A Study Of Jiangxi Folk Food In Qing Dynasty

Diet is essential for the maintenance of human life.Jiangxi’s folk food culture is rich and diverse.Jiangxi Province in the Qing Dynasty was located in the southeast of China,which basically inherited the previous dynasties in the provincial division.The northern part of Jiangxi Province is the Poyang Lake Plain,the southeast and the West are surrounded by mountains on three sides,the central part is dominated by hilly terrain,with many undulating rivers and lakes.It belongs to the subtropical monsoon climate,with the same period of rain and heat,and the culture is dominated by farming civilization.At the end of Ming Dynasty and the beginning of Qing Dynasty,with the immigration from Fujian and Guangdong,corn,sweet potato,potato and other crops were introduced to Jiangxi,which together with rice and other local crops in Jiangxi laid the foundation for the staple food of Jiangxi people.There are many kinds of vegetables and fruits produced in Jiangxi.Jiangxi produces various aquatic food such as fish,shrimp and crab.Jiangxi people raise livestock and poultry for farming and eating.Jiangxi people are fond of drinking tea,producing famous tea in various parts of the province,which is used for tribute and export overseas all the year round.Jiangxi local famous wine is also sold to foreign countries Good products from all over the world.Those unique methods of food’s storage,which not only extends the time of food preservation,but also makes the flavor of food more unique.At the same time,on the basis of maintaining the characteristics of its own food materials,Jiangxi absorbed the cooking advantages of the surrounding areas and formed a Jiangxi cuisine system with rich seasonings,heavy taste and unique flavor.From the economic point of view,the cultivation of various cash crops can create wealth while eating.From a cultural point of view,Jiangxi’s food culture includes the belief in folk gods.Chinese people have always attached great importance to family ethics and belief in gods.Jiangxi’s folk banquets and festival food are usually closely related to local customs,especially ancestor worship activities closely related to folk beliefs.All important festivals will contact close relatives,first "ancestor worship" and then "celebration" Best wishes for the holidays.Festival food is generally full of blessings,reposing the people’s yearning for the festival and future life.Diet culture also contains the theory of health care.According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine,we should pay attention to the cold and heat of food,and eat different foods according to different physical qualities.The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty in China,followed by modern times.The food culture exchange with foreign countries also had a certain impact on the local food customs in Jiangxi.With the passage of time,in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China,after the opening of Jiujiang port,Jiangxi was forced to open the door to the outside world.The influx of a large number of Western materials and civilization has caused a great impact on Jiangxi’s catering culture.Western style dining methods and foreign food have rapidly enriched Jiangxi’s folk food.Not only the diet customs,but also the hair style,clothing and other living customs have gradually changed with the changes of the times.At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China,Chinese cuisine formed the theory of "eight cuisines" : Sichuan cuisine,Shandong cuisine,Guangdong cuisine,Zhejiang cuisine,Fujian cuisine,Hunan cuisine,Jiangsu cuisine and Anhui cuisine.However,Jiangxi cuisine is not included in the eight major cuisines,which is superficially the deficiency of Jiangxi cuisine itself,but actually reflects the dual stagnation of Jiangxi’s economic and cultural status in modern times.