What kind of food came from the Silk Road?

China's food culture has a long history and is well-known all over the world. But in fact, many of the foods that are commonly found on the market today did not originate in China, but through the Silk Road.

was brought to China. Zhang Qian made two missions to the Western Regions, opening up a Silk Road that traversed the east and west and connected Europe and Asia. The Silk Road is not only a first-class road, but also a cultural road and a food road.

For example, the familiar sesame seeds, grapes, figs, melons, pomegranates, mung beans, cucumbers, garlic, coriander, walnuts, etc. were all introduced to the Central Plains through the Silk Road, and then planted to become indispensable food on the table.

The carrot surname "Yang" is well-known to many people because of its surname Hu. Mr. Shi Hansheng, an agronomist, has such an incisive summary: Many vegetables with the surname "Hu" were introduced from the northwest during the Western Jin Dynasty of the Han Dynasty, such as ginger and walnuts.

Wait. Carrots are native to southwestern Asia, the ancestor is the purple carrot of Afghanistan, and has been cultivated for more than 2,000 years. After arriving in China, it followed the local customs, and gradually became the current Chinese carrot with long roots.

Cucumbers were originally called courgettes, which are the same as carrots, so they were also imported from the Western Regions. Li Shizhen.

said: "Zhang Qian made the Western Regions planted, hence the name Hugua." But later, because he violated the taboo of Emperor Shile of Later Zhao, he had to change his surname to Huang.

Coriander, also known as coriander.

Native to Central Asia.

region, is a vegetable with a unique smell. During the Han Dynasty, Zhang Qian brought back to the Central Plains from the Western Regions. <>

Garlic is native to West and Central Asia, and it was brought back by Zhang Qian's second order to the Western Regions. According to the "Zhengbu" written by Wang Yi in the Han Dynasty, it is recorded: "Zhang Qian returned the envoy and got garlic and alfalfa. ”

Sesame seeds, also known as flax, were transmitted from the Western Regions to the Central Plains during the Han Dynasty, and the seeds of sesame seeds are rich in oil and are one of the raw materials for oil extraction.

The pomegranate originally came home in Persia (present-day Iran) and was later introduced to China. Zhang Hua, a writer from the Western Jin Dynasty, in "Naturalist Chronicles".

wrote: "Han Zhangqian sent an envoy to the Western Regions, and he had to plant pomegranates in the country of Tu Lin'an. ”

Fig, which was transmitted to the Central Plains from the Western Regions during the Han Dynasty, is an edible fresh fruit that can also be made into preserved fruits and eaten. Spinach was transmitted from Persia to Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty. Tang Weixuan in "Liu Guestjia's Words".

"There are monks in the western country who come from their sons, such as alfalfa and grapes because of Zhang Qian. ”

Grapes, native to the Mediterranean.

and Central Asia, during the Han Dynasty, grapes were transmitted to the Central Plains via the Silk Road. The fruit of the grape is rich in glucose.

fructose, as well as a variety of vitamins and minerals.

Walnuts are a nut rich in fat and protein that is native to Central Asia and was called "walnut" during the Han Dynasty.

Grapes, pomegranates and other foods came to China, and through the Silk Road, a lot of Western food flowed into China.

For example, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and other plants that were precious at that time did not exist in China.

The Silk Road introduced foreign foods such as grapes, walnuts, carrots, peppers, and pomegranates to China.

Pepper. Pepper, which was introduced from the Maritime Silk Road, is native to the Malabar coast of India. The Tang Dynasty Duan Chengshi's "Youyang Miscellaneous Tales and Wood Chapter" said:

Pepper, out of the country of Maga, called for the fulfillment of the branch. "Pepper is divided into black pepper, white pepper, red pepper and green pepper according to different processing methods, which can be used for medicine, seasoning and soaking in wine. Volume 7 of "Qi Min Yaoshu" is quoted from the pepper wine practice recorded in Zhang Hua's "Naturalist Chronicles" of the Western Jin Dynasty:

Pepper wine recipe, five liters of good wine, one or two dried ginger, seventy peppers, and five pomegranates at the end. "Scarcity is precious, and ancient China was not suitable for cultivating this kind of pungent crop, so pepper was considered a "luxury" for a long time. In the Song Dynasty, shipping was developed, and pepper was transmitted to the Chinese market in large quantities by sea.

Today, this spice with its unique charm has become a frequent guest on the table of Chinese.

Cumin. Another name for cumin in ancient China was "Rest Fennel", and "Rest Place" is the area of present-day Iran. "Cumin" is actually a transliteration of Uygur, cumin was first introduced to China's Xinjiang region, which was the first to grow and use cumin.

The smell of cumin is fragrant and strong, and it has the effect of removing the smell and relieving greasy, so it is often used to process beef and mutton.

Garlic, or garlic, is native to West and East Asia. According to the "Zhengbu" written by Wang Yi in the Han Dynasty, it is recorded: "Zhang Qian returned the envoy and got garlic and alfalfa.

Li Shizhen's "Compendium of Materia Medica" has a cloud: "Small garlic is an old part of the Middle Earth, and garlic is out of Hudi, so it has a Hu name." Since then, garlic has officially settled in China, and as the main condiment, it has given birth to a flavor that has fascinated countless people - "garlic fragrance".

Coriander. Coriander, also known as coriander, is native to the Mediterranean coast and Central Asia. The "Compendium of Materia Medica" records:

Zhang Qian made the Western Regions return to planting, hence the name coriander. "The agricultural work of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Qi Min Yaoshu, records in detail the cultivation of coriander and the method of making pickled coriander. In addition to its medicinal value, coriander is mostly used as a flavor condiment for cold dishes and soups because of its special aroma.

For the majority of meat lovers, the classic combination of coriander and beef and mutton is naturally a favorite, the mutton is warm and delicious, and the coriander has a spicy special fragrance, which can be fishy and greasy. Putting coriander in mutton is also the earliest way to eat in the Western Regions, there are many beef and mutton in the Western Regions, before the Ming Dynasty without the introduction of chili peppers, coriander is an excellent seasoning to increase the freshness.

Onions. Onions are one of the oldest plants in the world, dating back more than 5,000 years to Central Asia. Onions were first called "shallots" after they were introduced to the Central Plains, but they were introduced to Japan in the 17th century and renamed "onions".

Onions are also called "skin teeth" in Xinjiang, and skin teeth are an indispensable element in many Xinjiang cuisines.

The Silk Road is relatively long, and there will be demand for many business opportunities; Naturally, people will bring some goods to exchange and buy.

The spread of grapes, walnuts, carrots, peppers, beans, spinach (also known as Persian cuisine), cucumbers (known as courgettes in the Han Dynasty), pomegranates, etc., added more choices to the daily diet of East Asians. The wines of the Western Regions have been integrated into the traditional Chinese wine culture through historical development. The caravans mainly shipped iron, gold, silver, mirrors, and other luxury items from China.

There are many things that have been imported and transplanted from the East and the West, such as medicine, dance, martial arts, and some famous animals and plants, all of which have increased the horizons of both sides. During the Han Dynasty, Xi named things imported from the West with Hu characters, such as huqin, courgette, carrot, etc.; In the Tang Dynasty, it was customary to name their names with sea characters, such as begonia, sea pomegranate, sea pearl (Persian Gulf pearl), etc.

The Silk Road introduced watermelons, pineapples, carrots, spinach, pomegranates, sesame seeds, figs, cucumbers, etc. from the West.

The food products introduced by the Silk Road are: grapes, walnuts, pomegranates, broad beans, cucumbers, sesame, figs, etc.

Zhang Qian made two missions to the Western Regions and established a Silk Road connecting Europe and Asia. And many of the foods we eat today came from the Silk Road in the Han Dynasty.

Cucumber. The original name was cucumber, but because it violated the emperor's taboo, it was renamed cucumber. It is said that after it was introduced to China, cucumber was not so popular, so it was rare and expensive. Today, cucumbers have been continuously improved and have become integrated with the functions of vegetables and fruits.

Pomegranate. According to legend, when Zhang Qian went to the Western Regions, he encountered a great drought in Anshiguo. Zhang Qian took the initiative to teach An Shiguo the method of water conservancy, which solved the problem of drought and water shortage in their crops.

An Shiguo expressed his gratitude, and Zhang Qian also commemorated it and brought the pomegranate seeds back to the Han Dynasty. And the fiery beauty of the pomegranate flower was also liked by the emperor. In addition, pomegranates have both ornamental and edible functions, and even more beautify the face.

Garlic. Garlic has now become a must-have auxiliary ingredient in the family, with a spicy taste, but it has the effect of fighting diseases and inhibiting bacteria. And the reason why we can enjoy it today is also inseparable from Zhang Qian's contributions.

Garlic originated in West Asia and Central Asia, and was brought back by Zhang Qian's second mission to the Western Regions. I wonder if Zhang Qian brought this spicy thing back to China, and was he also impressed by its "strange taste"?

Spinach. Spinach is more controversial, some people say that it was introduced during the Tang Dynasty, and of course, some people still believe that it was brought back by Zhang Qian. But in either case, without the Silk Road opened by Zhang Qian, there would be no civilized exchanges, and spinach would not appear on the dinner table of Chinese.

Of course, there is a lot of food that came from the Silk Road, as well as grapes, tomatoes, potatoes and so on. And China has also passed silk and spices to the Eurasian continent. In short, civilization is wonderful because of exchange.

Foods and spices such as potatoes, spinach, garlic, cumin, etc., were all introduced through silk during the Han Dynasty and are eaten to this day.

Most of the food introduced from the Silk Road is fruits and vegetables, which are some of the more common ones in our lives. Such as grapes, walnuts, pomegranates, etc. It's hard to imagine that these were still transmitted from the Silk Road, and now they are all too common.

There are a lot of fruits that came in at that time, such as tomatoes and grapes, peppers, and spinach.

Many foods and fruits in our daily life were introduced through the Silk Road in the Han Dynasty, such as grapes, watermelons, carrots, walnuts, etc., and we still eat these fruits until now.

What grapes, cucumbers, tomatoes, pomegranates, walnuts, potatoes, spinach, garlic, etc., are eaten to this day.

The Silk Road opened by the Han Dynasty introduced many fruits and vegetables, such as grapes, cucumbers, tomatoes, and carrots, to the Central Plains, where they have been eaten ever since.

For example, grapes and carrots, which were introduced through the Silk Road during the Han Dynasty, to be honest, the food resources in the mainland are indeed relatively monotonous.

The food includes grapes, walnuts, carrots, peppers, pomegranates, glass, spices, etc., and the characters are basically all with Hu characters.

Grapes and carrots? I have to say that I feel that carrots are still very good and nutritious, and they have a great effect on improving people's livelihood at that time.

The role of the Silk Road is really great, such as my favorite peppers and watermelons were introduced through the Silk Road.