Little-known Facts about Ancient Chinese Dining Habits

Chinese cuisine has a rich history, but it has undergone significant changes over time. As a matter of fact, the iconic Chinese dishes we recognize today emerged only after the Song Dynasty.  

If we look back over 2,000 years ago, we'll uncover some fascinating facts about dining customs that challenge our current understanding.

Rice is eaten with hands

In contemporary Chinese food culture, rice is typically consumed with chopsticks. However, this practice was different in ancient times.  

In Han Feizi·Wai Chu Shuo Zuo Xia (韩非子·外储说左下), there is a story about Confucius eating millet rice with his hands, suggesting that this was the common way of eating at that time.  

The Book of Rites (礼记) indicates that when dining with individuals of high status, it is important to keep hands clean. This is particularly relevant because people used the same utensils to grasp rice.

Additionally, when hosting guests, one should avoid pinching the rice into balls, as this could give the impression of fighting for food and damage one's personal image.  Despite this, pinching was not uncommon for ancient people when eating alone, and this custom has carried through to today.

For example, in the Jiangnan region of China, there is a breakfast dish called "Cifantuan" (粢饭团), which consists of a mixture of glutinous rice and japonica rice steamed together, often with fried dough sticks or sugar added in the middle. This food is eaten with hands, similar to Japanese rice balls, rather than with chopsticks.

Chopsticks are used to pick up food

According to the Records of the Grand Historian(史记), King Zhou of Shang, who reigned in the 11th century BC, was the first to use ivory chopsticks. However, archaeological excavations indicate that chopsticks can only be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period, which lasted from the 8th century BC to the 5th century BC.

Regardless of when chopsticks were first used, the methods of using them during Confucius' time were very different from how we use them today.  

The Book of Rites notes that during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, people did not use chopsticks for eating, but instead used them to pick up food. When consuming hot soup, they would use chopsticks to eat vegetables from the soup, but did not use them to drink the soup itself.  

This ancient eating habit has been passed down to the Korean Peninsula. For example, Koreans typically use spoons for eating but employ chopsticks when picking up food or when there are vegetables in the soup.

The system of separating food has a long history

In modern China, many people are accustomed to sharing food from the same dish when dining at the same table.

However, during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, a system of separating dishes was practiced, where food was divided based on the number of diners. As guests ate, waitstaff would continuously patrol the table, adding food as needed.

The Book of Rites also outlines specific guidelines for arranging rice and dishes on the table. According to these guidelines, rice is placed on the left side of the diner, soup on the right, with fish and grilled meat positioned on the outer side. Seasonings like vinegar and salt are placed on the inner side, while spices such as onions are positioned on the outer edge.

This setup indicates that the dining arrangement was likely designed for individual servings, suggesting that the method of separating food was indeed in practice at that time.

Chinese ancestors ate two meals a day

The concept of having three meals a day originated during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, but it was not common among ordinary people at that time.

Evidence from wooden slips discovered in the 1980s shows that ordinary people in the Shang Dynasty, which lasted from the 17th century BC to the 11th century BC, typically had two meals. The first meal was usually eaten between 7 am and 9:00 am, while the second meal was consumed between 3 pm and 5 pm. In the morning, they primarily ate staple foods, while their afternoon meal was generally smaller.

This meal pattern did not apply to the upper class. Over time, as productivity increased, the practice of eating three meals a day gradually became commonplace among the civilian population.