Translation and annotation on Zunshengbajian(遵生八箋)·Yinzhuanfushijian(飮饌服食箋)·wheat-based foods & sweets – related chapter(甛食類甛食類)
This paper presents the results of translation and annotation work on the 「wheat-based foods & sweets-related chapter(甛食類)」 of the 『Zunshengbajian(遵生八箋) · Yinzhuanfushijian(飮饌服食箋)』, a Ming dynasty old cuisine book written by Gao Lian(高濂).『Zunshengbajian · Yinzhuanfushijian』 is a work of medical prose from the Ming dynasty that focuses on the pursuit of the Tao of nourishing life. Gao Lian explains that 'respecting life' means respecting the principles of life and, in the logic of natural circulation, ultimately means respecting oneself. This concept is connected to the title of the book. Gao Lian argues that one should consume food that does not harm the path of nourishing life. In this sense, the 『Zunshengbajian ·Yinzhuanfushijian』 may be read as a text that practices the philosophy of nourishing life. However, when we read his contents of a description, it is found that, except for the methods to resolve the toxins of drugs and the records of porridge that can be eaten without burdening the five internal organs, the foods introduced are rather ordinary and not grand. In addition, there is no recorded recommendation to eat this food because it will be helpful for nourishing life. The paper states that the recipes in the 「wheat - based foods & sweets - related chapter」 that are beneficial for nourishing life are limited. However, the recipes recorded in this chapter are detailed and can be reproduced by someone with a little cooking knowledge. The chapter includes various traditional Chinese breads, noodles, and sweet snacks, making it valuable as a traditional Chinese cookbook. Therefore, I treats the text as a collection of old Chinese recipes rather than a method of pursuing nourishing life.I translated 「wheat - based foods & sweets -related chapter」 for two reasons. First, I conducted a study comparing old Chinese and Joseon cookbooks, and this translation was a foundation for the detailed comparison of these texts. Second, scholars in Joseon quoted and excerpted 「wheat - based foods & sweets - related chapter」 and included it in their own writings. Therefore, I aimed to understand the relationship of citation and inheritance between different texts through a detailed study of the original texts. Based on this translation work, I plans to investigate the relationship of citation of 「wheat - based foods & sweets - related chapter」 in subsequent research and compare it to Joseon's old cookbooks to investigate whether quoting this recipe in Joseon's literature is a pursuit of completeness of knowledge and to further study the mutual influence of food culture and knowledge between the two countries.
Authors
- Sejin Jung
Publication Details
- Journal
- The Journal of Chinese Prose
- Published
- 2024-12-31
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.22419/tjcpcom.17.12
- Primary Topic
- Food Quality and Safety Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00