Chinese cuisine is broad and profound, from the eight major cuisines to the Manchu and Han banquets, talking about these, it is really three days and three nights that I can't finish talking about it. If you want to say that you can eat, it really belongs to us Chinese who know the most to eat, and not only can eat, we also eat very carefully. In ancient times, there was a saying that "dishes are not set in three, chopsticks are not in five, and seats are not made in six", and this saying contains rich food culture and etiquette.
"Dishes do not put three" originated from the ancient sacrificial culture. In ancient times, the sacrifice to ghosts and gods was a very grand activity, generally using a three-point system, such as three incense sticks, three cups of wine, and three bows and nine knocks. There is a saying in "The Book of Rites and Sacrifices": "The sacrificer, so he pursues filial piety; filial piety, animal also; Follow the way, not against the morals, is called an animal. This shows that the sacrifice is the pursuit and filial piety of the ancestors, and reflects the respect and gratitude for the ancestors. If you only serve three dishes at a meal, you are guilty of a taboo, because it is the living who are invited, not the ghosts. Imagine if you invited a guest to dinner and served only three dishes, the guest might feel disrespected.
Chopsticks do not become five" is related to table manners. There are two meanings here. First of all, the chopsticks must be double, not singular. For example, when you hold chopsticks, you can't have one more or less, otherwise it will make people think that you are in a hurry and not well prepared. "The Analects of the Township Party" mentions: "Qi must change food, and residence must be moved." This shows that in ancient times, eating was a very particular thing, and even the use of chopsticks had strict regulations. Secondly, the length of the chopsticks should also be consistent. Some people's chopsticks are of different lengths, for example, the chopsticks for eating hot pot are longer, and the chopsticks for eating are shorter. If chopsticks of different lengths are mixed together, customers will feel unlucky when they look at it. It is recorded in the "Historical Records: The Biography of the Goods and Colonies": "Fu Guang, twenty sick peasants, ninety sick and terminal. This shows that in ancient times, the development of commerce had a certain impact on agriculture and handicrafts, and chopsticks, as a necessary item in daily life, were also made with great excellence.
The banquet is not six", which is related to the ancient banquet etiquette. This is to say that it is better not to have six people at a table. In ancient times, a square table was usually used for banquets, and if six people were seated, two seats would be wasted, which also broke the traditional balance that was emphasized. There is a saying in "Zuo Chuan: The Twenty-ninth Year of Xianggong": "Feel at home, there is no peace and disaster; Not afraid of thieves, and not suffering from dampness. This shows that in ancient times, the purpose of banquets was to make guests feel comfortable and at ease, not to make them feel restrained and uneasy. Therefore, the ancients called the banquet for six people "Eight Seats of the Turtle King", which means unlucky. As a sign of respect for the guests, the host avoids this when arranging the seats.
Of course, with the development of the times, these old precedences have gradually been diluted. Many people may no longer be taboo about these things, or even think that they are just some foolish poor things. However, from these dietary rules, we can still see the importance that the ancients attached to etiquette, as well as the respect they had for their guests.
In short, although the saying "if you don't put three dishes, you can't make five quickly, and you can't make six dishes" is ancient, the food culture and etiquette it contains are worthy of our inheritance and respect. In today's fast-paced society, we should pay more attention to etiquette and details, so that food is not only a pleasure, but also a cultural inheritance and expression. At the same time, by understanding these ancient exquisiteness and the allusions behind it, we can also better understand China's food culture and etiquette traditions.