The history of Yangzhou cuisine in the first place

Yangzhou is a world-renowned city of Chinese history and culture. The green and poplar city, the two distinctive moon, the picturesque poetry, with its deep cultural heritage, has attracted praises and praises from people of all generations.

Huaiyang Cuisine, one of the four world-renowned Chinese cuisines, has captivated countless diners at home and abroad with its unique flavor characteristics. Huaiyang Cuisine is the representative flavor of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River (Yangzi River) and the Huai River. Yangzhou is the birthplace and center of Huaiyang Cuisine.

Huaiyang Cuisine has been in the literature since "Shangshu" (The Book of Changes), when it was called "Huaihai but Yangzhou". Since the pre-Qin development to the Han and Jin dynasties, the history of Yangzhou has been "cooked food all over the list". Sui and Tang dynasties, Ming and Qing dynasties especially prosperous. Especially after the opening of the Grand Canal, Yangzhou has become a salt and waterway transportation, material distribution and import and export ports of land and water transportation hub, was ranked as the world's top ten cities with a population of more than 600,000 people in the third place. Because of this, the eight convergence, sail walls, merchants flocked, such as clouds of culture and soil, economic and cultural highly developed, the history of "Yang Yi Yi two" said. Plus, Yangzhou is located in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River around 120 degrees east longitude, 33 degrees north latitude up and down, the climate is suitable, the produce in abundance; located in the river network area, especially fertile plants and animals, Su Dongpo "Yangzhou to send less travel to the soil of the fresh crucian carp, purple crabs, Spring Brunswick, ginger sprouts, duck eggs and so on, Zheng Banqiao poetry described in the fresh bamboo shoots, anchovies, and "bushel basket package of crabs, bamboo cages loaded with shrimp, Wicker through the fish", etc., are abound; seafood production areas are also close at hand. These, constituting the strength of distinctive culinary ingredients. And with its distribution, focusing on the geographical advantages, to extract the essence of the cooking techniques in the world, cohesion of Wu and Chu food culture of the essence, not only exercise the world marveled at the knife, fire and other superb culinary arts, and brewed to adapt to all directions of the "fresh and calm, thick and pure and ready, salty and sweet moderation, North and South," the flavor characteristics. Thus, the delicacies iterative transmission, the beauty of the point of the city, poetry and lyrics praise endless, celebrities inscribed especially difficult to enumerate, had the "Southeast good taste" of the reputation of the "full of seats" was also the first to be seen in the "Yangzhou Floating Boat Records".

It is on the basis of this historical background and economic status of Huaiyang cuisine, its food culture accumulation of deep, no one at home. Therefore, the early establishment of the status of a major flavor of the Chinese cuisine.

Yang chef with "Yangzhou three knives" in the kitchen knife cloth art four sides, to the five continents. In the West, know "stewed lion's head" "Yangzhou fried rice" people. The other side of the ocean also from time to time telephone orders, naming the "Wenshi tofu" and other famous dishes. At home, Huaiyang cuisine is more widely spread all over the world, become the object of people seeking a taste. For example, the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, the Great Hall of the People and the Beijing Hotel in Beijing, Huaiyang Cuisine has always been one of the main flavors served. These are inseparably related to the artistic and scientific connotations of Huaiyang Cuisine that have been accumulated during its long history of selection. From this, we can understand that it was not an accidental choice that Huaiyang Cuisine was used in the "First Banquet of the Founding of the People's Republic" at the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China. To this day, Huaiyang Cuisine is full of famous chefs and masters. They not only inherit and carry forward the fine traditions, but also understand that innovation is the soul of development and the driving force of prosperity, and continue to develop and innovate, with endless innovative dishes and innovative banquets such as the Red House Banquet, the Full House Banquet, the Banquet of the Boardwalk, the Meilan Banquet, etc., which have aroused widespread interest at home and abroad. Huaiyang Cuisine is steadily moving towards new heights.

Chinese cooking is culture, science and art. Huaiyang Cuisine is a great crystallization of it, and also a great embodiment of the essential characteristic of Chinese cooking, "taking flavor as the core and nutrition as the purpose".

Tracing back the history of Chinese cooking, the ancient cuisine, in addition to Lu, Sichuan, Guangdong, is the only exception to the provincial cities and regions called Huaiyang cuisine, also known as Weiyang cuisine.

Ancient China, divided into nine states, Yangzhou for one of its; but with the general Wei, so the ancients loved to call Yangzhou Wei Yang, and Huainan is also one of the aliases of Yangzhou, so, "Yangzhou Kitchen Knife" under the point of view of the delight of the two elegant name: Huaiyang Cuisine or Weiyang Cuisine.

It should be said that a history of Huaiyang Cuisine is a history of Yangzhou people's survival, struggle and development; it is also a history of Yangzhou culture! From low grade to high grade, from rough to exquisite, from depression to splendor, is the basic vein of Huaiyang culinary history.

Yangzhou's ancestors as early as about 4,000 years ago, has broken free from the ignorance of the state of the blood, beyond the Fuxi burnt meat on the fire, Shennong burnt grain on the stone of the primitive budding era, the use of ceramic cooking utensils, fire cooking cooked food! Pottery era, may be regarded as the formation of Yangzhou cooking period.

Yangzhou into the ancient Ganzhou era, that is, the Central Plains of the Xia, Shang and Zhou periods, in Yizheng broken mountain passes unearthed in the bronze tripod belonging to this period, Li (cooker), tripod cooking meat, Li fried vegetables, and there are also Zun, Hao (wine), Zhong (feast enjoyment of the musical instruments), as well as the four phoenix plate (food utensils), which guessed that the Yangzhou forefathers can eat meat, drink, can listen to the music, can be a ritual, go back to the dashing, the old! Yangzhou people know how to treat life well. Shangshu" recorded: the Xia Dynasty, "Huaiyi Tribute Fish", which seems to be the original documentary records for the Huaiyang cuisine; "Zhou Li． Job Fang's" has "Southeast said Yangzhou ...... its valley for rice" record, Yangzhou is born fish and rice town. These are enough to prove that about 3000 years ago, Yangzhou cooking has entered the age of bronze culture.

In 468 B.C., King Fu-chai of Wu destroyed the ancient Gan State, chiseled the Gan Ditch and built Gan City, which was epoch-making not only for the construction of Yangzhou, but also for Yangzhou's cooking. The factual record of "King Gan's Pot" used as a wine-carrying paddle in the "Zhouli" and the "Hard Pottery with Seal Patterns" unearthed at Jinjinba in the northwest of the city show that Fuchai introduced a whole set of culinary experience in the early Spring and Autumn period. This is the maiden voyage of foreign food culture influencing Yangzhou cooking.

The seven warring factions, Gan Yang to the Chu, Yangzhou cooking strides towards civilization, the glory of the "East Chu Huaiyang flavor" title.

After the Qin Dynasty, Yangzhou realized the transformation from the natural area to the administrative division. Liu Pi, King of Wu in the Western Han Dynasty, built the capital of Guangling, Yangzhou transformed, a leap for the southeast of the capital, "the famous capital of HuaiZhou" thus named. Because of the benefits of salt boiling and copper casting, the financial strength of the rich, the soldiers and horses Jingyan, the country is rich, Baozhao "Wucheng Fu" said: "When the heyday of the past, the car hangs, people driving shoulder, market place, the song blowing boiled sky! Yangzhou people rich days, the pockets bulging, naturally not hungry belly, and then eat well, but also eat well. From the suburbs of Yangzhou Han Dynasty tombs unearthed "Guangling food officer" bronze tripods and bowls, plates, pots, spoons and other lacquer eating utensils are very sophisticated, which not only tells us that Yangzhou tableware development and research in the country's leading position, unique personality; and, but also from the side of the Yangzhou people at that time the diet of the sophisticated.

The rhetorician Mei multiplied the "seven hair" actually "food" and "feast" accounted for two of them. He described at that time Yangzhou luxury banquet in the menu, to fry, boiled, roasted, braised and other cooking methods, to the five flavors and harmony as the standard, the system has a sauce rotten bear paws, roasted animal spine meat thin card, fresh carp meat fillet, fresh vegetables, and the luxury of topaz suzuko incense, orchids soak wine gargling, so, rather than "seven hairs" is satirizing the macro-admonition, rather than the first Huaiyang food list; Yangzhou Phoenix River was once unearthed in the Han Dynasty rotary stone mill, marking the Han Dynasty has been able to process wheat, the first time in the Han Dynasty, the first time in the Han Dynasty. Marking the Han Dynasty has been able to process wheat flour, outlining the structure of Yangzhou's staple food, which is mainly rice and also pasta, and unveiling the long history of Yangzhou's exquisite pastry ingredients. "Luxury since ancient times said Yangzhou, smoke and moon songs and songs everywhere building", the Eastern Han Dynasty, the marketplace stood up restaurants, although the scale is not large, but the high hanging fluttering "wine" word store sign, the flag of the famous dish "chopped fish", clearly tell people that the "chopped fish", the famous dish "chopped fish", the famous dish "chopped fish", the famous dish "chopped fish". ", clearly tell people: Huaiyang cuisine development of the curtain opened! That's why there is a Jin Xie Xuan in Yangzhou, Guangling phase of the hand-made fish lousy, sent far away from Henan, filial piety Mrs. anecdote.

During the Sui Dynasty, Yangzhou's culinary scene took a leap forward that was second to none in the world at the time! This was thanks to one man - Emperor Yang of Sui. Ancient Canal to the sea, Huang, Huai, Jiang, Qian five water systems through, immediately Yangzhou will be elevated to the national culinary talent, skills, raw materials exchange hub position, the north of the beans, wheat, grains, oils, oils south, the south of the grain, tea, fruits, salt, aquatic products, north of the north, all will meet in the city of Yangzhou. And Emperor Yang of Sui three fortunate Jiangdu, Chang'an, Luoyang Central Plains food, with the dragon boat into Yangcheng Sui Palace, and then out of the folk eateries; more sail wall suddenly through the place, "night cooking a hundred sheep, for wine and food", the state and county tribute to the delicacies, chefs deliberately fight Yan, it is reported at the time of the tribute to the food on the crabs of the fish, crabs, honey and ginger; the local officials and historians is to set up banquets to offer treasures, Zhao Yuankai, because of offering foreign flavors, and the food is not good. Zhao Yuankai was favored for offering different flavors, and was promoted to be the prime minister of Jiangdu County. Dragon boat feast, labyrinth feast luxury to what extent, from the Sui "food book" recorded in the "Northern Qi Wuwei five sheep braised" and other 53 kinds of famous dishes, you can see the information inside. So, Yangzhou chef also through the storm, see the world, absorb the essence of the overall level of skill from the Han dynasty vassals divided into king "quasi-higher", elevated to the Sui dynasty to the highest "son of heaven level", such as the fifth generation Tao Valley "Qingyi Lu" recorded, created the "Wisp gold dragon and phoenix", the "Wisp gold dragon and phoenix", the "food" recorded, "Wuwei five sheep braised" and other 53 kinds of famous dishes. "strands of gold dragon phoenix crab" and other famous dishes. Yangzhou culinary industry, because Emperor Yang lived in Yangzhou and flourished, however, the wine glass in front of the soldiers in the back, but not because Emperor Yang buried in Yangzhou and died.

Yangzhou, because of the location of the Maritime Silk Road north to the capital of the throat, to the Tang Dynasty, the development of the southeastern economic center. Pivotal to the world's three bright moon, Yangzhou will account for two points! "Ten thousand merchants sunset boat cross tail, a city of spring wine and shop", Yangzhou food market was stimulated by the fire, culinary mastery. Nationals, foreign businessmen have "waist 100,000 Guan, riding a crane down Yangzhou", why? Li Bai's poem: "Jade bottle to sell wine, cups between the Avenue." Tang Dynasty Yangzhou sea fish fossils unearthed, arguing that the raw materials for cooking from livestock, poultry, river food, wild vegetables to seafood! Drinking tea has also become a favorite of Yangzhou people, the Tang notes novel "Jim Yong City set of fairy record" has described "every day, will be a tea sold in the city," the Guangling Tea Lady. Yangzhou's food and beauty caused great concern for the royal family, became a tribute, when Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and Yang Guifei appease An Lushan, gifts of the Palace Collection, there are Yangzhou's "Jin Pingde rhinoceros head spoon chopsticks". All these factors, so that the development of Huaiyang cuisine to a new peak.

Huaiyang cuisine as a "system", to the Tang Dynasty was basically formed.

Song Qingli eight years in the spring, a generation of literary giants Ouyang Xiu to Yangzhou food industry to bring the gospel, the drunken man often held with guests Pingshan Hall banquets, articles too, waving the brush, Zunzhong see to take the food text; thereafter, Su Li and know Yangzhou, and four bachelor's Flying Snow pile plate braised fish belly, Pearl on the bucket of boiled chicken, the pioneers of the injection of literature into the Huaiyang cuisine of the fresh blood of the precedent, the Huaiyang cuisine elegant and playful style of the literati! The elegant and playful literati style of Huaiyang Cuisine started from this, and has continued to grow over the years. The collision of the northern and southern styles of the cuisine finally took place in Yangzhou in another round of explosion. In 1125 AD, Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty fled southward into Yangzhou City in fear at the time of the invasion of the Jin people, and the small market spring lamps boiled a hundred sheep to eat and drink; a year later, Hui-Qin was taken captive, and Emperor Gaozong, with 40,000 people of the royal family of the Jikji, fled into Yangzhou City, and the "line of the" jade braised with gold and finely chopped meat was not empty mouth, but also to eat and drink! Although Yangzhou City was plundered, but the food industry in the context of the death of the country to get monstrous promotion is also a fact.

Since then, the court away from the Yangshan parochial, Yangzhou has become the Song, the Jin regime stage of the crossroads. Between the north and south food culture both confrontation and docking, Yangzhou city, wine and food prosperity, specializing in "Goryeo Pavilion", and according to the court in Lin'an feast Jin people make system, set up a feast of nine dishes.

The emperor toured, undoubtedly equal to the national culinary skills in Yangzhou, food culture exchange, which promotes the formation and development of Huaiyang cuisine, is naturally more beneficial than harmful.

Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, especially the Qing Kangxi and Qianlong heyday, Huaiyang Cuisine entered the second climax.

The Yuan Dynasty listed Yangzhou as the base of food supply for the imperial palace. Yuan to Zheng sixteen years, Yangzhou eagle room to fight catch Luhuachu General Administration House, it is responsible for the lakes and mountains fishing and hunting for the inner room of the internal meal.

Zhu Yuanzhang on the Huaiyang cuisine, drink orders Yang chef specializing in internal meals; from Yangzhou started after Zhu Di, King of Yan seize power and ascend to the throne, move the tripod in Beijing, with the Palace of Yang chefs north of the people, which is the official record of the roots of the Huaiyang cuisine; Zhengde Emperor's southern tour of Yangzhou, the Dragon and the phoenix, of course, not forgetting the Huaiyang delicacies, the mouth of the blessings, one can not be missing. Their favorite food is Yangzhou around the river specialties anchovies, swordfish, catfish, known as the Yangtze River three fresh. Ming Wanli years, "Yangzhou Prefecture" recorded: "Yangzhou food and drink lavish, sophisticated system, the market 100 products, boasts of the Jiangshan table ......" shows that its time Yangzhou food platoon, the superb, the abundance, has been proud of the South.

To the Qing Dynasty, the two Huai for the prosperous and affluent townships, salt and waterway transport hub position of Yangzhou is located in the southeast food center throne, resulting in "Shibujiang to the north, the feast of the Jane wrong, Yangzhou for the most" (Qing Kangxi "Yangzhou Fu Zhi"). One of the major factors of "the most" is the emperor's favor. Huaiyang cuisine to increase the influence of the Forbidden City Palace meals, in addition to the annual tribute to the fruit, seasonings, but also tribute to the sand geese, pheasants, quail and other game 1052, the Qing dynasty in the Qianlong period of BaoYing annual tribute to the lotus root powder of about 128,000 kilograms, in addition to the QinPo Dong sugar, jieshou tea and other local specialties. According to "food in the Palace", the Qing Emperor liked to eat more than 100 dishes, including Huaiyang flavor dishes such as braised lion's head, stir-fried shrimp, etc. up to more than 60, a typical example, is the author of "Dream of Red Mansions" Cao Xueqin's grandfather, Cao Yin in Yangzhou as the Salt Inspector, every year to contribute to the South taste to the Kangxi Emperor, the so-called "water fall fish and shrimp often full of the city, the lake is more than the Lotus gravy regardless of the money! ", perennial tribute unremittingly is bamboo shoots, because, the Qing Emperor Kangxi likes to eat spring bamboo shoots, each time the South must eat, Cao Yin many times to Yangzhou Yanlai bamboo shoots in order to Bo Emperor "I heart great comfort".

Kang Xi, Qianlong south patrol, Huaiyang cuisine to receive the driver is unprecedented, according to "Yangzhou boat record" records: "on the buy and sell the street before and after the temple for the big kitchen, in order to prepare for the boss of the Department of food and drink."

Subsequent people every comment Huaiyang cuisine, commonly used the word "expensive". This should be with the two Huaiyang salt merchants and the river officials of the world's food and drink consumption, which is also the Huaiyang cuisine to grow a big guarantee. Xu Qianfang "Yangzhou terroir" said: "Yangzhou indigenous, mostly salt for a living, used to pomp and circumstance, fine cuisine, so Yangzhou feasts around the famous, and snacks method is extremely refined, soup buns and oil cake is especially famous for a while." By the salt merchants and salt officials of the dietary norms formed by the scene of the vast, elegant environment, peculiar dishes, the selection of materials rigorous, exquisite style of eating utensils, basically is the main features of the Huaiyang Cuisine is a replica.

A large number of classic dishes came to the table, such as touching the knife fish, saddle bridge, sunflower meatballs, dunking soup meat buns, three sets of duck, big boiled dried silk. Li Dou record: "cooking skills home kitchen is the most winning. Such as Wu Yishan fried tofu, Tian Yanmen go fried chicken, Jiang Zhengtang ten kinds of pig's head, Wang Nanxi mixed sturgeon, Shi Fatty pear shredded fried meat, Zhang Si Hui Zi whole goat, Wang Yinsan boneless fish, Wang Wen honey chello cake, tube big bone Dong soup, the (fish) pastes, Kong Shuoan crab noodle, Monk Wenshi tofu, monk Xiaoshan Saddle Bridge, the flavor are all to the overwhelming victory." "land and water dishes rare mixed fruits and vegetables, bead curtain ten miles drunken east wind", Yangzhou catering mass market further developed, only "Yangzhou boat record" recorded in the famous restaurant with a name up to more than 50, on the Slender West Lake, the painting of the voyage of the sand fly, there are boatwomen line kitchen, to feast and drink to help the tour. This shows that, to the Qing Dynasty Yangzhou food market layout tends to be reasonable, business tends to be flexible, service tends to be thoughtful.

The intervention of the literati is the mid-Qing Dynasty Huaiyang cuisine on the peak of the catalyst. Literary intervention in Yangzhou cuisine, as far as the Han Fu, Tang poetry, Song lyrics have been associated, but the Qing Dynasty for more, we can appreciate the current Qing people Wing food history, Wing picking material, Wing dishes, Wing banquet, Wing kitchen, Wing restaurant, Wing food, Wing drinking words of the poem at least in the 200 or more, so that the Huaiyang cuisine style more elegant, greatly enhancing the cultural taste.

After the founding of new China, especially in the 20 years since the reform and opening up, Yangzhou culinary world everywhere singing the story of spring. With the Red Mansion Banquet as the banner of the contemporary Huaiyang cuisine, with newer, greater momentum, more refined techniques, more beautiful pursuit of culinary culture, gastronomic science, culinary arts pushed to a new high point!

Truth be told, since ancient times is the Oriental paradise of Yangzhou, the former legacy of the culinary family is still rich. According to the early liberation of catering enterprises with a certain scale of statistics, Yangzhou has Fuchun and other tea 22, Tianfeng Yuan and other restaurants and hotels, 78 restaurants, cakes and snacks, such as the month of incense 250 or so. After the establishment of the catering company, efforts were made to excavate the traditional skills, restore and increase the famous dishes, and set up more halal and vegetarian dishes; in 1984, the Municipal Culinary Association was established, opening a green channel for the scientific and theoretical research of Huaiyang Cuisine; then the door to foreign exchanges was opened, and the flag of Huaiyang Cuisine was flown in the U.S.A., France, Japan, and Australia, and in Beijing, Shanghai, Taiyuan, and Shenzhen. Technical talents, including special cooks, dim sum masters, service masters, famous and good hands like clouds; by 1987, the restaurant industry in Yangzhou City has reached 10,000 people, the city's catering outlets amounted to 71.

The First of Nine Banquets

China's First Full Han Seat

The Full Han Seat has been revered as a classic of Chinese banquets. Manhan banquet appeared in the Qing Dynasty during the Kangxi and Qianlong Dynasties, Emperor Kangxi's southern tour, stationed in Yangzhou, began to set up the Manhan banquet. Emperor Qianlong's six southern patrols, Yangzhou officials and gentry to receive the car, still inherited the Manchu Han Seat. From then on, the Manchurian-Han Chinese banquet became famous, and everywhere competed with each other to imitate it, and it was listed as a reception for six ministers and one hundred officials, whose scale and style all originated from the Manchurian-Han Chinese banquet in Yangzhou. In the Kangqian Manhan Seat on the basis of the introduction of Yangzhou Manhan Seat can be called China's first Manhan Seat.

Yangzhou full Manchu banquet with north-south compatible dietary cultural heritage. Manchu banquet with northern nomadic characteristics, good at barbecue, mainly beef and mutton, as well as the collection of mountain treasures and wild game, rustic style. The Han Chinese banquet has the Huaiyang flavor as its main axis, and collects the essence of the flavor of the south of the Yangtze River, with river food, river food and seafood as its main ingredients, with a variety of techniques, elegant style and freshness. In terms of raw material selection, cooking methods, techniques, dish design, utensil selection, food program, etc., the Full Han Banquet inherits the eight treasures from above, and starts the famous feasts from below, which is the culinary masterpiece of the set. Yangzhou painting boat record", "tune Ding set", "with the garden food list", "Yangzhou Bamboo Words", etc., more than a full of Han Chinese banquet and full of Han Chinese banquet records, from different perspectives to corroborate each other, providing a more detailed historical information.

In order to make Yangzhou Manchu feast from history to the current, Yangzhou culinary experts and scholars exhaustive efforts, from the historical luxury to the current dishes when the refined, through the traditional and can be higher than the traditional trade-offs and pioneering, for some of the rare raw materials contrary to the regulations on animal protection is no longer used, the design of the dishes strive to be appreciated by modern people, in line with the trend of modern consumption.

Yangzhou full Manchu banquet is magnificent, luxurious and sumptuous. Yangzhou culinary experts and scholars and Yangzhou Welcome Hotel to Yangzhou Manchu Full Seat for the overall design, the full seat is divided into two sets, each set of 108 dishes. In order to give the tasters a greater choice, there are three days, six banquets, two days, four banquets, two banquets a day, boutique banquets and other four models. Each banquet has 36 dishes, corresponding to the 36 astrological deities, and the dishes of "Manchu" and "Han" are presented alternately during the banquet, so that the diners can enjoy the flavor of "neutral" food culture. In terms of banquet layout, tableware design, art and music, sculpture and food program, it highlights the royal style. The dishes condense the technical attainments of Huaiyang culinary masters, and show the charm of Huaiyang flavor, which is the best flavor in Southeast China.