Zheng He: Navigator, diplomat, foodie
Zheng He was an outstanding navigator of the Ming Dynasty
Led a huge fleet of ships seven times to the West
Each voyage lasts two to three years
278,000 people
Such a large-scale voyage
Logistical support is an important issue
Professor Ke has always been curious
What will they eat on board?
Chai rice oil salt sauce vinegar tea, you have anything you want
Judging from various literature records, the food of Zheng He's fleet is still relatively rich.
Gong Zhen, who had traveled with Zheng He on a voyage, recorded in the edict attached to the "Chronicle of the Western Fanguo": "The internal officials who went down to the West used salt, sauce, tea, wine, oil, candles, and other pieces, and the number of people was divided according to the usual number. ”
From this passage, it can be seen that at that time, Zheng He's fleet not only brought cooking spices, but also brought tea and wine as drinks.
According to other data, the food processing methods of the Ming Dynasty have been able to handle foods with a short shelf life.
Therefore, in addition to salt, sauce, tea, wine and drinking water, the food carried on board is also cured or smoked meat, aquatic products and vegetables, as well as sun-dried preserved candy fruits.
However, relying solely on food reserves is far from the end of the voyage, and if nutrition is lacking, the crew will also have sepsis and other diseases.
At that time, Zheng He's fleet cleverly solved this problem by relying on porcelain.
Porcelain was the most popular commodity in China overseas at that time, and each ship of Zheng He's fleet carried a large amount of Chinese porcelain.
The men on the fleet buried soil in these porcelains and grew vegetables in them.
This practice can be said to kill two birds with one stone, on the one hand, it allows the crew to eat fresh ingredients and maintain good health; on the other hand, the porcelain is full of clay, making the porcelain not easy to break during a long voyage.
However, how can Zheng He, as a "gourmet", be limited to China on the tip of his tongue?
Chinese and foreign cuisine is tasted on the tip of the tongue, and it is delicious to eat while walking
Gong Zhen's Chronicle of the Western Ocean records that Zheng He's fleet would disembark for replenishment as they passed through places rich in grain and food, such as the Indochina Peninsula, Java, Sumatra, and the Indian Peninsula.
In addition, Ma Huan's "Yingya Victory" mentions that Zheng He's fleet ate coconuts, plantains, sugar cane, watermelons and other regions in Java, the Malay Peninsula and the Indian Peninsula.
There are also some tropical fruits, such as mangji persimmon (mangosteen), lang (cold plug fruit), gambler (durian), jackfruit and sour seed (mango).
Ma Huan gave a detailed and realistic description of the fruits of these tropical regions, and the colors and aromas were vivid, and these fruits are still abundant and eaten today.
It has to be said that Zheng He's fleet was very blessed, which also greatly promoted the food exchanges between China and foreign countries at that time.
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