During the Qin and Han dynasties, there were many kinds of food, which could also be called staple food. According to Hanshu literature and other archaeological data, the main food crops in this period are millet, millet, wheat, rice, hemp, glutinous rice, taro and so on. Buckwheat, highland barley, adzuki bean, pea, lentil, black bean, kidney bean, etc. Some crops have many names, such as millet, also known as millet and cereal. , is not sticky millet; Millet is sticky millet, also known as millet, millet, millet, yellow rice and so on. Generally speaking, glutinous rice refers to soybeans, and some are also called millet beans. The name of soybean was already in the book Fan Sheng Zhi in the Western Han Dynasty.

There are various ways and contents of food consumption. Due to the regional differences in crop planting and growth and different natural conditions, food consumption in Qin and Han Dynasties showed regional characteristics. Rice is dominant in South China and Southwest China, and millet and wheat are dominant in Huanghuai and North China. But there are also exchanges and interactions between North and South related foods, such as cakes in the south and rice in the north. At the same time, it also introduced the diet of ethnic minorities and even other countries and regions. Generally speaking, the ways and contents of food consumption in Qin and Han dynasties mainly include the following:

(1) Boil the rice dry

Millet, millet, wheat and rice can all be cooked into dry rice. Dried rice made of millet and millet is called rice, and millet is more common. Rice made of wheat is called wheat rice, which is also relatively common. There is also fried rice, called glutinous rice, which is often eaten with water, pulp or soup to facilitate swallowing.

(2) Soup, porridge and thin soup

Soup food was the main food at that time. Besides broth and vegetable soup, there is also cereal soup. Millet, millet, rice and sorghum can be used as raw materials. Food boiled in water can be made into porridge or thin soup, thick porridge and thin soup. Millet and porridge made from millet also play an important role in the folk diet in northern China.

(3) Cake

During the Qin and Han Dynasties, there were many kinds of cakes. Now noodles, cakes and cakes are basically called cakes. There are many different ways to make these foods, as well as different cooking methods and added raw materials. In terms of cooking methods, boiled cakes are called "soup cakes", steamed cakes are called "steamed cakes" and baked cakes are called "pancakes". Because of the different raw materials, three kinds of soup cakes include dolphin skin cake, thin ring cake, cut cake, chicken and duck cake, boiled cake and so on. "Steamed cakes" include white cakes and scorpion cakes. "Pancake" includes sesame cake, Hu cake and pith cake. Sesame was introduced from the western regions, and Hu cake was baked by scattering sesame seeds on the cake. The baked cake was very crisp, so it was very popular at that time. In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, Hu cakes were widely used. Meat patties are delicious and nutritious with animal fat as additive and flour. During the Qin and Han Dynasties, the fermentation technology gradually matured and was further popularized. At that time, people could steam steamed bread and make related cakes. Millet, rice and other grains can be made into various cakes.

(4) Related cooked food

Many grains are also processed into other cooked food for consumption. Among the bamboo barnacles unearthed in the M3 West Box of Mawangdui, some are cooked food made of feet, white rice and glutinous rice, and the characters of bamboo barnacles reflect cooked glutinous rice. The M 167 of Fenghuang Mountain in Jiangling is buried with 1 lacquer box containing millet and other grains. There are millet and millet food in earthen pots at M22 and M8 in Yingpan, Yuli County, Xinjiang, and M8 in 95MNI Cemetery, Niya Site, Minfeng County.

(5) Brewing and other processed products.

During the Qin and Han Dynasties, millet, rice and other grains could be made into wine. Grain wine is alcohol formed by saccharification and yeast action of starch in grain. Because of the different raw materials, the smell or taste of grain wine has different fragrance. Some grains can be processed into other foods besides mellow wine. The barnyard grass characters on bamboo slips unearthed in Mawangdui reflect that the raw materials of grain and plant food are pepper, millet or millet, rice and wheat, and the finished products are servants (cakes), sugar and women.

(6) Sauce, black beans and tofu

Some grains can be processed into sauce, fermented soybean and so on. After a special process, there may be tofu. The most common raw material is beans. Soy sauce was widely eaten in Qin dynasty, but fermented with beans and flour in Han dynasty. Sauce is also called soy sauce, and some are called fermented soy sauce, which has existed in the Western Han Dynasty and is more common in the Eastern Han Dynasty. Douchi is mostly Douchi, which is very popular. Tofu is a kind of food with beans as the main raw material, which is rich in nutrition.

(7) Others

Experts confirmed that there may be peanuts in the crops unearthed from the tomb pit of Hanyang Mausoleum. Peanuts can be eaten raw or cooked.

Second, vegetables

There were many edible vegetables in Qin and Han dynasties, among which 13 kinds of vegetables were listed in Ji Jiu pian. Generally speaking, vegetables in this period include roots, stems, leaves, onions and garlic. Considering that most archaeological discoveries are vegetable seeds, it is speculated that most of them are artificially cultivated. It should be noted that during this period, I also ate a lot of wild vegetables, and the specific varieties are unknown due to limited information.

At that time, sunflower was a common edible vegetable with a wide planting area. There are also onions, leeks, celery, taro, gourd, water chestnut, radish, shepherd's purse, ginger, alfalfa, bamboo shoots, radish and so on. Onions and coriander are imported from outside, which can be used as vegetables and seasonings. Alfalfa and cucumber are also imported products.

Three, fruit and a small amount of dried fruit

During the Qin and Han Dynasties, there were many kinds of edible fruits, both native to China and cultivated directly from abroad or after introduction.

China's native fruits and dried fruits mainly include peaches, pears, dates, apricots, plums, persimmons, plums, bayberries, green bayberries, nuts, Castanopsis fargesii, Michelia kwangtungensis, loquat, citrus, pomelo, litchi, mulberry, ginkgo, pine nuts, cantaloupe, melon, water chestnut and so on, which are called in some historical books.

Fruits imported from outside and widely planted in China include grapes, walnuts, pomegranates, figs, olives, papayas, watermelons and zucchini.