A Survival Guide to the Qing Harem

Chapter 14 Eating is not important, what matters is how you eat

The palace diet of all dynasties has concentrated the essence of Chinese cooking. Although the number of imperial meals enjoyed by emperors and members of the royal family is not as rich as local dishes, and the scope is limited to the capital, the quality and luxury of imperial meals are by no means comparable to any local cuisine. of.

"Food is the paramount necessity of the people".Although the emperors of all dynasties have called themselves "sons of heaven", after all, the emperors are also human beings, and they also regard "food" as their heaven.Different from ordinary people, emperors rely on their supreme power to collect rare and rare products all over the country, employ famous chefs from all over the world, and gather delicious food from all over the world in the court. The degree of extravagance is amazing.Especially in the Qing Dynasty, after the careful consideration and creation of the royal chefs of all generations, the court meal reached a new peak.

How about it, is your saliva already drooling?Don't worry, you are in this harem, and you don't have to go to work to earn money. You can spend a lot of time every day enjoying delicious food.Let's go and see together.

The combination of meat and vegetables is complete and nutritious. Drink soup before meals and desserts after meals... | What do concubines in the harem eat

The concubines after entering the palace, as members of the royal family, may not enjoy the same treatment as the emperor, but they must not be sloppy in terms of "eating".After all, as a family member of the emperor, no matter whether you are favored or not, as long as you are not relegated to the cold palace, as long as your status is still there for a day, you can eat whatever you want, and you have to eat as you want. under the rules.

Therefore, how and what the concubines eat in the palace...is particularly important.As a result, eating and drinking in the harem has become a common practice, and the extravagant harem meals seem to be the only way for the concubines to treat themselves better. As long as they do not violate the rules left by their ancestors, the concubines are very fond of all kinds of delicacies. According to the rules in the palace, the concubines are no different from today's "foodie".

At the beginning of the founding of the Qing Dynasty, "banquets without customization" were practiced in the court.The so-called "banquet without customization", in layman's terms, means that if the emperor eats alone, he feels that it is not interesting, that the food is not delicious, or he wants to have dinner with someone, and chat with him, then he can "designate" the concubine, prince, and prince , county kings, civil and military courtiers, etc., in short, if you want to meet someone at the dinner table, you will be "imperially appointed", and those who are "imperially appointed" will naturally be able to dine with the emperor in a grand manner, drink and chat .

However, the regulations are so stipulated, but the feeling of eating with the emperor is not good, it is called a tangle.What are you struggling with?On the one hand, being able to have dinner with the emperor is a supreme honor, and ah, not everyone has this great opportunity to face to face, if you have saved up some nasty words on weekdays, or want to make small reports about someone, Everything can be expressed here with a well-written draft. If you grasp the "provoking opportunity" when the time, place, and people are right, you may be able to defeat your opponent invisible in the course of a meal.

But on the other hand, how nervous is it to have dinner with the master.If the master didn't touch the chopsticks, you must not move first. Even if you are allergic to the dish the master likes to eat, you still have to put it on the table and eat it with chopsticks pretending to be delicious.You have to observe the master's joys, sorrows, sorrows and joys. Which dish suits your appetite and which dish does not attract people's liking? These things are all up to you to observe. Be careful at that time, how can you eat comfortably? Are you full?
Of course, I believe that no one who eats with the emperor wants to eat enough, just like eating with the leader today, if the leader is happy, your task will be considered well done, what does it matter if you are full or not?It's a big deal to come down for another meal.But you can't gobble up food in front of the leader, it will make you look so ignorant.

The above is purely the "imperial" rule of gossip.

Of course, in addition to the "imperial" banquet, there are also New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, Shangyuan, Duanyang, Mid-Autumn Festival, Qixi Festival, Chongyang, Winter Solstice, Longevity, and Great Wedding, which are the days of the emperor's statutory family banquet in the Qing Dynasty.That is to say, the concubines can only eat with the emperor during family banquets or when they are "imperially appointed". On other days, they have to stay in their own territory most of the time and eat according to the rules of the palace.So, what do the concubines in the harem eat on those days when the emperor is not around?

Concubines in the harem eat meals on weekdays, don't think that they are like going to a restaurant, you can order whatever you want, the palace has already prepared for you according to the rank of concubines, and there are only those meals every day, not more No less, eat as much as you can, and give rewards to maids and eunuchs if you can't eat, and it is absolutely not allowed to waste food.

The proportions of concubines at all levels pay attention to the combination of meat and vegetables with complete nutrition, basically like this——

Imperial concubine: eight catties of meat per day, four catties of vegetable meat, fifteen chickens and fifteen ducks each month;

Imperial concubine: six catties of meat per day, three catties of vegetable meat, seven chickens and seven ducks each month;
Concubine: six catties of meat per day, three catties of vegetable meat, five chickens and five ducks each month;
Concubine: four catties a day for each person, two catties of vegetables and meat, five chickens and five ducks each month;
Noble person: Each person has four catties of meat per day, two catties of vegetable meat, five chickens and five ducks each month;
Often: Each person has three catties of meat per day, one catty of vegetable meat, and five chickens per month;
Below the imperial concubine, each head of the court: [-] catties of cabbage per day, [-] catty of celery, [-] catties of green onions, [-] liang of coriander, [-] water radishes, [-] carrots and [-] kohlrabi, [-] wax gourd, sauce and vinegar Three catties each, five catties of clear sauce.

The daily and monthly portions of the concubines at the above levels are complete with meat and vegetables, which are carefully cooked by the dining room and delivered to the concubines in the harem according to the meal time.Of course, there are dozens of dishes on a table, and many dishes are just for show. Even if the concubines do not go on a diet to lose weight, it is impossible to finish them.The unfinished meal will be rewarded to the maids and eunuchs at the end.Therefore, the dietary specifications of maids and eunuchs working in the harem of the Qing Dynasty were basically the same as those of concubines.However, if you are blessed to accept it, but if you are not blessed to accept it, we will discuss the suffering of the subordinates later.

Just talking about it like this, you may feel that it is not very clear, why not take a look at the menu of the Empress Dowager's breakfast on the tenth day of October in the 11th year of Xianfeng.

Hot pot two products: mutton stewed tofu, duck stewed cabbage.

Four large bowls of dishes: Bird’s Nest Shouzi White Duck Noodles, Bird’s Nest Wanzi Red and White Duck, Bird’s Nest Fuzi Pot-roasted Duck, Bird’s Nest Nian Nian Assorted Shredded Duck.

Four medium-bowl dishes: Fresh Shrimp, Three Fresh Pigeon Eggs, Braised Duck Loin, and Fat Duck Shredded with Bird’s Nest.

Six dishes: stir-fried smoked shredded chicken with bird's nest, fried wings with sliced ​​meat, fruit sauce, shredded chicken, fried chicken slices with mushrooms, and wild duck meatballs.

The second product of the plate: hanging stove duck, hanging stove pig.

Four pastries: Baishou peach, Shouyi white sugar oil cake, Wufu Pingshou peach, and Shouyi alfalfa cake.

Then there are chicken shredded noodles and bird's nest duck strip soup.

Is it salivating?This is just an example of the empress dowager's daily breakfast, and there is nothing special about it. To catch up with the palace celebrations, it will be richer than this.

"What did you say? A bowl of shredded chicken noodles is enough to fill you up?" Yes, a bowl of shredded chicken noodles is indeed enough to fill you up, but in the extravagant harem, what you eat is the combination of balanced nutrition and meat and vegetables, as well as embodying the royal family. Prestige, domineering and rich...satisfaction is the last thing to worry about.

What's more, the empress dowager, who is pampered every day, has people carrying the sedan chair wherever she goes, and even when she wants to go to the toilet, someone will rush to bring the toilet.How could she bear the amount of exercise with little amount of exercise every day, and the big fish and meat every day? It's still the same sentence, it's mostly just a show!
In addition to the combination of meat and vegetables, drink soup before meals and dessert after meals, that is the ancestor's motto in the palace.From today's point of view, such a diet is more scientific and reasonable.

Dessert soup in the harem is prepared by the waiter, and it is also prepared according to concubines at all levels: each imperial concubine uses four cows, and gets eight catties of milk; each concubine uses three dairy cows, and gets six catties of milk; If two cows are used, four catties of milk will be obtained; there are no exceptions for the nobles below to use cows, and the division will be divided according to the position of the palace master.

The meals and drinks of the concubines in the harem are by no means beautiful. The diet of the Qing court pays attention to the five beauties of color, aroma, taste, shape and utensils.The food materials used in the court are extensive and precious, the dishes are exquisite in shape, and the production is concerned with specifications. , is more important than what you eat.

Smile without showing your teeth, eat it | Rules about eating
Although you live on a branch like a phoenix and enjoy royal delicacies in the palace all day long, the palace meals gather the essence of the world's diets. From the selection and use of ingredients to cooking to your table, it can be said that it took a lot of painstaking efforts. If you eat as if you are eating a food stall, you will not only be ashamed of the palace food, but also damage the dignity of the royal family.Therefore, the court diet has always been very particular, especially in the Qing Dynasty court, the rules on food consumption were more strict, and the etiquette of eating reflected the differences between different levels, and also showed the inviolable majesty of the royal court.

In order to show excellent self-cultivation and hobbies, everyone had to study and practice hard for the red tape of court food.The etiquette taught by the nuns when they first entered the palace was just a foundation, and it was impossible to enter the room without practicing it in actual combat.

So, how can you eat high-end, grand, and upscale meals for a table of palaces; how can you fill your stomach while swallowing your saliva while observing the rules and regulations and paying attention to your image?Let's take a look at the ancestral precepts of court diet first.

"If you don't eat enough, you don't choose your hands when you share a meal. Don't beat the rice, don't let the rice go, don't sing, don't smash the food, don't bite the bone. Don't turn the fish, don't throw the dog bone. Don't catch it, don't throw the rice, the meal Don't use chopsticks for millet, don't catch soup, don't pierce teeth."

Did you hear that, this is the ancestral precept, which is the rules and regulations that must be followed whenever you sit at the dinner table.Looking at the delicious dishes on the table, you have to say in your heart: "When eating with your husband, don't eat too much, wash your hands first; don't eat too much; don't put the rice back into the pot; You can't chew and chew; you can't chew the sound; you can't deliberately chew the bones; you can't put the caught fish back on the plate; you can't chew the bones as a guest, let alone throw the bones to the dog; you can't just eat One dish; if you can’t make it fast, use chopsticks to lift the rice to dissipate heat; you can’t use chopsticks when eating millet rice; you can’t season it yourself; you can’t pick your teeth.”

With such care, you can use up a meal.Of course, after a long time, it will naturally form a dignified, pleasant and generous appearance.

Of course, this is just a matter of eating appearance. There are many rules in our palace, and there are some others that I have to count for you.

Let's say it's time to eat.The harem is a "big company", and the caring boss naturally equipped a canteen for the employees, so that the employees don't know where to go to solve the problem for three meals a day.This canteen has a special name called "Royal Tea Dining Room", which is under the command of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.Since it is a large dining hall, there is naturally a time period for cooking and unified supply. In the Qing Dynasty, two main meals and one extra meal were served every day.Later in the late Qing Dynasty, it became the provision of two additional meals.

Dinner is divided into breakfast and dinner. Breakfast is usually served after 20:[-] am, but sometimes it is pushed to after [-]:[-] am, that is to say, it is served from [-]:[-] am to [-]:[-] am. During the meal, after the concubines of the palace get up early and wash up, they can sit at the table and enjoy the breakfast with more than [-] dishes.

The dinner is served around one or two o'clock in the afternoon (because you eat early in the morning), after this meal, there will be no dinner in the afternoon, and at around six o'clock in the afternoon, there will be a "night snack" ".You may ask, what if you are hungry during the day?It's easy, you can order your servants to go to the imperial tea dining room to bring you some snacks, this kind of cake and that kind of cake, there is no limit to the supply anyway, just saying, except for these two periods of dinner time, I won't serve you with any fanfare. The dishes are served on the table.

From this point of view, in fact, our harem still pays attention to the way of health preservation. You must eat well for breakfast, eat well for dinner (actually, it is lunch time), and eat a little at night when it is snack time. The so-called "Eat less", so that the stomach and intestines are busy digesting and uncomfortable when sleeping at night.

But you may have doubts again. It's only six o'clock in the afternoon, so why is it called "night snack"?There are still N hours before going to sleep.Please be careful not to use your night owl habits to measure the lifestyle in the harem. The ancients paid attention to living according to the laws of the sun. You have to abide by it.Besides, there was no television or internet at that time, and the palace stipulated that acting and singing were not allowed after sunset, and there was really no night life, so what else could I do except sleep?At most, I would curl up in the room to read a book or embroider flowers, but the dim light from the candle really hurt my eyes, Ao's eyes were red, and it affected the appearance, didn't it?So you, just wash up and sleep.

Well, the time for the meal has been decided, let's go back and talk about the things on the dinner table.Dozens of meaty and eight vegetarian dishes have already been introduced, and after the masters have eaten a meal, many dishes may not have been touched, most of them may not be able to eat, and of course there are still people who don’t like it. food.The so-called "radish and greens, everyone likes their own", since there are some that don't suit your taste, there are naturally some that you like, so you can eat more if it tastes good?Then you are wrong.There is a first-class rule when eating in the palace, which is called "no more than three meals".What does that mean?No matter how delicious the dish is, you can't pick up the third chopsticks. If you take the third bite, then I'm sorry. This dish will not appear again for ten days and a half months.Because your loyal servants have quietly recorded this matter.

"I'm the master, why can't I eat more of what I like? These slaves are so bold, dare to block my preferences as a foodie?" In fact, that's really not the case, the slaves are also for your own good.why?

Just because the harem is full of dangers, you are likely to be murdered by others at any time.Although most people may add medicine to your medicine by buying an imperial doctor, they can't guarantee to tamper with food.You can't take medicine every day, but you have to take this meal every day, right?If someone with ulterior motives pinpoints what dish you like to eat and puts some medicine in your dish, can you, a foodie, be able to prevent it?
Maybe you will think that putting medicine in the dish is too straightforward. If it really kills you, take the dish to test and you will know that the murderer can't escape!However, if someone really intends to harm you and doesn't want to do it so directly, it will be difficult for you to find out the real culprit. That's because you punished someone one day, and they wanted to harm you because they held a grudge.Why would people rather die than tell the truth?It was specified that the real murderer behind the scenes would charge a high price and intimidate him, and promise to take care of the family of this "scapegoat".

However, don't think that your life is so precious. In fact, the so-called "can't eat more than three meals" was originally a rule set by the emperor himself.Don't forget the lesson of the Ming Dynasty. Didn't some maids try to murder the emperor while serving the bed?Since then, the emperors naturally came up with countless self-protection tricks, and they were even more careful when eating. People in the imperial tea dining room never cook, no one can stay alone in the kitchen, there must be two or more people They will finish the emperor's breakfast and dinner together, and arrange eunuchs to try each dish to see if it is safe.Even so, the emperors were still worried, so they came up with the rule of "no more than three meals".

In addition to not being able to hold the third chopstick in a dish, there should be no expression on the face when eating, and you should not smile just because the dish tastes good in your mouth, let alone praise it full of praise.Otherwise, wouldn't it be revealing your preferences?
Because the emperor is like this, the concubines in the harem have naturally developed this rule. You can't eat with your emperor's husband. He can taste every dish casually, but you can't finish eating with a bird's nest shredded duck!
(End of this chapter)