Читать книгу A Chinese cookbook for happiness and success - Nadine Koerner - Страница 9

Confucius said: ‘They must often change, who would be constant in happiness or wisdom.’ ^[34]

In China things are changing fast and only the ‘love’ for good food does not. Food and cooking traditionally played a big role in Chinese society, following the ancient teaching that 'food is heaven for people’. Some of the most frequently used words in China are food, eating and success! No wonder, as in China business has long been conducted over banquet tables and every Chinese friend will tell foreigners that no meeting or social gathering is considered complete without a good meal.

The philosopher and writer Lin Yutang^[35] wrote about 100 years ago:

‘How a Chinese spirit glows over a good feast! How apt is he to cry out that life is beautiful when his stomach and his intestines are well filled! From this well filled stomach suffuses and radiates a happiness that is spiritual. The Chinese relies upon instinct and his instinct tells him that when the stomach is right, everything is right’.^[36]

Food has been and remains an instrument to successful relationships between people at all levels in China. Food is often regarded as a living metaphor that implies power and responsibility over others. About 100 years ago, the Chinese government called the job of the chief executive “making adjustments to the tripods”; a tripod in Chinese refers to a cooking utensil. This term entails adjusting the flavors of the dishes being cooked in order to please customers' tastes. And just like a capable diplomat, the talented cook uses talent and technical skills.

Clever cooks who created outstanding food have had unusual access to power and success throughout Chinese history, for example Yi Yin, who had been a famous cook and slave known as Ah Yeng. He cooked for Emperor Tang, ruler of the Shang Dynasty from 1600 BC till 1100 BC, who became persuaded of Yi's diplomatic and social abilities after eating his dishes. Yi Yin became China's first prime minister and eventually assisted Emperor Tang to destroy Jie, the last ruler of the Xia Dynasty from 2100 BC to 1600 BC.