FOOD

  Chinese Food Pork- In Ancient Chinese Culture By: Rachel P. A Child Feeding His Pet Pig


Have you ever eaten a hot dog? Or eaten ham at a family gathereing? If you have than you have at least one thing in common with the Ancient Chinese Culture. Just like many of you, children back then had house hold pets. Their pets were probably much different than your's though, unless you have a pet pig! They enjoyed the company of their pigs, also called swine, but before they could do this wild pigs had to be domesticated in order to come home. Many land inhabitants brought these pigs into their homes, and soon many began to follow them. Farmers had many pigs so they could make food for many to eat. Many people who ate the pork savored the new refreshing meal. Eventually this led to almost every meal in China at the time to contain pork, becoming an essential ingredient in dinners. Many animals and plants naturally lived in China, but pigs were the main source of food for many reasons. Swine was so inexpensive to care for, China's religions diet consisted of meat, and parents allowed these pigs to be so close to home because they were like built in babysitters for them. Everyone benefited from pigs in some way, from poor peasants to kids like you.

Just an idea of how big China really is

Poor peasant farmers had pigs on farms of theirs after 6000 B.C.; the domesication period. Pigs caused farmers to make a profitable income (money) mainly because they were easy to care for. (And you think taking care of your dog is easy)! In such tough economic times money helped out thourgh struggles. Pigs ate foods that would have been thrown in the garbage such as; rotten meat, fruits, stale bread, and spoiled eggs. They served as farmers' dumpsters and compose pits, which helped farmers out a lot. When people raised pigs as a source of food for families it was very convenient because swine adapt to pretty much any climate and environment. Once the pigs are made into food the meat is easy to preserve. Only one person has to hang the raw meat upside down inside a hut with fire to dry it, which is called a smoke house. A simple solution for peasants struggling to make money was to raise pig easily outside their homes.  Man Eating All Parts of his Pig

Not only were pigs easy to own, but in China's religions diets they served as an excellent source of protein. Buddhists, Christians, Judaism, and Islam are all main religions in China. Some of them can eat pork while others cannot. As time pasted by many religions could not let the positive effects of pork outweigh the bad, so many began to accpet eating it. Townsmen who were very religious appreicated pork so much, it actually became a main source of food for them. Christians farmers along with families began to eat their own swine as well. Religions such as Buddhism and Islam respected swine so greatly that they believed pigs were a sign of God. They did not dare to eat pigs or any meat because of this, and instead followed a vegetarian diet. Many religions were affected by the decisions made of whether to eat pork or not. Consumers had their reasons as to why or why not they ate pork which became respected decisions across China.

Chinese Buddhists Worshipping

Pigs were closest toward families after 6000 B.C. The pig was actually such a big factor in everyday that, "... the Chinese character for roof written above the characterthe pig creates the word home..." (Anderson E.N.). As pet owners you know how much hard work comes along with the joy of raising your pet. So did the Chinese although not as much because pigs do not demand much time or labor at all to survive. Unlike Chinese fighting fish or rats, swine are perfectly fine in large crowds and could scanvenge for food alone. Pigs are very independent animals. Women liked pigs more than most animals because the pig's meat strengthened them during pregnancy, and they stood as a symbol for "newborn." Children loved thier pigs and so did the mothers because swine were like built in babysitters for them while they worked. Look out your back window, do you see a pig? Probably not, and if you do you are most likely in some pig farmer's backyard. This was a normal occurence for Chinese though, because pigs were so commonly known. These hogs were respected and depended upon for food. China itself was also respected by many other countries when swine spread throughout each others land.

That's All Folks!

China used many of its resources available to them in a wise manner which made them successful. Today many people, including yourself, take advantage over "delicacies" not even knowing it. Pork was used as a survival food, and for protein. Now, people eat it because it takes good, feeds many, and is not that expensive of a meal for you mother to make for you. You also probably just eat hot dogs which contain pork for pleasure at a fun family barbeque. Pork was used due to its efficiency to produce, being allowed in religious meals, and its respect factor. It became a well rounded food source and people showed their strong liking towards it by making up 70 % of all meat eaten in China. China has influened the world at large to eat meat especially the in the United States America. If you are eating pork ribs, Pork Fried Rice from "Golden Sea", or bacon while reading this make sure to thank China for that! (You are all, Welcome!) Work Cited

Website for Quote...

Anderson, E.N. "Ancient Chinese Pork." __E.H. Encyclopedia.__ 14 Aug. 2001. 7 Mar. 2009 [Revolution Food. Pictures Credits["A Child Feeding his Pet Pigs" 19 Mar. 2009. < [] ["Chinese Buddhists Worshipping"] 18 Mar. 2009 . <[] ["Just an idea of how big China really is"] 13 Mar. 2009 [] ["Man Selling All parts of his Pig"] 21. Mar. 2009 [|http://se.net.E.N.encyclopedia.org/regional/topography/Beijing/contours.htm.] ["That's All Folks"] 22. Mar. 2009 [|http://www.ancientporkfindings.com-SoutheastAsia=cuisine+foryoung/adults/poverty=moneymanager.htm]

=Chinese Beverages = =By :Jeremy C. = = = China has many different kinds of beverages to go along with their meals. Of all of their beverage, tea is the most popular. "All tea trees in other countries have their origin directly or indirectly in China" (Feibao). Tea is not the only popular beverage in China. The Chinese have many different types of liquor including wine. A special type of liquor is Maotai, China's national drink. The Chinese beverages revolve around tea, wine, and Maotai. = =   __Tea__ "China is the homeland of tea" (Feibao). In China, every meal is eaten along with tea. The Chinese use a special process to make their tea. Their tea plants must be at least five years old before the leaves can be picked. Once the leaves are picked, they are dried and heated in couldrons. A skilled Chinese tea picker can hand pick about 600 grams of tea leaves each day. The tea that was produced manually was only served to the imperial house and its inhabitants. The tea that is produced by machines is served to everyone else including the citizens.



__Wine__ Wine is another popular Chinese beverage. When it is served with meals, it is always served at the beginning of the meal and always with food. “  When the Chinese drink alcohol, the expectation is to experience a burning, stinging, harsh and inebriating beverage" (Berberoglu). This is the opposite of what many other countries look for when drinking wine. They expect to have a fruity and refreshing liquid when they drink wine. Chinese wines are made of millet, sorghum, and rice. Rice wine is the wine that is most commonly linked with China. Rice wine usually has a much higher alcohol level than regular, fruity wines.

__Matoai__ "Maotai, a strong liquor distilled from, fermented sorghum, is called the national drink of China" (Valkeinen). Maotai was named after the small town where it was made in the Guizhou Province. It was made to be tasty, sweet, and it has an elegant smell. After tasting Maotai, the Chinese emperor called it a honey like nectar and from then on, the drink gained popularity quickly. Maotai recieved the honor of becoming the national drink in 1915  Work Cited Berberoglu, Hrayr. “CHINESE WINE HISTORY.” __Food Reference.__ 2009. 23 Feb. 2009 <span style="font-size: 110%; color: rgb(255,255,0); font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; background-color: rgb(128,0,0);">[]. ["Chinese Maotai"] 22. Mar. 2009 [] ["Chinese Rice Wine"] 22. Mar. 2009 [] ["Chinese tea"] 22. Mar. 2009 [] ["Chinese Maotai"] 22. Mar. 2009 [] ["Chinese Rice Wine"] 22. Mar. 2009 []

<span style="font-size: 80%; color: rgb(255,255,0); font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; background-color: rgb(128,0,0);">Feibao, Du. “Chinese Tea.” __Chinese Tea Culture.__ 2009. 23 Feb. 2009 <http://www.chinavista.com/experience/tea/tea.html>. Valkeinen, Jutta. "Maotai - The Spirit of China | Lifestyle in China | Radio86 - All about China." __Radio86 English - All about China__. Feb. & march 2009 <http://www.radio86.co.uk/explore-learn/lifestyle-in-china/734/maotai-the-spirit-of-china>. =<span style="font-size: 300%; color: rgb(128,0,0); background-color: rgb(255,255,0);">Sichuan Food = =<span style="font-size: 120%; color: rgb(255,255,0); background-color: rgb(128,0,0);">By :Joe = =<span style="font-size: 120%; color: rgb(255,255,0); background-color: rgb(128,0,0);"> = <span style="color: rgb(255,255,0); background-color: rgb(128,0,0);"> <span style="color: rgb(255,255,0); background-color: rgb(128,0,0);">
 * Hey kids, do you love spicy food? If so you would also like the way Sichuan people cook. The area lies in the Sichuan Basin in the middle of china, and they have their own food styles. Sichuan food is very unique compared to other Chinese cultures. Sichuan food is spicier, it is the number one country for Stir-Fry, and the climate make food preserving very difficult.**

<span style="color: rgb(255,255,0); background-color: rgb(128,0,0);">**Stir fry is a big plate of vegetables cooked in a pan called a Wok. A Wok is a circular pan that keeps in fluids and is made for cooking vegetables. Woks are usually used for steaming, deep frying, and Stir-fry. Sichuan is considered the number one country for Stir-Fry. Stir-Fry techniques are the best in Sichuan because with Sichuan spices and cooking, the Wok holds the spices in. This keeps the cooking from becoming dried out and allows the food to be flavorful.** <span style="color: rgb(255,255,0); background-color: rgb(128,0,0);">**Sichuan’s weather is very humid and hot because it is located in the middle of china. Storing the food is an important part in making the food. If they don’t preserve the food properly then the food can get very moist and lose flavor. If they dry the food too much then it won’t activate properly. ** <span style="font-size: 14pt; color: rgb(255,255,0); background-color: rgb(128,0,0);"> **<span style="color: rgb(255,255,0); background-color: rgb(128,0,0);">Sichuan is a unique providence compared to some others. They have the spiciest food, and have some of the best stir-fry food, and face everyday challenges like preserving the food. Unfortunately the only way to get Sichuan food is to go all the way to Sichuan, but if you like spicy foods and want to travel you now know where to go. **
 * Those who say they like spicy things and foods have never tried Sichuan food. It is the spiciest Chinese food out there. “****Sichuan cooking has 22 different kinds of basic spices but providences like Canton, and shanghai has only about six kinds” (****Authentic Sichuan Cuisine). Sichuan cooking uses a lot more spices and hot flavors than most regions located in China. Most of these spices are only for sale in Sichuan. Another type of food that can be cooked with spices or without is Stir-Fry.**