In a village in Luzhou, Sichuan, a scene at a wedding banquet has attracted widespread attention. Villagers have found that village feasts, once famous for their artisanal cooking and local specialties, are now beginning to feature pre-made dishes. This change not only reflects the change of local food culture, but also reflects the profound change in the lifestyle of rural society.
The wedding was held on 17 February in the central square of the village. The bride and groom are locals, and their weddings attract the attention of the whole village. However, unlike in the past, guests noticed something unusual when tasting the food – many of the dishes were not made on site, but were pre-prepared and pre-made. This phenomenon sparked a lively discussion among the villagers. On the one hand, the emergence of prefabricated dishes stems from the acceleration of the pace of modern life. With the deepening of industrialization and marketization, prefabricated dishes meet the pursuit of efficiency in fast-paced life with their convenience and standardized production. On the other hand, it also reflects the changes in the local catering industry. As young people move out to work or move to cities, the transmission of traditional culinary skills is challenged, and pre-made dishes become an alternative.
However, the popularity of pre-made dishes is not without controversy. Some villagers believe that although pre-made dishes are convenient and quick, they lack the freshness and local characteristics of traditional dishes. They fear that the food culture and culinary techniques that have been built up over time may gradually disappear as a result. Others disagree, arguing that pre-made dishes save time and give villagers more time to enjoy gatherings and socialize instead of spending all day in the kitchen. In addition, the rise of pre-made dishes has also brought economic considerations. For restaurateurs, pre-made dishes reduce labor costs and technical barriers, allowing even restaurants without professional chefs to offer a variety of dishes. This is particularly attractive in rural areas where there is a shortage of labor. At the same time, the large-scale production of prefabricated dishes has also created new employment opportunities and economic growth points for the local area.
On the whole, the emergence of prefabricated dishes in rural banquets is not only an inevitable product of the development of the times, but also the result of the interweaving of tradition and modernity. It has simplified the preparation of village feasts to a certain extent and improved efficiency, but it has also raised concerns about the preservation of traditional food culture. In the future, how to maintain tradition while embracing modern conveniences will be a challenge for rural communities.
In this change, the attitudes of the villagers varied, with some choosing to stick to tradition and others being open to new things. In any case, this change in the rural banquet is not only a change in the food on the table, but also a profound change in the social life and cultural concepts of the countryside.