Preserved fruit, a common snack in our daily life, contains profound cultural connotations and people's endless pursuit of deliciousness.
Whenever we taste the sweet and elastic preserved fruit, have we ever thought about how this small piece carries people's yearning and efforts for a better life?
First, let's address a common misconception.
Many people have doubts about the pronunciation of the character "脯" in "果脯", whether to pronounce "guǒ pǔ" or "guǒ fǔ"? Here, we make it clear that the correct pronunciation of "脯" in "果脯" is "fǔ".
When 脯 is pronounced as "fǔ", it is often associated with food.
In ancient times, in order to preserve meat for a long time, people invented the method of drying the meat, which is the original meaning of "preserved meat" - jerky.
For example, "deer breast" and "rabbit breast" refer to the finished product of a certain animal meat after drying. With the development of food processing technology, "preserved fruit" has gradually referred to some foods that have been dried after honey staining, such as "preserved fruit" and "preserved apricot".
These foods are not only delicious, but also a manifestation of traditional food craftsmanship.
And when "脯" is pronounced as "pú", its meaning is related to body parts, specifically the chest or chest, as in "chicken breast".
This pronunciation and meaning is used relatively infrequently in everyday life, but it is still preserved in some dialects and literary works.
So, why do the same word have two very different pronunciations and meanings?
In fact, this is a common phenomenon in the development of Chinese characters.
As ideograms, the glyphs of Chinese characters are often closely related to the meaning of the characters, but with the passage of time and the evolution of the language, the meaning and pronunciation of some characters will change to adapt to social and cultural changes.
Returning to the word "preserved fruit", it is not only a type of food, but also a microcosm of Chinese food culture.
Whenever the Spring Festival or important festivals come, many families will make or buy preserved fruits in various flavors as a good treat or gift. The preserved fruit is sweet but not greasy, soft and chewy, and is deeply loved by people.
Preserved fruit is not only a food, but also carries people's longing for home and the pursuit of a better life. For many young people who work hard outside, whenever they taste the preserved fruits of their hometown, they will think of the warmth of home and the concern of their mother.
For the older generation, preserved fruit is a beautiful memory of their youth, a rare sweetness in those simple and innocent years.
In many classical literary works, we can see the figure of preserved fruit. It is often used as an object for literati and artists to taste life and express their emotions. In some ancient banquets, exquisite preserved fruits were an indispensable delicacy.
Today, preserved fruit has gone abroad and has become a business card of traditional Chinese food. More and more foreign friends have learned about China's food culture and traditional crafts through tasting preserved fruits.
Preserved fruit, this simple and delicious snack not only satisfies people's taste buds, but also carries profound cultural heritage and people's emotional memory.
Whenever we taste that sweet piece of preserved fruit again, we might as well think more about the story and culture behind it, and feel the love and pursuit of life.