(Fighting against New Coronary Pneumonia) Re-introducing Hot Dining Expert Ji Jicai
China News Agency, Beijing, April 7 (Reporter Sun Zifa) The outbreak of the new coronary pneumonia has brought widespread and far-reaching impact on human production and lifestyle. Among them, the warm dining atmosphere of the Chinese table surrounding the table, after the call for change caused by SARS in 2003, once again caused widespread concern and hot discussion. Several groups in the catering and restaurant industry have recently introduced standards and service specifications related to the meal sharing system, and have advocated promotion.
Archaeologist Wang Renxiang pointed out that the way of eating together around the table is one of the important contents of traditional Chinese food culture, but its history is not ancient, and the more ancient one is the authentic way of dividing meals. He called on the reform of catering methods to adopt the meal-sharing system that had appeared in the Tang Dynasty with a catering atmosphere, which was scientific and hygienic, and followed the tradition to achieve "the best of both worlds".
In ancient China, the meal sharing system was implemented for at least three thousand years
Wang Renxiang, a researcher at the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and director of the Public Archaeology Steering Committee of the Chinese Archaeological Society, said from an archaeological perspective that the meal-sharing system in China can be traced back to prehistoric times, after a development process of not less than 3,000 years. It was only after the Tang Dynasty that the eclipse system was born, and then gradually changed. After the Song Dynasty, the eclipse with modern significance formed the climate.
In ancient times, Chinese people shared meals while sitting on the floor with a low food case in front of them. The so-called "feast" was a portrayal of this ancient meal-sharing system. Archaeologically discovered objects and painting materials such as frescoes and portrait bricks of the Han tomb can be seen in the scene of a meal-sharing system where people sit on the ancient floor and sit one by one. According to historical records such as "Historical Records", "Hanshu", "Post-Hanshu" and "Chenshu", at least before the Sui and Tang dynasties, the formal feast also maintained a meal sharing system for one person.
Wang Renxiang said that the way of sharing meals in the case of snacks had already appeared in the Longshan cultural period. Archaeology has unearthed some wooden cases in 2500 BC-some wooden cases unearthed from the Taosi ruins in Shanxi, not only mentioning the history of eating cases to 4,500 years ago, but also instructing the origin of the divided meal system in ancient China . With the gradual formation of dietary etiquette, the Zhou Qin, Han, and Jin Dynasties continued to promote the feast dinner system for one person and one case.
During the transition period, there will be a meal-sharing system
Why did the one-person, one-meal meal system evolve into a meeting-and-eat system? Wang Renxiang explained that the emergence and application of high tables and chairs was an important opportunity for the transition from the meal-sharing system to the meeting-sharing system in ancient China. After the demise of the Western Jin Dynasty, the Xiongnu, Qiang, Xianbei, Di, Qiang and other ethnic groups living in the north entered the Central Plains successively and established political power successively, which caused a strong impact on the traditional customs, living order and related etiquette systems of the Central Plains. This historical background, coupled with the use and popularity of high-legged seats, has resulted in the traditional floor sitting being gradually replaced by a more relaxed sitting position.
Studies have shown that, at least in the middle and late Tang Dynasty, the ancients basically abandoned the floor and sat down, and finally completed a revolutionary change in sitting posture, which also directly affected the change of dietary style from divided meals to eating. At the same time, during the transition period, there was still a meal-sharing system with eating atmosphere: although people sat together, the food was still served by one person. This way of eating with the name of "receiving food" and dividing the meal into reality is also a necessary stage for the development of the ancient system of dividing the meal into the meeting.
Wang Renxiang said that in China, the meal-sharing system, the meal-sharing system and the meal-sharing system in essence are all products of history. Today, from the perspective of prevention and control of the epidemic, it is not only to abandon the tradition but to return to the tradition with a longer history. Just restart the Tang Dynasty model called Huishui to share the meal. "It has a warm atmosphere and pays attention to diet. Hygiene, and promote the excellent food culture tradition ".
Catering industry groups advocate the implementation of a meal sharing system
The reporter sorted out and found that several groups in the catering and restaurant industry have recently actively called on Chinese food to implement a meal sharing system. The CCPIT Commercial Industry Committee and the World Chinese Food Industry Federation jointly drafted the group standards for the "Chinese Food Service Meals, Public Chopsticks, and Double Chopsticks Service Standards", which has been formally released and implemented, raising the meal sharing system from industry initiatives to standardization.
The China Hotel Association has initiated the health action of "public spoons, chopsticks and double chopsticks" to promote the meal sharing system to the whole industry. There are also official online media, jointly with the China Culinary Association and the China Hotel Association, to publish an initiative to advocate the implementation of "meal sharing system" and "public chopsticks and double chopsticks system" for catering service providers and consumers.
Shandong Provincial Catering and Lodging Industry Association jointly issued a meal sharing initiative with 55 provincial industry associations and key catering companies. According to the Chinese Nutrition Society, sharing meals will not only divide love but also share health.
In fact, during SARS 17 years ago, China advocated a meal sharing system and adopted it in many restaurants. Researcher Wang Renxiang also proposed archeological traceability and recommendations for the meal sharing system, but unfortunately it was shelved with the disappearance of SARS. The reason is that the catering industry believes that the meal-sharing system increases operating costs, lacks motivation, and consumers do not care much.
Experts hope to take this epidemic prevention and control as an opportunity to promote the application of the meal-sharing system, especially the traditional meal-sharing system, so as not to repeat the mistake of "repairing the scar and forgetting the pain".
Another expert reminded that, in addition to sharing meals, the social aspect can also consider replacing handshake with traditional Chinese boxing, arching, compiling, bowing, etc., to pay homage to each other during daily communication. (Finish)