Why do Chinese people like eating melon seeds so much?

Since the Ming Dynasty, emperors, generals, ministers, and common people all like to eat melon seeds.

The custom of eating melon seeds was already popular in the Ming Dynasty, and became more and more popular in the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China. Before the late Qing Dynasty, "melon seeds" were mainly watermelon seeds. Since the late Qing Dynasty, pumpkin seeds have become popular. During the Republic of China, sunflower seeds suddenly emerged, finally establishing a three-legged situation.

From revolutionary leaders to common people: How did eating melon seeds become popular?

Chinese people are good at eating and like to eat melon seeds. This may stem from the concept of frugality, and then gradually penetrated into the level of food culture and became a custom.

The custom of eating melon seeds probably originated in the north. This is not only because records of eating melon seeds are mainly found in historical documents in the north. The more objective reason is that the winter in the north is cold and long. During the slack season, people stay at home all day long to avoid the cold——

Figuratively speaking, it is called "cat winter", and the main way to kill time is to eat melon seeds and chat.

The custom of eating melon seeds spread like this.

As far as the author sees it, "Taiping Huanyu Ji", written in the early Northern Song Dynasty, records "melon seeds" for the first time in history (Volume 69, "Hebei Province 18·Youzhou").

Later, Wu Yue's widely circulated "Song of the Year" recorded the custom of "eating melon seeds": "Eating melon seeds in the first month, flying kites in February, planting underground seedlings in March, and burning spindles in graves in April..." "Eating melon seeds"

Why is it ranked first among all things? When did the Chinese tradition of eating melon seeds begin?

This matter is still unknown, but it is certain that it was already very popular during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

There is a poem "New Year's Eve" in Wen Zhao's "Zizhuangxuan Poetry Collection" during the Kangxi period: "The spring cold is as light as water on the side, the courtyard is full of red lights and the steps are dark, the carriages and horses are returning home, and melon seeds are sold along the street all night." During the Qianlong period.

Pan Rongbi's "History of the Imperial Capital" also records New Year's Day in Beijing: "The sound of selling melon seeds relieves boredom, the sound of selling glutinous rice and white wine hitting ice cups... and the sound of firecrackers are comparable to each other, which is good to hear." "Qianlong

On the occasion of the New Year, the emperor set up a shopping street in the Yuanmingyuan Garden (Old Summer Palace). According to the style of commercial shops, there were antique shops, clothing appraisal shops, wine shops, tea shops, etc., and there were even people selling melon seeds in small baskets."

Literary works are rooted in reality.

There are plots of selling and eating melon seeds in novels of the Ming and Qing dynasties such as "The Plum in the Golden Vase", "A Dream of Red Mansions" and "Flowers of the Sea of ??Evil".

The scene of Daiyu eating melon seeds in the TV series "A Dream of Red Mansions". The popular folk ditty "Hanging Branches" that emerged during the Wanli period has the song "Giving Melon Seeds": "Guaren'er is not a rare commodity. It was wrapped in a sweat scarf and given away."

My dear brother. Every one of them has been on my tongue. Gifts are too small to be appreciated. Please pay homage to my dear brother and never forget me." Feng Menglong commented: "Guaren'er.

It is a rare thing, which is very meaningless, and it is not consistent with the etiquette. It is very wonderful. "In the early period of the middle Qing Dynasty, the tax situation in Haikou, Jinzhou, was all about melon seeds, which were tied to sea-going ships."

They were carried to Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Fujian provinces for sale, and the annual tax revenue was about 10,000 taels or 10,000 taels, or even as high as 20,000 taels." By the end of the Qing Dynasty, "the melon seeds were harvested over 15,000 jins per year.

Except for the local people who use it for marketing, there is no bulk in Lianhekou and Hankou." It can be seen that the consumption of melon seeds cannot be underestimated.

During the Republic of China, Mr. Feng Zikai spent a lot of time describing the Chinese people’s custom of eating melon seeds. He believed that the Chinese people’s technology of eating melon seeds was the most advanced and developed. “At banquets and teahouses, I saw countless holy hands biting melon seeds. Recently, melon seeds have become

Dawang sells well, and children in our country have also learned the unique skill of biting melon seeds."

Mr. Feng Zikai hated the use of melon seeds to "kill the years" the most, and criticized melon seeds as a kind of bad nature of the people. He said, "In addition to smoking opium, there is no better way than eating melon seeds. The reason why it is the most

To be effective, it must meet three conditions: first, not getting tired of eating, second, not being full, and third, needing to peel the shell.”

Contemporary writer Quan Yanchi's documentary "Leaders at the Dinner Table" also mentions that "Mao Zedong likes to eat black melon seeds (watermelon seeds), Liu Shaoqi likes to eat sunflower seeds, Gao Gang doesn't care whether they are black or white, and he eats whatever he can."

"... meetings were held every day and night, Mao Zedong (Guazipi) built a 'Pagoda Mountain', Liu Shaoqi piled up 'Mongolian yurts', and the high hills sometimes couldn't fit even a dustpan, so they had to be packed twice."

In short, whether they are emperors, generals, literati or ordinary people, men, women, old and young, all like to eat melon seeds.

Eating melon seeds has become a custom of Chinese people since the Ming Dynasty.

They are all “interlopers”: How do watermelon seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds stand out as three pillars?

Melon seeds include nothing more than sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and watermelon seeds. The seeds of other melons either cannot be mass-produced or cannot be eaten as snacks.

Sunflowers and pumpkins are both American crops. They were introduced to China after Columbus discovered the Americas in 1492, probably in the first half of the 16th century - the Jiajing period of the late Ming Dynasty.

A new crop often goes through a long process from introduction to promotion, from ornamental to edible. Even the successful introduction of a crop may be the result of multiple introductions. Then, the value of the crop was noticed and recorded by literati.

, it should be something that happens after it spreads in society for a period of time.

Therefore, it must have been a long time since the Qing Dynasty that pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds became one of the mainstream snacks.

Documentary records also prove this.