I also wondered what the ancient Chinese and Japanese ate. I know salt and spice back then were hard for the common peasants to come by so I'm assuming the food would be more tasteless than the food today.
Food and drink in ancient China and Japan
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For Japan, it really depends on what region you're talking about. Regional variation was significant, even in Ancient times.
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In Japanese society, it depended on who you were and, as LBG points out, where you lived. If you were a peasant, you'd rarely get to eat white rice - you'd be more likely to have millet, barley or sweet potatoes as your staples, depending on whereabouts in the country you lived.
Polished white rice was the preference of the upper classes, but this deprived it of some essential vitamins, which were not obtained from side dishes and could lead to beriberi, which became known as the "Edo affliction".
On rarer occasions, a peasant would get fish, but vegetables would be more common, simmered or pickled, such as umeboshi (dried pickled plums). One thing the Japanese did not eat very much of was meat, due to religious restrictions. This proscription was often ignored or relaxed for soldiers on campaign, however.
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If you're interested in Medieval Japanese food culture, Eric Rath is THE MAN to look for.
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Foodways-Past-Present-Eric/dp/0252077520"]Amazon.com: Japanese Foodways, Past and Present (9780252077524): Eric C. Rath, Stephanie Assmann: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Ls-AUfWEL.@@AMEPARAM@@41Ls-AUfWEL[/ame]
You can download this article for free:
Banquets Against Boredom
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Foodways-Past-Present-Eric/dp/0252077520"]Amazon.com: Japanese Foodways, Past and Present (9780252077524): Eric C. Rath, Stephanie Assmann: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Ls-AUfWEL.@@AMEPARAM@@41Ls-AUfWEL[/ame]
You can download this article for free:
Banquets Against Boredom
Joined Apr 2010
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Hey! Who moved my post here? Now I look foolish for recommending works on Medieval Japan's food in a thread about Ancient Japan.
Well a lot of the Chinese food we eat today are recent inventions. Some of the vegetables my family eat now, my parents and grandparents wouldn't eat it in the 1950s because they didn't those vegetables could be eaten.
Joined Feb 2011
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What I am about to say only applies to pre-Song Chinese dynasties:
The pinciple staple diet in the north was millet, while in the south it was rice. Because the majority of the population were in northern China, it is safe to conclude that the principle diet was millet in general. The reason for the millet/rice division by north/south can be explained by geographical difference. The north has a typically dry climate that allows millet to thrive in situations where other crops would wilt. The south has a wet winter and dry summer, suited for rice. Due to the lack of cultivated land in China, meat would be a rarerity for all but the aristocrats and well-to-do merchants. Proteins are instead supplemented by the practice of horiculture, in which fish are raised in rice paddies. In the north where there were no rice paddies, protein-rich soy beans(ie tofu) are the primary substitute for meat. Winter wheat or barley may be planted before summer millet for extra food, but these were not a common occurence and were not preferred in meals. Instead, wheat and barley could be mixed with soybeans and left to ferment, producing soy sauce.
As for Japan, sources for ancient Japan are regretably lacking. Those that exists come from China and are in the Chinese view. Due to the small number of contacts between the ancient Chinese court and Japan, these sources have questionable accuracy. The small amount of sources I do have only says "They serve food on bamboo and wooden trays, helping themselves with their fingers (early rice ball Onigiri?)". I am positive archeological finds would reveal more, but that is not within my area of expertise.
The pinciple staple diet in the north was millet, while in the south it was rice. Because the majority of the population were in northern China, it is safe to conclude that the principle diet was millet in general. The reason for the millet/rice division by north/south can be explained by geographical difference. The north has a typically dry climate that allows millet to thrive in situations where other crops would wilt. The south has a wet winter and dry summer, suited for rice. Due to the lack of cultivated land in China, meat would be a rarerity for all but the aristocrats and well-to-do merchants. Proteins are instead supplemented by the practice of horiculture, in which fish are raised in rice paddies. In the north where there were no rice paddies, protein-rich soy beans(ie tofu) are the primary substitute for meat. Winter wheat or barley may be planted before summer millet for extra food, but these were not a common occurence and were not preferred in meals. Instead, wheat and barley could be mixed with soybeans and left to ferment, producing soy sauce.
As for Japan, sources for ancient Japan are regretably lacking. Those that exists come from China and are in the Chinese view. Due to the small number of contacts between the ancient Chinese court and Japan, these sources have questionable accuracy. The small amount of sources I do have only says "They serve food on bamboo and wooden trays, helping themselves with their fingers (early rice ball Onigiri?)". I am positive archeological finds would reveal more, but that is not within my area of expertise.
Joined Apr 2010
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Awesome
I should point out that what I wrote really applies to medieval Japan rather than ancient Japan, of whose food I know naught.
The Nihon Shoki and Kojiki, the two oldest books in Japanese literature may have passing mention of food and drink, and they date back to the 8th century.
The Nihon Shoki and Kojiki, the two oldest books in Japanese literature may have passing mention of food and drink, and they date back to the 8th century.
Joined Apr 2010
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As I said earlier, regional variation was pretty significant for Japanese cuisine. Even in the "Ancient times." As you got closer to the capital, people ate whatever the local crops were. Rice has been cultivated in Japan for over 2,000 years, so that's a staple almost anywhere. Beans and wheat were introduced shortly thereafter. As you ventured farther away from the capital, the cuisine began to vary. You also saw more consumption of meat as you traveled away from the capital, because people ate whatever the hunters brought home. In Hokkaido, local Ainu ate everything from fish and rice to dogs and wheat.
China ran Grain and Rice for most of it's history. Fish was common among the coastlines, but with varying levels of use. Japan was rice and fish for most of it's history depending on region, though the northern peoples could, and would, hunt in Hokkaido. People in Kyushu and Shikoku would fish on the edges, but grow in the center with an equilibrium forming. Honshu was mostly rice, with some coastal exceptions.
Joined Apr 2010
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liquid nourishment
The peasants knew how to turn grain into alcoholic drinks, such as beer. Just like in Germany, beer was and is considered food. When I was in Korea, my Korean crew looked for an excuse to go out into the countryside to drink "County" beer; a milky-looking brew made from rice (I think). They didn't like the artificial stuff sold in the city.
The peasants knew how to turn grain into alcoholic drinks, such as beer. Just like in Germany, beer was and is considered food. When I was in Korea, my Korean crew looked for an excuse to go out into the countryside to drink "County" beer; a milky-looking brew made from rice (I think). They didn't like the artificial stuff sold in the city.
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I don't know about invention, just that Mongols ate jerky. I think any nomadic groups at any given time could've ate jerky. The Xiongnu definitely ate jerky and they were several hundred years before the Mongols.
Joined Feb 2011
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That's interesting. From what I know jerky is prepared by drying the meat before bacteria could spoil it. There is more than one way to do this, but I have never heard of putting it under a saddle. Can you provide us with where you got this from?
Joined Jul 2010
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Not sure what it is
I thought it was the Huns. Hunic riders were supposed to sit on a slab of raw meat, and after sometimes of riding on the meat, they would eat it raw. Some scholars, such as Professor Kitchener from Utah State, believe it was the way Romans dehumanize the Huns. One episode of Myth Buster experimented on this, and they found the meat, even raw, was delicious after some riding!
Joined Aug 2010
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canada
In ancient China, the poor would eat rice with lots of water, its kinda like poridge except its rice.
This is not really true. Chinese civilization originated in Northern China which is too dry for rice growing. Only when Chinese settlers moved to Southern China did rice became important. Even as late as 1000CE the economic and cultural center of China is still base in Northern China. The diet in the North was mostly likely millet-based
For example, Northern Song ( 960–1127 CE) capital, Bianjing (modern day Kaifeng), is in modern day Henan province. Henan is in a region that was known as Zhongyuan(Central Plain), which was the birth place of Chinese Civilization. Only after 12th century and later did the economics and political center shifted to Southern China. When I say Southern China it really just meant Jiangnan region (i.e. Modern day Shanghai and Nanjing area). Other region of modern day Southern China such as Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian were considered to be too barbaric place to live.
Even in modern time if you go to Northern provinces such as Shanxi, and Shaanxi most of the diet there are noodle-base because the region is too dry for rice growing.
Back to the topic. I don't really know what ancient Chinese eat but from a historical novel I read about Northern Song period ( 960–1127 CE), Chinese like to eat mutton and venison. Notice, I didn't mention pork? Most Song era Chinese think pig is very dirty animal so they don't like to eat it. Only in later period did pork became more popular. Pork is such a integral part of modern Chinese cuisine that pork is synonymous with meat. So when a person went to a restaurant to order meat, they will be served pork.
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Retreat-Elephants-Environmental-History-China/dp/0300101112"]Amazon.com: The Retreat of the Elephants: An Environmental History of China (9780300101119): Professor Mark Elvin: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/416qyUxPc4L.@@AMEPARAM@@416qyUxPc4L[/ame]
I read that book about environmental history of China in it they mentioned a book published during Song era mentioning a receipt for cooking elephant trunk.
If you really want to learn more about Food of Ancient China. You can try this book. I haven't read it yet...it's on my wish list though
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Food-China-N-Anderson/dp/0300047398/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I2O41B838KP6IR&colid=29DWURL9IU4NX"]Amazon.com: The Food of China (9780300047394): E. N. Anderson: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51AJYQQCWVL.@@AMEPARAM@@51AJYQQCWVL[/ame]
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