Study On Chitivation Methods、Utilization And Cultural Of Vegetables In Taihu Area During The Ming And Qing Dynasties

Eating plays an important role in people’s daily life.Among the many ingredients,vegetables account for a large proportion of the Chinese’s food structure.In the early days of human society,grasses have been collected to satisfy their hunger.As people gradually settled down,people began to cultivate vegetables for eating.In the Taihu Lake region,the documents about vegetable cultivation and processing is less before the Tang Dynasty,but it also can be found that the Taihu Lake region has the artificial cultivation of vegetables before the Tang Dynasty,processing methods mainly including Zu,soup,Wusuan modulation processing technique and so on.During the Song and Yuan Dynasties,there were many records about the utilization of vegetable cultivation,and new varieties of vegetables were introduced from other places and there were stores specializing in pickled vegetables.Different vegetable varieties have formed different processing methods.During Song and Yuan period,vegetable processing methods of the Taihu Lake region were very diverse,such as making Ji,making soup,Zha,Cao fod,sauce,garlic,salt pickles,flour,bread,etc,which laid a foundation for the vegetables processing in Ming and Qing Dynasties.During the Ming and Qing Dynasties period,the vegetable cultivation technology was mature,and vegetables formed systems from breeding,fertilization,to irrigation.In the Taihu Lake region,vegetable cultivation is carried out according to local conditions,including production arrangements and cultivation steps.In addition,the manual intervention in vegetable production,the successful cultivation of new vegetable varieties,and newly introduced vegetable varieties adapted to the environment gradually.In terms of extending the supply of vegetables,Chinese cabbage can be harvested three times a year,and rapeseed vegetables wouldn’t vary.The structure of vegetable varieties in Taihu Lake changed,resulting in the decline of the status of vegetable varieties such as Kui,but cabbage and mustard vegetables had gradually occupied an important position in the vegetable structure.The development of vegetable production technology in the Taihu Lake area and the increase in the variety of vegetables met people’s needs in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.The introduction of new vegetable varieties had not only promoted the development of dish characteristics in rich Taihu region,but also added more flavor in people’s eating habits.That also provided people with vegetables in winter and spring when vegetables were scarce.During the famine,these vegetables could provide people with food and maintains people’s basic living.People’s consumption of vegetables further promoted the development of the vegetable industry and promoted the economic development of the Taihu region.The income from regional vegetable production was abundant,and the people in Taihu Lake region processed vegetables to gain income.The newly introduced vegetables had an important impact on the economic development of the Taihu Lake region.The processing method of vegetables in the Taihu Lake region got new developments at this stage.Different types of vegetables were processed in different ways.At the same time,the processing details tended to be refined,and the processing program was constantly innovated and tended to be complicated.The newly added vegetable varieties had been processed and innovatively developed based on their previous experience.In the historical development,people in the Taihu Lake area had continuously explored vegetable cultivation and processing technology and formed a system,which made people’s diet enriched.The common vegetable cultivation and taste experience had become the collective culture of the people in the Taihu Lake region.,which has become a collective food culture of people with the development of the times.The dietetic culture of vegetables gradually evolved from simple ingredients in its historical development.Afterwards,a lot of content was added to the composition of the vegetable culture.The increase in the variety of vegetables in the Taihu Lake area had enriched people’s eating habits,and the fruit and vegetable culture gradually penetrated into the daily life of the people,exerting an influence on the local society and culture.At the same time,the culture of the Taihu Lake region is profound.Compared with other regions,the cultivation culture of vegetables in the Taihu Lake area was contaminated with the cultural spirit of Taihu Lake and had become an important part of Taihu Lake culture.The fruit and vegetable culture of the Taihu Lake region was involved in festivals,religious rituals,production and life.Moreover,the famous scenery in Taihu Lake area has an important influence on Taihu Lake culture.Carp and leeks become synonymous with homesickness,and bamboo shoots become a cleansing thing,which provided important inspiration and material for the creation of literary poetry and painting.