Hist 410 Keynotes 4

Shaping the Chinese food system

Map of the Song Dynasty

During the Song Dynasty (960-1279) a new social class gained eminence: scholar-officials and wealthy merchants became the dominant political and economic elite and shaped the taste in food. They celebrated local and regional specialties which improved and multiplied the variety in Chinese cuisine outside of the imperial court. Due to agricultural reforms, comparatively reasonable loans even for small farmers, and the partial transformation of corvee labor into cash payments agricultural production was rather stable.
Maritime trade with Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and Arab countries was flourishing and brought new foods to the table.

Cotton cultivation revolutionized clothing, sugar (from sugarcane) was used for food preservation. Most important: early ripening rice was introduced from Champa and made multiple harvests possible, irrigation was facilitated by the introduction of water wheels.

Noria waterwheel introduced from Persia

The most cherished products introduced in the Song are probably doufu and tea (now less often in bricks but either powdered or as loose leafs).


Song dish



During the Song dynasty Zhu Xi and further Confucian philosophers tried to re-organize society according to Confucian ideals - without the aristocrats as the leading models of the hierarchical society. The scholar officials became the leading class: By virtue of their knowledge - having passed the examinations held by the state every three years-, they became the influential leaders in politics and social affairs.
The ever-normal granary system was re-introduced. The reformer tried to make more arable land available for poor farmers by producing a land survey which recorded land according to its quality and potential use for certain plants, by re-distibuting land, draining ponds that were converted into fields, and by giving cheap loans to farmers (Green Shoots Plan). Corvee labor was partially transformed into cash payments.

Zhu Xi (1130-1200) revitalized Confucianism

Merchants climbed the social ladder - less by being accepted as leaders in society but as patrons of local charity organizations, temples etc. Lineages were established by wealthy and influential people - a privilege formerly enjoyed by the aristocracy. Lineages held land and could set up clan-schools for all children of their members, disregarding the financial background of the individual family. Thus the number of educated young men multiplied and ultimately the number of young scholars participating in the state examinations. Clan regulations were set up and held in high esteem - they could regulate the use of resources owned by the clan.
This new 'middle class' developed taste for sophisticated local cuisines (that competed with each other).

The consumption of tea became a favorite pasttime. Tea was served in dishes devoted to bring out the color of the tea by playing with the color of the dish - to achieve harmony of the culinary and aesthetic sensual experience.




Mung beans


A decent Chinese breakfast....