Daqin: When I return from sea, I will offer you a map of the world

Chapter 6 Corn can be a staple food!

Sweet potatoes and potatoes are not picky, and they are extremely adaptable.

It does not require high water and fertilizer, and can be planted on barren land. In the prosperous years, it can be planted on the fields and corners.

In the event of a famine, it can even become a life-saving food. In modern times of famine, if there were no sweet potatoes, no one would know how many people would starve to death.

"However, there is a problem with these two types of crops. They are not easy to store and transport." Zhao Si said seriously.

Compared with grain, sweet potatoes and potatoes have higher storage conditions.

In ancient times, it was not impossible to solve it. It is not impossible to store sweet potatoes and potatoes by digging cellars, but the storage period is far from that of grain, and if you are not careful, they will germinate and deteriorate.

Sweet potatoes are okay, they can still be eaten after they germinate, and toxins will even be produced after potatoes germinate.

In terms of transportation and circulation, it is obviously not as good as grain. The requirements for transportation conditions are higher, and it is difficult to carry out long-distance circulation.

"These two types of food will germinate if they are stored carelessly. For example, the sweet potato can still be eaten after it germinates, but the potato will be poisonous after it germinates. And eating sweet potatoes for a long time will cause heartburn and flatulence." Zhao said. Si opened his mouth to explain.

Zhao Si only vaguely remembered that the yield of sweet potatoes was much higher than that of potatoes, but it seemed that potatoes would soon become the fourth staple food, while sweet potatoes could only be used as agricultural and sideline products.

Zhao Si doesn't know the specific reason, but what is certain is that eating potatoes for a long time will not make you feel as uncomfortable as eating sweet potatoes for a long time.

When Zhao Si was a child, he ate sweet potatoes for half a month in a row. It was really uncomfortable. Sweet potato leaves, sweet potato vines, stewed sweet potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes~~
And in terms of taste, potatoes are much better than sweet potatoes. Modern sweet potatoes are mostly improved varieties. Sweet potatoes that have not been artificially cultivated have a lot of fiber and taste stuffy.

In comparison, there is still a certain gap between these two crops and staple foods.

Potatoes have a smaller gap, and sweet potatoes have a larger gap.

However, sweet potato yields are higher and potato yields are slightly lower.

As for how to choose, that is the business of the first emperor.

The first emperor frowned slightly when he heard this, it was not easy to store, and the transportation conditions were relatively harsh.

These two conditions alone will greatly reduce the evaluation of these two crops.

The speed of transportation in ancient times was extremely slow... Once it came and went, it was troublesome to store and time-consuming to transport, so it was obviously not suitable for farming as staple food.

But that's five hundred catties per mu...

Even as a supplement to produce it is excellent.

From the perspective of Qin Shihuang and the market economy, the status of staple food is irreplaceable.

Once food is circulated, it has the attributes of a commodity, and the commercial value of potatoes and sweet potatoes is extremely low, but their high yield can be used as a bottom line in ancient times.

This is enough!

People take food as their heaven!
Although this era has not yet put forward the words that the people are the king and the boat, but the first emperor also understood that the lower class tends to be stable, and the upper class can rule more easily.

Taking a step back, when corvée, war, and other things that consume a lot of manpower and material resources, there are crops with a yield of more than 500 catties per mu, the bearing capacity of the lower class will also be greatly increased, and it will be less likely to cause chaotic changes.

From a long-term point of view, this is something that increases the background of the Great Qin and even mobilizes to strengthen the rule of the Great Qin.

Although Zhao Si had said less, although Zhao Si had already mentioned the disadvantages of sweet potatoes and potatoes in advance, the first emperor still seemed very solemn.

"What about this thing? What is the yield?" Shi Huang pointed to the corn, with a little more expectation in his tone.

"Slightly higher than five grains...can be used as staple food." Zhao Si said after pondering for a moment.

Zhao Si really didn't know the exact yield of corn. He only knew roughly that under the ancient production conditions, the yield of corn could be higher than that of wheat, rice and other crops. He really didn't know exactly how much higher.

"However, the growth of this thing is stronger than that of wheat. The climate is suitable, and it can grow in a hundred days." Zhao Si replied.

After hearing Zhao Si say that [-] jin of potatoes and sweet potatoes are produced per mu, the first emperor was a little disappointed when he heard that corn was slightly higher than wheat.

But when he heard that it only takes a hundred days from planting to maturity, Emperor Shihuang immediately became interested.

The first emperor was not a person who didn't understand the five grains. The Great Qin was originally a country of farming and warfare. As a king of a country, if he didn't know the farming season, it would be ridiculous.

Right now, the five grains are hemp, millet, millet, wheat, and bean.Wheat is the most widely grown.

The maturity period of wheat basically takes more than 200 days, which is more than twice that of corn.

Under normal circumstances, it is three crops every two years, and very few areas with a pleasant climate and convenient irrigation are two crops a year.

Or during the year, after the wheat is planted, other crops are interspersed.

According to Zhao Si, although the yield per mu of corn is only slightly higher than that of wheat, the growth time is only half of that of wheat.

what does that mean?It means that most areas can do two crops a year.

Plant one crop of wheat, and another crop of corn, and harvest twice a year.

The two are supplemented by planting, and if they are promoted, Daqin's annual grain production will not only double, but at least increase by half.

"Hmm... what's the flaw?" Shi Huang subconsciously looked at Zhao Si.

He subconsciously believes that such crops also have certain defects, and nothing is perfect in the world.

"Hmm...not that delicious?" Zhao Si asked.

But if you think about it carefully, in this era of limited husking technology, it seems that the wheat without the husk may taste better than corn...

Before the appearance of refined rice noodles, it was certain that corn would become a mainstream crop.

Emperor Shihuang smiled slightly.

Not that tasty?Where can food be delicious?

It is easy to store, it will not get sick when you eat it, it can be transported over long distances, and the yield is sufficient. In this era, it has already met the rigid standards of becoming a staple food.

"Then this thing?" Shi Huangdi looked at the red pepper.

"How much is the yield?"

Zhao Si shook his head.

"Your Majesty, this food is not food, but spices. Compared with peppercorns, it has a stronger flavor and tastes so delicious, I can't stop eating it!" Zhao Si said.

The origin of peppercorns is near the Qinling Mountains, belonging to the Zhuxia cultural circle, but the production is limited, and it is an extremely precious food material, even worth real money.

However, in ancient times, spices were not cheap.

For a long time, the price of spices was a golden peg.

In history, some countries in the Middle East sometimes launched national wars because of the ownership of several pepper trees.

Faced with a cart of spices, the monarch of a small country in the Middle East can even tear off his face and seize it on the spot, just like a robber.

However, as a person who doesn't like spicy food, compared to other spices, chili is Zhao Si's favorite.

(Note: There are many kinds of rice in the south. During the Qin Dynasty, the south was not yet developed, so at that time, there were hemp but no rice in the five grains. After the Song Dynasty, the south was developed, and rice became the mainstream food. Rice replaced hemp as one of the five grains. )
(End of this chapter)