Three meals a day in China

The three meals a day in China are divided into breakfast, lunch and dinner, as follows:

1. Breakfast

Chinese people's breakfasts are usually quite simple, and some of them even only drink a cup of soymilk or milk, and eat some bread or cookies. However, there are some places where breakfast is very rich, such as Guangdong's morning tea, which includes various kinds of dim sum, congee, noodles, etc.; Sichuan's breakfast, which includes spicy snacks, bean curd, and doughnuts; and the breakfast in the north, which includes pancake fruits, soybean juice, and fried liver, etc. Breakfast is usually served between 6:00 am and 9:00 am.

2. Lunch

Chinese lunch is usually the most important meal of the day, as it is a break from work or study and requires energy and nutrition. Lunch is usually served between 11:00 and 1:00 p.m., and in some places there is also a custom of taking a lunch break. Lunch usually consists of a bowl of rice or noodles with two to three dishes and sometimes soup or fruit.

3. Dinner

Chinese dinners are usually quite relaxed, with some people even eating only some fruit or snacks. However, there are some places where dinner is very sumptuous, such as mutton dumplings in the northwest, xiaolongbao in the south of the Yangtze River, and pot-boiled pork in the northeast. Dinner is usually served between 5 and 8 p.m., and some places have the habit of late-night snacking.

History of Three Meals a Day in China

The dietary pattern of three meals a day first appeared in historical documents during the Song Dynasty. The food culture of the Song Dynasty was known for its refinement, variety and attention to culinary skills, which were closely related to the habit of eating three meals a day. People began to pay more attention to the variety of food, the combination of ingredients, and the improvement of cooking methods.

Although the eating pattern of three meals a day first appeared clearly in the Song Dynasty, it was not set in stone. As history changed and society developed, the form and content of the three meals a day changed. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, food culture further prospered, forming a dietary tradition with strong regional characteristics. The dietary characteristics of different regions were fully demonstrated, and China's food culture became more and more diversified.