Tang Dynasty Crossing Guide: Chang'an and People's Life Manual

Chapter 8 How to be a qualified foodie in the Tang Dynasty (3)
In the same way, if there is a large-scale killing of pigs and sheep before the Chinese New Year, there will be a lot of meat that cannot be eaten for a while.At this time, we have to use scientific and technological means-artificial preservatives and so on are weak. The ancients used various seasonings such as salt, vinegar, wine, pepper, etc., plus air-drying, drying, fermentation and other production techniques to make preserved and cured meat. All kinds of pure natural, pollution-free, long shelf life foods, such as , vinegar, and watermelon ①, are delicious.

In fact, if you are an ordinary commoner or a middle- and lower-class gentry, you will eat more preserved meat than fresh meat, because fresh meat is really expensive.

How expensive is it?

During the Zhenguan period, in order to establish a clean and honest government style of diligence and thrift, the imperial court ordered all the censors to go out for inspections, and all localities were not allowed to supply meat to the censors, so as not to disturb the people.

So the hard-working censors can only obey the public and eat vegetarian every day?Hey, that's not necessarily the case.

A small report was sent to Emperor Li Shimin: His Majesty clearly told the world's censors not to eat meat when they go out, but some people kept asking the prefectures and counties to kill chickens for him to eat. This censor is your darling little secretary Ma Zhou!

His Majesty Li Shimin didn't blush, he couldn't breathe, and he swiped his imperial pen: I ordered that no meat be eaten, and what Ma Zhou ate was chicken!What's the matter with eating chicken?Those who alienate the relationship between the monarch and his ministers should be pulled out and beaten! ②
Is this Li Shimin's selfishness?In fact, it may be counted, but in theory it is not, because in the concept of Tang Dynasty people, "meat" in a narrow sense refers to animal meat, while chickens, ducks, geese, etc. are called "poultry", and they can also be called "meat". Chickens can really be said to have not violated the "meat precept".

① Preserved and cured meat are dried meat, vinegar is food preserved by vinegar or other acidification methods, and scallops are pickled vegetables or meat.

②The allusion comes from Biography No.20 of "New Book of Tang".

What's more, compared with livestock meat such as pigs, sheep, cattle, etc., chicken was much cheaper in the Tang Dynasty. Basically, ordinary farmers raised chickens. For a warm and kind family, it is normal for the host to kill a chicken to entertain them.

A pot of freshly steamed yellow millet rice, freshly killed free-range chicken or boiled or steamed, if there are vegetables growing in the private plot, boil (hāo) a handful of leeks or bean leaves, and then serve with homemade turbidity Served with rice wine, this is the most typical farm meal of the Tang Dynasty.If you have carefully trained before crossing, you can chant "the old man has chicken millet, invite me to Tian's house" ① "cut the spring leeks in the night rain, and the yellow beams in the new cooking room" ② while eating, it will be more flavorful.

Among poultry, chickens account for the vast majority, followed by geese instead of ducks.

Contrary to modern times, people in the Tang Dynasty raised more geese than ducks, and it was more common to eat geese than ducks, so it is not easy for you to eat capital roast duck in Chang'an.However, there is another famous poultry dish in Chang'an called "Hunyang Shihu", which is more delicious and expensive than roast duck. Believe it or not?

This dish can only be seen at the big banquets of rich people.Several servants carried a large wooden tray to the hall, and on the tray was a whole roasted whole lamb that was steaming and scorched...

Wait, you said that what we are going to eat is a famous poultry dish, why is it served with sheep?Alas, guest, please continue to read. The cook took out a knife and cut open the stitched goat belly. It turned out that there was a roast goose hidden inside!

①From Meng Haoran's "Passing the Old Man's Village".

②From Du Fu's "Gift to the Eight Guards".

There is still something in the stomach of this goose, which is meat and glutinous rice mixed with condiments.Stuff the cleaned and stuffed whole goose into the belly of the lamb, and after they are cooked on the fire, we only take out the roast goose, cut it open and eat it one by one, and throw away the roasted lamb as a container. Throw it to the servants to enjoy.Why do I think this famous dish must have been invented by the servants?

In the same way as game meat, people in the Tang Dynasty also ate wild birds such as pheasants, partridges, turtledoves, and bamboo chickens, most of which were hunted.Poultry can also be made into dried meat for preservation.

This has been talking about you having a banquet at other people's house outside for a long time. Shouldn't you have a banquet at your own home as well?What?You say you have no money?This month's wages have not been paid, not to mention pork and mutton, and I can't even afford a chicken.You, the Moonlight Clan of the Tang Dynasty, are really...

Forget it, it doesn't matter, we have plenty of ways.If you don’t have money to buy meat, go get it yourself.Even if you live in a low-rent house in Chang'an City, you don't have space to raise sheep, pigs, or chickens, and you don't have the strength to hunt chickens, you will always fish, right?
Take one or two servants with you, take the fishing rods and nets, and go out of the city as soon as the street drums sound and the doors of the workshops first open.The natural environment of the Tang Dynasty was good, not to mention the south, even Northwest China was full of rivers, lakes and swamps. Have you heard of "eight waters around Chang'an"?In short, it is very easy to find a water surface with fish outside Chang'an City. After a long time of tossing around with the master and servants, they can still bring back a basket of fresh fish.

There are meat and rice, it's time to treat guests.The cooks in your family are pretty good. When the guests come and sit down, they will serve them with a plate of white and thin things.

If you take a closer look, most of the food on the plate is in the shape of silk, and there are also small flakes. The flakes are all translucent white, very thin and tender. , mashed garlic, orange shreds and other seasonings.Take the white shredded rice with chopsticks, put it into your mouth with green onion and mustard, taste it, it is smooth and cold, fresh and greasy with a sweet taste.This kind of food, you have only eaten in Japanese restaurants before crossing, it is sashimi that is priced as hell.

How about it, do you think it is very face-saving?Immediately, he happily showed off to the guests, "This is a rare Japanese-style sashimi."Alas, you see the way the guests look at you, like a country bumpkin: "It's the carp cut, the job is good, the fish is fresh enough." This is already quite a high evaluation.

There is no way, such things as sashimi are indeed very common in the recipes of the people of the Tang Dynasty.Not only that, the aristocratic men in the Tang Dynasty generally looked down on cooking skills, but they felt that it was a fashionable style to perform the technique of "cutting carp" in front of others.You said that the "Japanese-style sashimi" hyped up by the grandchildren is qualified to show off in front of the people of the Tang Dynasty?
There was another unkind guest over there, chewing shredded carp, and asked innocently: "What kind of fish is this?" The guest stopped!Don't be so honest, just tell the truth-"It's the carp I just caught today." You must know that this was in the "Li" Tang Dynasty, and the government ordered several times to fast the "national fish". It's not wrong to eat according to the law, but at least to save face for the government, don't say it in public.

In addition to carp, other common bream, crucian carp, perch, mandarin fish... All fresh fish that have just come out of the water can be cut and eaten raw.If you, a traveler, are still not used to cold food, another popular fish dish is to make fish soup, scrape the scales, remove the bones, cut into pieces and cook in a thick soup. Don’t forget to add more vinegar, sour to overcome fishy smell is the most effective.

Also remind you that the host, since the main course is fish, it is best to serve the main course with white rice.It would be even better if we could pick some water shield while fishing and use it to make soup.People in the Tang Dynasty also paid attention to food matching. When eating mutton, noodles and noodles are more suitable. If they eat fish, they also eat noodles.

Guests who like to eat fresh seafood will probably be happy and painful when they travel to the Tang Dynasty.Happiness is because basically the aquatic products that are commonly eaten in modern times, such as fish, shrimp, crab, shellfish, squid, jellyfish, frog and turtle... have all been on the food table of the people of the Tang Dynasty, especially if you travel to the south of the Yangtze River, These aquatic products are very rich and easy to eat.

pain?That’s because people in the Tang Dynasty had different tastes from modern people, and their cooking methods were also different. You might not be able to eat a mouthful of cooked seafood while watching it right in front of your eyes.For example, people in the Tang Dynasty ate crabs, and "sugar crabs" were popular, and good crabs were marinated with molasses to make them sweet before eating.

In the end, dried salted fish is also delicious. Like meat and poultry, making salted fish and cured fish is also a must-have skill for people in the Tang Dynasty. Some people around the water even eat these as their staple food.

References & in-depth understanding recommendations for this article:
Wang Saishi. Diet of the Tang Dynasty. Jinan: Qilu Publishing House, 2003
Welcome to the authentic Hebei Vinegar and Celery Old Store, which specializes in Weijia dishes
蔬菜
good news!good news!A female guest who loves time travel offered to entertain the Tang Chuan food group with a delicious meal cooked by herself!However, the girls like a light taste, and this meal will be mainly vegetarian.What?She said that the ingredients need to be provided by the group?So tell me, this time-traveling lady, what kind of food do you plan to cook?
Scrambled eggs with tomatoes?The big tomato we eat today was introduced from the Americas in the Ming Dynasty, and it has been used as an ornamental plant since it was introduced, because everyone believed it to be poisonous, and it was not until the end of the Qing Dynasty that some people gradually dared to eat it.In the Tang Dynasty more than 1000 years ago, how did you ask people to cross the Pacific Ocean to find tomatoes for you?

Vinegar simmered potato shreds?Another species that originated in South America and was introduced to China in the Ming Dynasty.I said, did you enter the Tang Chuan team by mistake as a guest of the Qing Chuan team?Friendly reminder, you don’t have to think about roasted sweet potatoes and boiled corn, they were introduced into the Ming Dynasty from America along with tomatoes and potatoes.

Fried onions with green peppers?Yes, I finally left the Ming Dynasty. These two were only introduced in the Qing Dynasty. Green peppers (and the pepper family) originated in the Americas, and onions originated in West Asia and South Asia.Otherwise, beauty, after you travel to the Tang Dynasty, you will open Goldfinger to form an invincible fleet to sail around the world to collect food for you, right?
The time-traveling female cooking show is really unreliable.Not to mention the ingredients, the "stir-frying" cooking techniques used by modern people were not clearly recorded until the Song Dynasty. People in the Tang Dynasty still mainly boiled, steamed, and grilled.You have to travel through the Tang Dynasty to invent cooking techniques, and you can be killed just by finding the right pot and stove and spoon.

To be honest, let's go and see what dishes are served in restaurants in the Tang Dynasty.When I was drinking in Xishi last time, didn't I pass by a "Weijiacai" with the emperor's inscription on the advertisement?This is a place where Tang Chuan diners like to settle down.Of course, it is also a long-term business partner of the company's Tang Chuan group. There are special guides in the store to introduce various dishes, so I can be lazy.Alas, this kind of unspoken rules of the time travel group, guest, please don't say anything more.

Ladies, gentlemen, distinguished guests of the Tang Chuan Tuan, good afternoon everyone.Welcome to the authentic old Hebei Vinegar and Qin store, which specializes in Weijia dishes.

Before you take your seats, please allow me to introduce the historical origin and special dishes of our restaurant.

Guests are invited to appreciate this little poem on the wall first: "醽醁 wins orchids, green waves pass jade scallions. Drunk for a thousand days without waking up, ten years of unbeatable taste."

"醽醁" is pronounced "Linglu", "醽醁" and "Cuitao" are both famous green wines in ancient times.Legend has it that Wei Zhengwei Xuancheng, the famous prime minister of the Tang Dynasty, had the method of brewing wine in the Western Regions.Wei Xianggong—Guests over there, don’t laugh, Xianggong is the respectful name we Tang Dynasty people gave to the prime minister, and it has nothing to do with homosexuality—Wei Xianggong brewed two kinds of green wine at home, named "醽醁" and "Cuitao", respectively. Tribute to Emperor Taizongwen to taste.

Emperor Wen is a top-notch wine connoisseur in the world. After tasting the Wei family wine, he gave it a very high evaluation, and immediately wrote down these four advertisements... Well, it's a short essay.The "Lansheng" in the poem is a hundred-flavored wine that Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty drank, and "Yu Xie" is a famous wine in the palace of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty in the previous dynasty. Emperor Wen thought that the Wei family wine was better than them.

As for "drunk for a thousand days, undefeated for ten years", I don't think there is any need to explain it.Emperor Wen's poems are so elegant and popular, simple and close to the people.

Knowing the origin of this poem, the guests must be able to guess a thing or two about the origin and characteristics of our store.The first generation owner of this store is the half-brother-in-law of the second uncle’s niece and son-in-law of Wei Xianggong’s great-great-great-grandson. Secret family recipe.

Alright, please enter the store and take your seats according to the guidance of "Doctor".After sitting down, the "doctors" will give each guest a cup of Weijia wine, please taste it on an empty stomach to feel its beauty.

Sorry, we don't serve orchids in our restaurant.Wei Xiang's family style is serious and upright, Mrs. Wei does not allow evildoers to enter the house.If you want to see Orchid, please turn right when you go out, there is the third house on the left side of the street.But that's a completely self-funded project, so you should think about it first.

Wei Xiang not only has a serious family style, but also a poor family.Although Emperor Wen rewarded Wei Xiang with tens of thousands of wealth successively, the whereabouts of the huge amount of property is unknown.Therefore, the Weijia cuisine served in this shop is also mainly vegetable-based, and I will explain it in advance.

Now serving the food table is our signature dish "Hebei Vinegar Celery".

Wei Xianggong's ancestral home was Quyang, Juluxia (now west of Jinzhou, Hebei), and the Wei family was a well-known local scholar family.Before the Tang Dynasty, the Central Plains was in turmoil for hundreds of years. Generations of noble families from all over the country gathered villagers to defend the city for self-protection. The clans all had secret methods for storing and making storable food.Wei Xianggong likes to eat pickled celery, which has a lot to do with his background.

Guests may wish to pick up some vinegar parsley to taste.The celery we eat in the Tang Dynasty is still mainly water celery, but the vinegar celery in our shop is also mixed with dry celery that was introduced from the Western Regions not long ago. This kind of vegetable is thicker, more tender and has a unique flavor.

The old vinegar used in this shop is also brewed with the secret recipe handed down by the Wei family, which involves commercial secrets, and the details will not be announced.

In addition, I would like to remind you to pay attention to the tableware for vinegar and celery in our store.This kind of large white porcelain cup is custom-made by our shop from Xing Kiln.

His Majesty Emperor Taizong Wen is approachable, although he was often criticized by Wei Xianggong for various accidents, he still tried his best to build a good relationship with the ministers. For this reason, according to Wei Xianggong's appearance characteristics, he was nicknamed "Yangbigong" ".Hearing that Yangbigong loves vinegar celery, Emperor Wen specially prepared three cups of vinegar celery for him at a banquet. As a result, before the banquet was over, Wei Xianggong ate up the three cups of vinegar celery.

In the face of Emperor Wen's kind ridicule, Wei Xianggong seriously pointed out that his love of eating celery has great political significance, because celery can lower blood fat, and it can cleanse the intestines after being pickled in acid. We in the Tang Dynasty called it "astringent".This symbolizes that the ruler should be pure-hearted, frugal and self-serving, which is of great reference value to His Majesty Taizong who has excess energy.

Of course, for the majority of Tang Chuan group guests, the role of this dish in "relieving stomach pouches" may be more prominent.We have heard the sound of your stomach growling, so let's move on to the next dish.

What I present to you now is our Tang Dynasty people's main dish - sunflower.Our shop specially selects the okra picked in autumn, together with fresh well water and pure natural unadded coarse salt, to make this "okra soup", please enjoy.

We learned that in the era before your time travel, the vegetable sunflower was only found in small quantities in some southern provinces such as Hunan, Sichuan, and Jiangxi. The locals called it "winter amaranth".But in our Tang Dynasty, the status of sunflower is equivalent to that of Chinese cabbage in the north. It is widely planted and very important.

Please savor the sunflower leaf soup in the bowl.The complete sunflower leaf is round like a pig's ear, and the leaf stem is green. It feels sticky and slippery in the mouth, a bit like water shield.We will serve another plate of boiled sunflower in a short while, which is for you to eat with white rice. This is the most familiar home-cooked taste for us Tang Dynasty people.

What is on the table now is another vegetable that is very common in my dynasty, but it has almost disappeared in your era-scallions.

I am happy to hear that several guests said that they are very familiar with this dish, is it called "藠头" in the local Lingnan area?Yes, scallions actually refer to the thin and long leaves of this plant, but when I eat scallions, I mainly eat their roots, which are what the guests call the garlic-like scallions.

The scallion itself is easy to preserve and can survive the winter. I also like to pickle it into hot and sour water spinach, or simply put it in the cooking pot as a seasoning. It tastes very good.After you go home after your journey, you may wish to buy some scallions and try it.

According to the general preferences of the tour group, we will first offer you food with local characteristics and unfamiliar food to the guests.The table below will be a few vegetables that everyone is more familiar with and will be able to fill your stomach.

(End of this chapter)