liang Hong graduated from Taixue. After returning to his hometown, he married Meng Guang. The couple later moved to Wu County and made a living by working as helpers. Every time when Liang Hong's helper came back, Meng Guang would prepare food for him in advance, hold the food table in front of his forehead, and hold it to his husband as a sign of respect. This is the allusion of "raising the case and raising eyebrows", which has become an eternal legend of husband and wife treating each other as guests.
A picture of a couple having a banquet in a mural of the Eastern Han Dynasty
The "case" mentioned by Meng Guang was a common snack table at that time. Different from the dinner plate, this kind of snack table had enough space and could be placed on the ground or on the table. One person had one case in front of him during the meal. .
[Note: According to Yan Shigu's "Jijiuzhang Annotation", if there are no feet, it is called a plate, and if there are feet, it is called a case, so Chen Jushi is also a person. 】
4 The troubled times of the Wei and Jin Dynasties, an important turning point
After the Wei and Jin Dynasties, there were frequent wars and social unrest. Traditional Confucianism was challenged by metaphysics and other concepts. Traditional concepts such as hierarchy and etiquette tended to gradually fade away. These changes were projected into social life. , triggering changes in customs.
In addition, after the Wei and Jin Dynasties, various ethnic groups collided and blended, their cultures merged with each other, and clothing, furniture, tableware, etc. were also constantly innovated, creating conditions for the emergence of the dinner party system.
During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, a large number of ethnic minorities entered the Central Plains, bringing with them "Hufu". Different from the traditional clothing of the Han people, the Hufu has narrow sleeves, tight fit, round neck, and slits at the bottom, making it more suitable for activities. During meals, it is not as easy to knock over the food plate and get stained with oil as the "long gown" is.
Schematic diagram of Hufu
In addition to Hufu, "Hubeds" are also widely popular.
The Hu Bed is a foldable and lightweight seat, similar to a "mazar", and was originally a common utensil among nomadic peoples. "Book of the Later Han·Five Elements Chronicles" records that Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty Liu Hong "favoured Hu clothes, Hu tents, Hu beds, and Hu seats", and "all the nobles and relatives in the capital competed for them".
was further evolved and improved from the Hu bed, and stools and chairs appeared. Dunhuang In the Western Wei Dynasty mural in Cave 285, the Bodhisattva is sitting in an armchair with a footrest. This chair is generally considered to be the first armchair in the history of Chinese furniture.
Western Wei Dynasty murals in Dunhuang Cave 285·Armchair with footrest
When the Hu bed was first introduced, the dining table was still relatively short. In the Eastern Wei Dynasty stone carving "Hu Bed Picture" unearthed in Henan, a person sits with his legs crossed on a Hu Bed with a food table in front of him. However, the Hu Bed is much higher than the food table. When eating, one has to bend down to get the food, which is really uncomfortable. !
As a result, high-end furniture appeared, the most common one being the table. In the Tang Dynasty mural in Cave 85 of Dunhuang, a butcher is cutting meat. The meat is placed on a high-legged table. However, the legs of the table in this period were thicker and the shape was simple.
Tang Dynasty Mural in Dunhuang Cave 85·The Slaughter of the Lankavatara Sutra
More and more portable and simple clothes, as well as more practical and beautiful tables and chairs, have greatly improved people's dining comfort and are also more conducive to gatherings.
It’s not difficult to understand the truth. After using new furniture, if you still use the separate meal system, each person has a table and a chair, which not only wastes furniture, but also takes up a lot of space and is not lively. In this way, people gradually gathered around a table to eat.
In the "Feasting Picture" of the Wei and Jin tombs unearthed from Jiayuguan, two people are eating opposite each other around a food table. In the other "Feasting Picture", four people are sitting side by side on one side of a large rectangular food table. , enjoying music while dining, all reflect the transition from a separate meal system to a group dining system.
5 When the economy and trade were prosperous, everyone loved to have dinner parties.
In the Tang Dynasty, dinner parties became more and more popular.
As society became more stable and prosperous, and supplies became more and more abundant, people in the Tang Dynasty who no longer had to worry about their families being destroyed or displaced began to pay attention to the quality of life.
First of all, have fun eating.
Dining together is more conducive to creating a happy atmosphere and conducive to people's emotional communication. For many banquet activities, socializing is more important than enjoying food, and the dinner party system undoubtedly meets people's needs.
Secondly, you should eat richly.
In the early days, there were fewer types of food, and it was easy to portion out meals. Thanks to the prosperity of economy and trade, there are more and more varieties of ingredients and dishes. If the meal sharing system is still adopted, it will be difficult to satisfy the appetite of the Tang Dynasty people.
For example, if 10 people eat 15 dishes, and 15 plates are placed on a table for a dinner party, and each person takes it, it can ensure that everyone eats the same quality dishes; if you divide the meal, it will be difficult to do it. To make delicious food, at least 10 times the number of tableware must be used. Just imagine a scene where 10 people are surrounded by 150 plates. How much area does this require?
In this case, the dinner party system is becoming more and more popular.
The Tang Dynasty Tang Dynasty Webster's tomb mural "Picture of a Picnic" shows the scene of a dinner party:
A large square high-footed table is set up, with all the food utensils placed on this table, and nine men sit on high-footed stools. The three of them sat around the table.
Of course, the change was not instantaneous. During the Tang and Five Dynasties, the meal-sharing system did not completely disappear.
In the famous painting "Han Xizai's Night Banquet" by Southern Tang painter Gu Hongzhong , Han Xizai and 4 other officials were having a banquet while listening to pipa music. There were 2 dining tables, one large and one small. Han Xizai and 3 officials Sitting around the big table, another official sits alone at the small table. There is gathering in the middle and parting in the gathering, which reflects that the way of dining is changing and transitioning.
Part of the picture of Han Xizai’s night banquet
After the Song Dynasty, the dinner party system gradually took shape.
Chairs, tables and other dining furniture are becoming more and more mature and sophisticated. The height of the table has exceeded the height of people's knees when they sit down, so that people can put their legs under the table when eating, thus shortening the length of the table. Distance from food.
In the famous painting "Along the River During Qingming Festival" in the Song Dynasty, we can see the large tables and high chairs placed in the Kaifengfu restaurant in Tokyo. People eat around the table. At this time, the economical and comfortable dining system has become popular among the people. When dining at home, people are also used to having dinner together.
Part of the Qingming Festival Along the River
The emergence of the Eight Immortals Table has taken another step forward in the popularity and convenience of dinner parties.
It has a simple shape and economical materials. Each table has four sides, all of which are the same length. It can seat 2 people on each side and 8 people on one table, hence the name.
Among the people, in addition to chairs, there are also stools that save more space. Everyone sat around the Eight Immortals table, and everyone was at an equal distance from the food, making it easier to arrange seating arrangements.
6 Epidemic alert, will the meal sharing system come back?
During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, partying has always been the mainstream way of dining.
The "Man-Han Banquet" that appeared in the Qing Dynasty pushed the content and form of dinner parties to a climax.
After modern times, with the introduction of Western culture and dietary customs, people have thought and discussed which form of dining is more scientific and advanced.
For example, in the 1930s, some Chinese intellectuals paid more attention to Western health knowledge and practices. They popularized relevant knowledge to the public through books, newspapers and periodicals, allowing the public to understand the correlation between human body fluids and disease transmission, and advocated learning from it. The Western practice of sharing meals restores the Chinese tradition of sharing meals before the Tang and Song Dynasties.
Someone listed 11 unhygienic habits of Chinese people at that time in newspapers and periodicals, including "sharing food", which was believed to be the main channel of infection for "tuberculosis", which was highly contagious at that time and everyone talked about it. one.
From a scientific and health perspective, these understandings make sense. When everyone gathers around the dining table and takes food directly from their own tableware, there will inevitably be "crossing of body fluids". In order to show their hospitality, some hosts even use their own chopsticks to pick up food for their guests, which increases the possibility of cross-infection of to .Implementing a meal-sharing system can effectively reduce cross-infection of the digestive tract and respiratory tract.
However, many discussions in modern times on the meal sharing system and the dining together system have not shaken the status of the dining together system, and people are still accustomed to the form of dining together.
On March 26, 2020, in a hotel in Jinan, Shandong Province, staff provided meal sharing services to guests.
The change from the group dining system to the separate meal system requires that in addition to changes in people's ideas and living habits, there are also some specific problems that need to be solved.
For example, in some large restaurants, separate meals and buffets are easier to implement. For many small and medium-sized restaurants, additional tableware must be added to implement the separate meal system, which will increase the corresponding service costs and tableware loss costs.
The main dining venues in many Chinese restaurants are private rooms with round tables inside, which is more suitable for gatherings. If it is changed to a separate meal system, the dining environment will need to be modified.
Also, Chinese food emphasizes good color, aroma and taste, and emphasizes cooking whole chickens and whole fish. Some dishes have allusions and histories, which is not conducive to dividing into small portions. If you insist on "cutting the whole into parts", you need to do some related work. Innovation in food culture and cooking technology will do.
Of course, no matter how difficult something is, as long as it is advanced and scientific, and as long as it is good for people's health, it should be actively tried and implemented.
The meal-sharing system has been used in China for more than 3,500 years, and it may become popular again.
Uncle Ku’s welfare
Uncle Ku’s book donation activities are always on! CITIC Publishing Group provides Uncle Ku with 25 "Comprehensible Financial Investment Lessons" as gifts to enthusiastic readers. It is easy to understand and tells professional economics knowledge in finance, economics, investment and other aspects to help you better understand the world. It also tells the core knowledge modules of currency and finance to help you build your own knowledge system. Please leave a comment under the article, and the top 3 with the most likes (more than 50) will receive a gift book.
Column editor: Zhang Wu Text editor: Fang Ying Source of title picture: Visual China Picture editor: Da Xi
Source: Outlook Think Tank/Chen Zhonghai
![WTF Just Happened to GPU Prices?! [INSANE] - DayDayNews](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/R07n0b8sJs0/hq720.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEcCNAFEJQDSFXyq4qpAw4IARUAAIhCGAFwAcABBg==&rs=AOn4CLBFyH9Rq0viJsvmZmQbZxlZ5uExyQ)
