Text | Xiaofeng talks about history
Edit | Xiaofeng talks about history
From ancient times to the present, wine culture has always been the "default traditional Xi" on the mainland table. ”
Whether it is the "drunken beating of Jiang Menshen" in literature, or the eternal poems written by Li Taibai after drinking. In their "legendary life", there are figures of drinking water.
And I don't know if you have noticed that in the "mouth" of the ancients, the wine was another "altar" instead of the current glass. With such a big contrast, could it be that our "ancestors" "can a thousand cups of wine per capita not get drunk"?
1. The long-standing "wine culture"
In the development of China's winemaking history, the improvement and perfection of winemaking technology are inseparable from the progress of agricultural production and social economy.
By chance, the ancients gradually discovered that under the conditions of the natural environment, the sugars in fruits or grains would naturally ferment to produce alcohol.
On this basis, people began to experiment with extracting naturally occurring alcohol and using it as a beverage.
With the passage of time, people began to deliberately provide a more suitable environment for alcoholic fermentation, such as choosing a specific yellow koji as the yeast source.
With the development of time, the sake brewing technology has gradually developed from the original youth to the peak, and people have noticed that koji is an important ingredient in making delicious sake.
In fact, the so-called koji is actually a flora that contains yeast and fermented substances.
These specific "flora" can facilitate the fermentation reaction during the winemaking process.
Brewing masters have made good use of the characteristics of koji and combined different brewing techniques to develop many types of sake, such as pale yellow rice wine, red soft wine, and amber rice wine.
It is worth mentioning that the rice wine of the mainland played a pivotal role in ancient times.
After all, as a high-end wine, it needs to go through a long and long-term fermentation and maturation process.
The method of making rice wine has been passed down for thousands of years, and the brewing process is elaborate and even cumbersome, but it is this method that gives rice wine its unique aroma and taste.
With China's opening up and international exchanges, the winemaking techniques of the ancients have gradually been recognized and loved by the world.
The modern Chinese brewing industry has been further developed, using advanced production technology and technology to produce more diverse and high-quality alcoholic products.
At the same time, in the international market, mainland liquor also enjoys a good reputation. It has not only won many international awards, but has also been highly praised by consumers.
It can be said that, whether ancient or modern, each stage of the history of winemaking in mainland China has its own unique development and achievements.
It is precisely through continuous innovation and development that the winemaking technology is finally presented with a diverse range of products. With the passage of time, China's liquor industry will continue to flourish, pushing the mainland's liquor culture to the world.
However, compared with wine culture, everyone is more curious about the truth of "a thousand cups are not drunk".
2. The "scam" of not getting drunk with a thousand cups
Since ancient times, wine culture has had a profound influence in China.
But in fact, the way the ancients drank alcohol was significantly different from the modern one, and it is important to know that in the distant past, the winemaking techniques were relatively rudimentary, which led to the unsatisfactory quality of the wine brewed by the ancients, and these wines are collectively known as "cloudy wine".
Despite the fact that the ancients could not completely remove impurities during the brewing process, they became obsessed with this drink with an alcoholic taste.
However, due to its low alcohol content and many impurities, this cloudy wine is not easy to satisfy the appetite and is not easy to get drunk, which is undoubtedly a torture for connoisseurs.
But from another point of view, it is also the turbid wine that "creates a thousand cups without pouring" beautiful talk.
Of course, it is worth mentioning that there was not only one kind of cloudy wine in ancient times, and the wine in different regions was also different according to local conditions. The sake made from the place where the wheat is grown is called malt wine, and the place where the rice is produced is made into rice wine.
Although collectively referred to as cloudy liquor, these liquors actually differ in taste and alcohol content.
In pursuit of a purer sake experience, wealthy and powerful people began to explore ways to refine cloudy sake into sake. However, due to the fact that the process requires a lot of manpower and material resources, sake has become the exclusive preserve of the wealthy class.
And if ordinary people want to enjoy delicious wine that is easy to get drunk, they can only wait until after the Tang Dynasty.
With the advent of distillation after the Tang Dynasty, the alcohol content was significantly improved. Whether it is the degree or the taste, there has been an improvement in "quality".
However, there is still a significant gap between the taste of modern liquor.
So from another point of view, "It's not that you can't drink your ancestors, it's just that the conditions are not comparable at all."
But as we said, in ancient times, wine was not only a drink, but also a refined culture.
People drink alcohol to socialize, express emotions and build friendships. Even though the ancients drank alcohol at a relatively low level, they were still able to drink freely among their relatives and friends, showing their boldness and open-mindedness in this special way.
This ancient drinking culture has had a profound impact on ancient literature, historical records, and social relations.
In addition to the difference in alcohol content and taste, there is also a "world of difference" in snacks and games.
3. The drinking game of the ancients
Since ancient times, the wine table banquet has been an important social occasion for Chinese, and people pursue not only delicious drinks, but also joy and friendship at the wine table.
Especially in ancient times, due to material scarcity, people paid more attention to how to enjoy the double feast of entertainment and taste at the wine banquet.
So the question is, what kind of interesting games did the ancients play when they drank wine, and what kind of snacks did they have?
In fact, compared with modern boxing and playing cards, ancient literati and scholars often carried out more cultural activities when drinking.
Such as Liuyu Qushui, Flying Flower Order, etc., these are the "beloved" of the ancients.
The so-called Liuyu Qushui mainly originated from ancient cultivation activities. Even now, in some historical gardens, you can still see specially set up Liuyu Qushui site.
People gather around the canal, place wine glasses along the water, let the wine glasses flow down with the water, and stop in front of whoever takes the drink, the game is full of fun and surprises.
On the other hand, the Flying Flower Order requires participants to say poems containing specific keywords in turn, which tests their poetry reserve and reaction speed.
This activity often lifts the mood of the drinkers and adds a touch of poetry to the busy daily life.
In addition to Liuyu Qushui and Feihua Ling, there was also a game called pitching pot in ancient drinking games. The rules of this game are very simple, people throw arrows at a long-necked pot, and if the arrow goes into the pot accurately, then that person is the winner.
In order to add to the fun and difficulty of the game, many additional rules have been created, such as blindfolded pot throwing, back-to-back group pot throwing, and so on.
Of course, different throwing methods will result in different scores.
The extremely interesting game also made this game extremely popular among rich sons in ancient times.
So at the joyful banquet, what kind of snacks did the ancients like to eat?
If you think that the only appetizer in ancient times was the beef described in the Water Margin, you are very wrong. You must know that in ancient times, slaughtering cattle at will was illegal.
There are also a wide variety of snacks to accompany them, and beans are one of their favorites.
In addition to these, pickled vegetables such as radish and celery are often eaten, and these dishes are sweet and sour and delicious to match with wine and stimulate people's appetite.
At the same time, seafood such as crab, shrimp and fish were also often chosen by ancient people to accompany their drinks. Not only is this seafood delicious, but it is also rich in protein and various nutrients.
As for meat such as sheep, pigs and chicken, although they were also delicious meat dishes used by ancient people to serve wine, because of their "preciousness", these are only exclusive to the "family".
The author thinks
As we said, whether in ancient times or in today's life, drinking culture is an indispensable part of the Chinese, which not only carries a profound cultural heritage, but also contains a unique charm.
However, with the development of the times, we should also look at alcohol more rationally, not only to cherish the uniqueness of traditional drinks, but also to pay attention to the health needs of modern people.
While inheriting and carrying forward traditional culture, we can also make appropriate improvements and innovations so that more people can enjoy the charm of these drinks.
At the same time, it is also necessary to pay attention to drinking alcohol in moderation and maintain a healthy lifestyle.