Sharing food is sharing meals, which is originally a way of life worth showing off in Westerners, because meal sharing is civilized and hygienic; and the shared meal system is a backward product.
When it comes to sharing meals, there will be several people eating at a table, a few pairs of chopsticks in a bowl, and occasionally a warm person will appear to put vegetables into your bowl, not to let you feel his breath, think about it and lose your appetite.
However, when it comes to sharing meals, I am afraid that Chinese is still the grandfather of Westerners. Because China began to divide meals very early in ancient times, much earlier than Westerners.
But China's meal sharing, in addition to being related to hygiene, is mainly due to the lack of resources.
At that time, productivity was low, and the food harvested by human beings was limited, so in order to distribute according to work, or according to status, the harvested wild game and fruit were separated, and individuals ate individuals, which is the origin of the Chinese meal sharing system.
We see the excavated Shang Zhou bronze "mane", although the shape is similar to ding, but the capacity is much different, very suitable for a person's meal, which is the evidence of the food sharing system.
The reason why China later implemented shared meals was also influenced by the West, but this influence was not culture and customs, but the import of Western furniture, which invisibly changed the form of dining in Chinese.
We know that the Silk Roads enhanced Material Exchanges between China and other countries, and also increased cultural exchanges between countries and China, and this influence was subtle, affecting all aspects of Chinese society, including the way of eating.
In ancient China, the people of the Central Plains and surrounding areas have always been 'food sharing system''.
On formal occasions, no matter how many guests are present, whether men, women, young and old, or whether they are noble or inferior, everyone often has to "sit on the ground" and is not impatient.
Once the dishes are ready, the preacher presents them to the table in front of the guests.
In the vast rural areas, in private occasions, in ordinary families, everyone is also accustomed to eating their own bowl of Chinese food and fighting for each other.
In the agricultural era, the pace of work is very fast, the big masters like to sit at the door, holding a bowl, holding chopsticks, holding an oil cake, rolling a green onion, squatting down, everyone three or three two two around together, said three kingdoms, Dao Shui Hu, women like to sit on the stone pier in front of the door, while eating, while excited to nag. East parent Li Jia short, Ximen Qingpeng on Pan Jinlian, Tang Bohu fell in love with small white shoes.
With the opening of the Silk Road in the Han Dynasty, Western living customs also slowly penetrated into the Central Plains, and the lives of the people also underwent subtle changes.
For example, Hu Di makes music more colorful; Hu Fu makes men more handsome and women more beautiful; Pepper makes people more appetizing; Hu rice makes people have a big appetite; Hu Tent makes life more emotional; Hu Dance, which makes people dizzy; Hu Bed, let people think of it; Hu Sit, make people more comfortable and comfortable. Among them, the bed is sitting on the bed, which brings greater changes to people's lives.
The hu bed has nothing to do with sleep, it is a tool for sitting, a slightly higher seat.
The change brought about by the seat was originally a revolution in sitting posture. When they are seated, people no longer sit on the floor and wronged themselves. At the same time, in order to adapt to sitting, the Chinese table has also changed from low to tall.
In fact, Westerners do not want to change the habit of sharing meals Chinese, but Chinese inspired by themselves, or that Western furniture caters to the personality of Chinese.
First, Chinese like to be lively, and rich and powerful people like to show up in front of others, and eating together provides convenience for those who show up. Relatives, friends, and classmates also like to eat when the sea and the sky are wide, pulling east and west, greatly increasing appetite, but also benefit a lot, feel comfortable, and enliven the atmosphere.
Second, people with power like to take the opportunity of dining to enhance communication and enhance feelings. The superior invites the subordinate to eat to show grace; the subordinate invites the superior to eat to show respect. And in order to show that they have a close relationship with each other, it is most appropriate to play with a spoon in a pot and drink soup in a bowl.
Third, China's rich and powerful people live in luxury and are extremely poor. Whether they have money or power, they all want to eat a full meal and a shark fin bird's nest. A feast for the king, a year's bread for the people. Spending a large meal, eating half and throwing half, ruining grain, and showing identity are the eternal themes of Chinese shared meals, and they are also the true portrayal of Chinese waste and luxury.
Fourth, with the richness of Chinese dishes, the complexity of cooking methods, and the diversification of eating methods, shared meals have become an inevitable option. There are too many kinds of meals, too many ingredients, and a variety of cooking methods. A few people went to the hotel to eat a Peking duck, got paper wrapped fish, everyone together, you bite me more than a mouthful of atmosphere, scrambling to grab the meat to eat into the stomach to be delicious.
If you cut a duck or a fish apart, it is not easy to divide it first, and then it is not interesting to divide it into a plate.
To sum up, for a long time in ancient China, the implementation of the meal sharing system is not controversial. But when Exactly China began to implement the shared meal system, there are many opinions. Some say it was after the Han Dynasty, some say it started with the Song Dynasty, some say it was after the Mongol conquest of the Central Plains, and some say it started from the Ming Dynasty.
Many scholars tend to believe that the transition period of the meal system began in the Song and Yuan dynasties, and the Ming Dynasty began to become popular.
During the Song Dynasty, iron pots were used, stir-fry dishes were prevalent, dishes were varied, hot pots also appeared, and a more lively shared meal system began to become popular in catering establishments.
In the Yuan Dynasty, because the nomadic people had no fixed place to live, the pace of life was tense, the things they carried were also simple, and the cooking conditions were relatively simple. So every time they go to a place, they eat together. The biggest benefit of shared meals for nomads is that they are quick and convenient. And the nomads mainly eat meat, they do not lack ingredients, no matter how to eat, eat enough, speed is enough.
By the Ming Dynasty, the shared meal system had basically defeated the meal sharing system, and in addition to the occasions of extremely solemn ceremonies, the shared meal system became the first choice for the upper officials and nobles down to the common people.