FOOD

**CHINESE CUISINE**

The wealthy officials and courtiers of the Tang Dynasty often entertained one another at elaborate banquets. Even ordinary people ate quite well.
Food was divided into two categories: grains (fan) and vegetables (cai) Grains consisted of rice, noodles and dumplings made from wheat. The vegetable category included any food that wasn’t a grain, including fish and meat. Meat was rarely consumed, but when it was it was mostly duck or pork. The most commonly eaten vegetable was cabbage. Dishes were seasoned with salt, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and cinnamon.

Because wood and other fuel were scarce, food was cut into tiny pieces and cooked quickly on high heat. Because the food was served in manageable sizes it was eaten with chopsticks. Each person was served their bowl of fan.The cai dishes were served in the center of the table in large bowls for everyone.

Tea (cha) became popular during the Tang Dynasty. It was served after the food was eaten. They believed the tea cleared the mind.
Wine was served in large quantities. It was acceptable to drink large amounts of wine because alcohol relaxed a person and brought him closer to the spirits of the universe.

Many exotic foods were introduced to China via the Silk Road. Among these were dates, dried oysters, melons, sea horses, and persimmons.