SlideShare a Scribd company logo
1 of 10
Download to read offline
PROJECT 3
Food and drink
Tradition
However, color, aroma, and flavor are not the only principles to be followed in
Chinese cooking; nutrition is the first concern. A theory of the "harmonization of
foods" can be traced back to the Shang dynasty's (16th to 11th century B.C) scholar
Yi Yin. He relates the five flavors of sweet, sour, bitter, piquant, and salty to the
nutritional needs of the five major organ systems of the body (the heart, liver, spleen,
lungs, and kidneys), and he stresses their role in maintaining good physical health. In
fact, many of the plants used in Chinese cooking such as scallions, fresh ginger root,
garlic, dried lily buds, and tree fungus have properties of preventing and alleviating
various illnesses. The Chinese have a traditional belief that food and medicine share
the same origin and that food has a medicinal value. This view can be considered the
forerunner of nutritional science in China. According to this theory, a correct
proportion of meat to vegetable ingredients should be maintained. One-third of meat-
based dishes should be made of vegetable ingredients, and one-third of vegetable
dishes should consist of meat. In preparing soups, the quantity of water used should
total seven-tenths the volume of the serving bowl. Basically, the correct ingredient
proportions must be adhered to in the preparation of each dish or soup in order to
ensure optimal nutritional value.
The Chinese have a number of traditional rules and customs associated with
eating. For example, food must be eaten while seated. Also a set order of who may
be seated first among men, women, old, and young exists. Furthermore, one must
eat main courses with chopsticks and soup with a spoon.
Chinese Food and Drinks including Traditional Chinese
Cuisine & DrinkRecipe
• When it comes to food, the Chinese have a common saying, "The masses regard food as theirheaven,"
which means that food is people's primal want. It should clearly justify the importance that "eating"holds
in Chinese people's lives. Eating is not just meant to fill the stomach; having food at one's disposal, being
able to consume a good amount of food, and knowing what and how to eat are all viewed as a good
"fortune."Those who promote food culture often use the words of Chinese philosopherConfucius, "diet
and love-making, all primal needs of every human being,"finding an aspiring and positive thought basis
for such an epicurean lifestyle. There's probably not another place in this world that has as great a variety
of delicious fare as China. If judging by the art and techniques of cooking, aside fromFrance and Italy,
perhaps the skills of chefs of no other country can gain recognition fromthe Chinese.
• Extremely developed culinary techniques can make seemingly inedible ingredients, to foreign eyes, into
dish after dish of delicious treats by the hands of Chinese chefs. The Chinese cookbookalso contains
quite an extensive list of foods, including just about anything edible with very few taboos. The Chinese,
who see eating as a fortune and life as an art, not only created various kinds of regional food styles in its
own vast lands, but have also spread Chinese food culture to faracross the seas. Today, in this world
where even the farthest corners can seemas close as one's backyard, Chinese food can be enjoyed in
each and every metropolitan throughout the world.
• Like many other countries with a vast territory, Chinese cuisines are differentiated largely by its northern
and southern regional tastes. Although the best quality rice in China is grown in its northeastern regions,
people in those regions, however, just as other northerners, preferto eat pasta or pastry instead. In the
north, classic dishes include Beijing's lamb hotpot (fondue) and roast duck, and Shandong province's Lu
style cuisines. In the south, the principal foods (foods that are the main source of carbohydrates and
dietary fibers, e.g. bread and cereal in the west) are rice-based. A relatively greater variety of dishes are
found in the south. There you can find the hot and heavily spiced Sichuan food, Xiang (Hunan) food,
sweet and delicate Huaiyang food and the Yue (Cantonese) style which are mostly seafood and soups.
Thus foreigners who have been to China are often pleasantly surprised by the great differences in taste
and food types by region.
FOOD
DRINK
o
n
Pictures of traditional Chinese d
rink
Traditional drinkin
China
back
back
Pictures of traditional Chinese food
Traditional Chinese food 
is rice. Besides rice they 
use a variety
of insectfood and 
seafood.
Tea
Wherever Chinese go, the custom of drinking tea follows. Tea was first discovered by
the Chinese. Tea is an indispensable part of the life of a Chinese. A Chinese saying
identifies the seven basic daily necessities as fuel, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar,
and te a. The custom of drinking tea has been ingrained in the Chinese for over a
thousand years. During the mid-T'ang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.), a man named Lu Yu
created the first compendium in the world on tea, the Tea Classic. This work helped to
popularize the art of tea drinking all across China.
Tea Tea is made from the young, tender leaves of the tea tree. The differences
among the many kinds of tea available are based mainly on the roasting and
fermentation of the tea leaves. Through fermentation, the originally deep green leaves
become reddish-brown in color. The longer the fermentation, the darker the color.
Depending on the length of the roasting and degree of fermentation, the fragrance can
range from floral to fruity to malty.
Tea drinking aficionados usually enjoy the beauty and feel of teapots. Small teapots
are used to steep tea (in the "kung fu" steeping method). This particular method has
been passed down to the present day from 16th century China, so it boasts a 400-year
history. The full aroma and sweetness of the tea can be brought out when using a
small teapot to steep tea.
Tea is China's national drink. It contains vitamins, tea derivatives, essential oils, and
fluoride. It is a diuretic attributed with the properties of improving the eyesight and
increasing alertness, so Chinese believe that frequent tea drinkers enjoy an increased
life span. Its medical properties and benefits to the human body have actually been
scientifically proven, and tea has come to be generally recognized as a natural health
food.
Wine
The origins of fermenting and drinking wine in China go far back in time. The
ancient Chinese either used wine as a libation to their forefathers to express
reverence, enjoyed it by themselves while writing poetry or prose, or toasted their
relatives and friends during a feast. Wine was intimately connected with most
Chinese men of letters. Grains were used to ferment wine throughout ancient China.
Thus, whether or not the grain harvest was bountiful became a criterion by which
many governments decided whether to lift their ban on wine making or how heavy a
wine tax to levy. Over the ages, wine gradually became directly linked to the daily life
and tax burden of the people.
WineAs early as in the Shang dynasty of the 18th through 11th centuries B.C.,
the use of grain to make wine had become widespread. Inscriptions preserve many
records of Shang-era people worshiping their ancestors with wine and of the fact that
wine drinking was very popular at the time. The development of Chinese wine-making
techniques accelerated after the 3rd century A.D. Each part of the nation used
different grains to produce yeast. This not only led to an increase in the varieties of
wine, but also indicated progress in the technology of yeast production.
From wine making and drinking we can glimpse a bit of the wisdom of ancient
Chinese. Wine was influential in the accomplishments of intellectuals. Policy
measures prohibiting wine making and measures levying wine taxes illustrate certain
links between wine and national taxes. Wine is an important segment of dietary
culture, and its significance in Chinese culture should not be overlooked.
Project 3  food and drink
teacher:
Andrijana Kotevska

More Related Content

What's hot

Chinese cuisine
Chinese cuisineChinese cuisine
Chinese cuisineM. C.
 
Typical Chinese food
 Typical Chinese food Typical Chinese food
Typical Chinese foodAna Torres
 
Chinese food culture
Chinese food cultureChinese food culture
Chinese food cultureHareem_syed
 
Rudy chinese cuisine
Rudy chinese cuisineRudy chinese cuisine
Rudy chinese cuisineDhudz Tarpz
 
Chinese Food Culture
Chinese Food CultureChinese Food Culture
Chinese Food Culturebrittpearce
 
Chinese cuisine not only cooking, but true art
Chinese cuisine   not only cooking, but true artChinese cuisine   not only cooking, but true art
Chinese cuisine not only cooking, but true artElenusz
 
Chinese Food Culture
Chinese Food CultureChinese Food Culture
Chinese Food Culturemesson2002
 
Chinese Food Introduction
Chinese Food IntroductionChinese Food Introduction
Chinese Food IntroductionJoanne Chen
 
Maricica Stan Si Elena Caragea
Maricica Stan Si Elena CarageaMaricica Stan Si Elena Caragea
Maricica Stan Si Elena CarageaStan Maricica
 
Chinese Food
Chinese FoodChinese Food
Chinese Foodbarnish24
 
Chinese food
Chinese foodChinese food
Chinese foodLi Niu
 
The Chinese Culture
The Chinese CultureThe Chinese Culture
The Chinese Culturerana chaer
 
The culture of china
The culture of chinaThe culture of china
The culture of chinaYachay Tech
 
60-61 tea story
60-61 tea story60-61 tea story
60-61 tea storyNeha Ved
 

What's hot (20)

Chinese cuisine
Chinese cuisineChinese cuisine
Chinese cuisine
 
Typical Chinese food
 Typical Chinese food Typical Chinese food
Typical Chinese food
 
chinese cuisine
chinese cuisinechinese cuisine
chinese cuisine
 
Chinese food culture
Chinese food cultureChinese food culture
Chinese food culture
 
CHINESE CUISINE
CHINESE CUISINECHINESE CUISINE
CHINESE CUISINE
 
Rudy chinese cuisine
Rudy chinese cuisineRudy chinese cuisine
Rudy chinese cuisine
 
Chinese Cuisines
Chinese CuisinesChinese Cuisines
Chinese Cuisines
 
Chinese Food Culture
Chinese Food CultureChinese Food Culture
Chinese Food Culture
 
Chinese cuisine
Chinese cuisineChinese cuisine
Chinese cuisine
 
Chinese cuisine not only cooking, but true art
Chinese cuisine   not only cooking, but true artChinese cuisine   not only cooking, but true art
Chinese cuisine not only cooking, but true art
 
Chinese Food Culture
Chinese Food CultureChinese Food Culture
Chinese Food Culture
 
Chinese Food Introduction
Chinese Food IntroductionChinese Food Introduction
Chinese Food Introduction
 
Powerbook Sample
Powerbook SamplePowerbook Sample
Powerbook Sample
 
Maricica Stan Si Elena Caragea
Maricica Stan Si Elena CarageaMaricica Stan Si Elena Caragea
Maricica Stan Si Elena Caragea
 
Chinese Food
Chinese FoodChinese Food
Chinese Food
 
Chinese food
Chinese foodChinese food
Chinese food
 
The Chinese Culture
The Chinese CultureThe Chinese Culture
The Chinese Culture
 
The culture of china
The culture of chinaThe culture of china
The culture of china
 
60-61 tea story
60-61 tea story60-61 tea story
60-61 tea story
 
Fitth Hk Mlg
Fitth Hk MlgFitth Hk Mlg
Fitth Hk Mlg
 

Viewers also liked

Chinese drinking culture
Chinese drinking cultureChinese drinking culture
Chinese drinking cultureJoanne Chen
 
Is it okay to drink wine in a Chinese garden
Is it okay to drink wine in a Chinese gardenIs it okay to drink wine in a Chinese garden
Is it okay to drink wine in a Chinese gardenJohn Jeffery
 
Presentation of Bordeaux Wine in China.
Presentation of Bordeaux Wine in China.Presentation of Bordeaux Wine in China.
Presentation of Bordeaux Wine in China.Henríquez Rafael
 
Chinese ancient culture
Chinese ancient cultureChinese ancient culture
Chinese ancient cultureJohn Jeffery
 
Wine Pre History
Wine Pre HistoryWine Pre History
Wine Pre HistoryBAComer
 
Urban Social Activities in Chinese
Urban Social Activities in ChineseUrban Social Activities in Chinese
Urban Social Activities in ChinesePractical Mandarin
 
My Top 10 User Friendly Web Tools
My Top 10 User Friendly Web ToolsMy Top 10 User Friendly Web Tools
My Top 10 User Friendly Web ToolsFrances Fu
 
多媒体教材简介
多媒体教材简介多媒体教材简介
多媒体教材简介moombaa
 
Tian qui (Weather) - Foreign Language 1 (Mandarin) Report
Tian qui (Weather) - Foreign Language 1 (Mandarin) Report Tian qui (Weather) - Foreign Language 1 (Mandarin) Report
Tian qui (Weather) - Foreign Language 1 (Mandarin) Report DjKConTheMix
 
国小华语一年级试卷
国小华语一年级试卷国小华语一年级试卷
国小华语一年级试卷Andreen Poh
 
汉语离合词
汉语离合词汉语离合词
汉语离合词moombaa
 
华文 小测验 2
华文 小测验 2华文 小测验 2
华文 小测验 2Tan Hui Mee
 
Introduction to Chinese Family Culture
Introduction to Chinese Family CultureIntroduction to Chinese Family Culture
Introduction to Chinese Family CultureJoanne Chen
 

Viewers also liked (19)

Chinese drinking culture
Chinese drinking cultureChinese drinking culture
Chinese drinking culture
 
China wine
China wineChina wine
China wine
 
Is it okay to drink wine in a Chinese garden
Is it okay to drink wine in a Chinese gardenIs it okay to drink wine in a Chinese garden
Is it okay to drink wine in a Chinese garden
 
Menu 菜单
Menu   菜单Menu   菜单
Menu 菜单
 
Presentation of Bordeaux Wine in China.
Presentation of Bordeaux Wine in China.Presentation of Bordeaux Wine in China.
Presentation of Bordeaux Wine in China.
 
Chinese ancient culture
Chinese ancient cultureChinese ancient culture
Chinese ancient culture
 
Wine Pre History
Wine Pre HistoryWine Pre History
Wine Pre History
 
Bahasa Mandarin
Bahasa MandarinBahasa Mandarin
Bahasa Mandarin
 
Yct2 student y20901
Yct2 student y20901Yct2 student y20901
Yct2 student y20901
 
crystal
crystalcrystal
crystal
 
Urban Social Activities in Chinese
Urban Social Activities in ChineseUrban Social Activities in Chinese
Urban Social Activities in Chinese
 
Bahasa Inggris
Bahasa InggrisBahasa Inggris
Bahasa Inggris
 
My Top 10 User Friendly Web Tools
My Top 10 User Friendly Web ToolsMy Top 10 User Friendly Web Tools
My Top 10 User Friendly Web Tools
 
多媒体教材简介
多媒体教材简介多媒体教材简介
多媒体教材简介
 
Tian qui (Weather) - Foreign Language 1 (Mandarin) Report
Tian qui (Weather) - Foreign Language 1 (Mandarin) Report Tian qui (Weather) - Foreign Language 1 (Mandarin) Report
Tian qui (Weather) - Foreign Language 1 (Mandarin) Report
 
国小华语一年级试卷
国小华语一年级试卷国小华语一年级试卷
国小华语一年级试卷
 
汉语离合词
汉语离合词汉语离合词
汉语离合词
 
华文 小测验 2
华文 小测验 2华文 小测验 2
华文 小测验 2
 
Introduction to Chinese Family Culture
Introduction to Chinese Family CultureIntroduction to Chinese Family Culture
Introduction to Chinese Family Culture
 

Similar to Project 3 food and drink

An Example Of Successful Operations Management
An Example Of Successful Operations ManagementAn Example Of Successful Operations Management
An Example Of Successful Operations ManagementTracy Williams
 
What Is The Food Culture In Australia
What Is The Food Culture In AustraliaWhat Is The Food Culture In Australia
What Is The Food Culture In AustraliaHeather Harvey
 
Chinese Food Customs And Culture
Chinese Food Customs And CultureChinese Food Customs And Culture
Chinese Food Customs And CultureLaura Arrigo
 
The Southern Food Culture
The Southern Food CultureThe Southern Food Culture
The Southern Food CultureMonica Cordova
 
Food In The Filipino Culture
Food In The Filipino CultureFood In The Filipino Culture
Food In The Filipino CultureTammy Lacy
 
Food Culture In Venezuela
Food Culture In VenezuelaFood Culture In Venezuela
Food Culture In VenezuelaDani Cox
 
Why Chinese Food Has Lost Its Authenticity
Why Chinese Food Has Lost Its AuthenticityWhy Chinese Food Has Lost Its Authenticity
Why Chinese Food Has Lost Its AuthenticitySusan Anderson
 
Chapter 32 introduction to chinese cooking
Chapter 32 introduction to chinese cookingChapter 32 introduction to chinese cooking
Chapter 32 introduction to chinese cookingDr. Sunil Kumar
 
Woodridge Research Paper
Woodridge Research PaperWoodridge Research Paper
Woodridge Research PaperMichelle Wilson
 
Fast Food And Modern Food Culture
Fast Food And Modern Food CultureFast Food And Modern Food Culture
Fast Food And Modern Food CultureStefanie Yang
 
Houston Food Culture Essay
Houston Food Culture EssayHouston Food Culture Essay
Houston Food Culture EssayTiffany Graham
 
Food Culture Essay
Food Culture EssayFood Culture Essay
Food Culture EssayNancy Jarjis
 
On Differences of Table Culture between China and Western countr.docx
On Differences of Table Culture between China and Western countr.docxOn Differences of Table Culture between China and Western countr.docx
On Differences of Table Culture between China and Western countr.docxhopeaustin33688
 
Descriptive Essay On Hash Browns
Descriptive Essay On Hash BrownsDescriptive Essay On Hash Browns
Descriptive Essay On Hash BrownsTammy Majors
 
Greek Pursuit Of Perfection
Greek Pursuit Of PerfectionGreek Pursuit Of Perfection
Greek Pursuit Of PerfectionLeslie Lee
 

Similar to Project 3 food and drink (20)

An Example Of Successful Operations Management
An Example Of Successful Operations ManagementAn Example Of Successful Operations Management
An Example Of Successful Operations Management
 
What Is The Food Culture In Australia
What Is The Food Culture In AustraliaWhat Is The Food Culture In Australia
What Is The Food Culture In Australia
 
Chinese Food Customs And Culture
Chinese Food Customs And CultureChinese Food Customs And Culture
Chinese Food Customs And Culture
 
The Southern Food Culture
The Southern Food CultureThe Southern Food Culture
The Southern Food Culture
 
Westernized Panda
Westernized PandaWesternized Panda
Westernized Panda
 
Food In The Filipino Culture
Food In The Filipino CultureFood In The Filipino Culture
Food In The Filipino Culture
 
Food Culture In Venezuela
Food Culture In VenezuelaFood Culture In Venezuela
Food Culture In Venezuela
 
Why Chinese Food Has Lost Its Authenticity
Why Chinese Food Has Lost Its AuthenticityWhy Chinese Food Has Lost Its Authenticity
Why Chinese Food Has Lost Its Authenticity
 
Chapter 32 introduction to chinese cooking
Chapter 32 introduction to chinese cookingChapter 32 introduction to chinese cooking
Chapter 32 introduction to chinese cooking
 
Woodridge Research Paper
Woodridge Research PaperWoodridge Research Paper
Woodridge Research Paper
 
Fast Food And Modern Food Culture
Fast Food And Modern Food CultureFast Food And Modern Food Culture
Fast Food And Modern Food Culture
 
Food In Japanese Food Culture
Food In Japanese Food CultureFood In Japanese Food Culture
Food In Japanese Food Culture
 
Houston Food Culture Essay
Houston Food Culture EssayHouston Food Culture Essay
Houston Food Culture Essay
 
Essay About Traditional Food
Essay About Traditional FoodEssay About Traditional Food
Essay About Traditional Food
 
Food Culture Essay
Food Culture EssayFood Culture Essay
Food Culture Essay
 
On Differences of Table Culture between China and Western countr.docx
On Differences of Table Culture between China and Western countr.docxOn Differences of Table Culture between China and Western countr.docx
On Differences of Table Culture between China and Western countr.docx
 
My Assumptions About China And Chinese Culture
My Assumptions About China And Chinese CultureMy Assumptions About China And Chinese Culture
My Assumptions About China And Chinese Culture
 
Falafel Essay
Falafel EssayFalafel Essay
Falafel Essay
 
Descriptive Essay On Hash Browns
Descriptive Essay On Hash BrownsDescriptive Essay On Hash Browns
Descriptive Essay On Hash Browns
 
Greek Pursuit Of Perfection
Greek Pursuit Of PerfectionGreek Pursuit Of Perfection
Greek Pursuit Of Perfection
 

Project 3 food and drink

  • 2. Tradition However, color, aroma, and flavor are not the only principles to be followed in Chinese cooking; nutrition is the first concern. A theory of the "harmonization of foods" can be traced back to the Shang dynasty's (16th to 11th century B.C) scholar Yi Yin. He relates the five flavors of sweet, sour, bitter, piquant, and salty to the nutritional needs of the five major organ systems of the body (the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys), and he stresses their role in maintaining good physical health. In fact, many of the plants used in Chinese cooking such as scallions, fresh ginger root, garlic, dried lily buds, and tree fungus have properties of preventing and alleviating various illnesses. The Chinese have a traditional belief that food and medicine share the same origin and that food has a medicinal value. This view can be considered the forerunner of nutritional science in China. According to this theory, a correct proportion of meat to vegetable ingredients should be maintained. One-third of meat- based dishes should be made of vegetable ingredients, and one-third of vegetable dishes should consist of meat. In preparing soups, the quantity of water used should total seven-tenths the volume of the serving bowl. Basically, the correct ingredient proportions must be adhered to in the preparation of each dish or soup in order to ensure optimal nutritional value. The Chinese have a number of traditional rules and customs associated with eating. For example, food must be eaten while seated. Also a set order of who may be seated first among men, women, old, and young exists. Furthermore, one must eat main courses with chopsticks and soup with a spoon.
  • 3. Chinese Food and Drinks including Traditional Chinese Cuisine & DrinkRecipe • When it comes to food, the Chinese have a common saying, "The masses regard food as theirheaven," which means that food is people's primal want. It should clearly justify the importance that "eating"holds in Chinese people's lives. Eating is not just meant to fill the stomach; having food at one's disposal, being able to consume a good amount of food, and knowing what and how to eat are all viewed as a good "fortune."Those who promote food culture often use the words of Chinese philosopherConfucius, "diet and love-making, all primal needs of every human being,"finding an aspiring and positive thought basis for such an epicurean lifestyle. There's probably not another place in this world that has as great a variety of delicious fare as China. If judging by the art and techniques of cooking, aside fromFrance and Italy, perhaps the skills of chefs of no other country can gain recognition fromthe Chinese. • Extremely developed culinary techniques can make seemingly inedible ingredients, to foreign eyes, into dish after dish of delicious treats by the hands of Chinese chefs. The Chinese cookbookalso contains quite an extensive list of foods, including just about anything edible with very few taboos. The Chinese, who see eating as a fortune and life as an art, not only created various kinds of regional food styles in its own vast lands, but have also spread Chinese food culture to faracross the seas. Today, in this world where even the farthest corners can seemas close as one's backyard, Chinese food can be enjoyed in each and every metropolitan throughout the world. • Like many other countries with a vast territory, Chinese cuisines are differentiated largely by its northern and southern regional tastes. Although the best quality rice in China is grown in its northeastern regions, people in those regions, however, just as other northerners, preferto eat pasta or pastry instead. In the north, classic dishes include Beijing's lamb hotpot (fondue) and roast duck, and Shandong province's Lu style cuisines. In the south, the principal foods (foods that are the main source of carbohydrates and dietary fibers, e.g. bread and cereal in the west) are rice-based. A relatively greater variety of dishes are found in the south. There you can find the hot and heavily spiced Sichuan food, Xiang (Hunan) food, sweet and delicate Huaiyang food and the Yue (Cantonese) style which are mostly seafood and soups. Thus foreigners who have been to China are often pleasantly surprised by the great differences in taste and food types by region.
  • 7. Tea Wherever Chinese go, the custom of drinking tea follows. Tea was first discovered by the Chinese. Tea is an indispensable part of the life of a Chinese. A Chinese saying identifies the seven basic daily necessities as fuel, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and te a. The custom of drinking tea has been ingrained in the Chinese for over a thousand years. During the mid-T'ang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.), a man named Lu Yu created the first compendium in the world on tea, the Tea Classic. This work helped to popularize the art of tea drinking all across China. Tea Tea is made from the young, tender leaves of the tea tree. The differences among the many kinds of tea available are based mainly on the roasting and fermentation of the tea leaves. Through fermentation, the originally deep green leaves become reddish-brown in color. The longer the fermentation, the darker the color. Depending on the length of the roasting and degree of fermentation, the fragrance can range from floral to fruity to malty. Tea drinking aficionados usually enjoy the beauty and feel of teapots. Small teapots are used to steep tea (in the "kung fu" steeping method). This particular method has been passed down to the present day from 16th century China, so it boasts a 400-year history. The full aroma and sweetness of the tea can be brought out when using a small teapot to steep tea. Tea is China's national drink. It contains vitamins, tea derivatives, essential oils, and fluoride. It is a diuretic attributed with the properties of improving the eyesight and increasing alertness, so Chinese believe that frequent tea drinkers enjoy an increased life span. Its medical properties and benefits to the human body have actually been scientifically proven, and tea has come to be generally recognized as a natural health food.
  • 8. Wine The origins of fermenting and drinking wine in China go far back in time. The ancient Chinese either used wine as a libation to their forefathers to express reverence, enjoyed it by themselves while writing poetry or prose, or toasted their relatives and friends during a feast. Wine was intimately connected with most Chinese men of letters. Grains were used to ferment wine throughout ancient China. Thus, whether or not the grain harvest was bountiful became a criterion by which many governments decided whether to lift their ban on wine making or how heavy a wine tax to levy. Over the ages, wine gradually became directly linked to the daily life and tax burden of the people. WineAs early as in the Shang dynasty of the 18th through 11th centuries B.C., the use of grain to make wine had become widespread. Inscriptions preserve many records of Shang-era people worshiping their ancestors with wine and of the fact that wine drinking was very popular at the time. The development of Chinese wine-making techniques accelerated after the 3rd century A.D. Each part of the nation used different grains to produce yeast. This not only led to an increase in the varieties of wine, but also indicated progress in the technology of yeast production. From wine making and drinking we can glimpse a bit of the wisdom of ancient Chinese. Wine was influential in the accomplishments of intellectuals. Policy measures prohibiting wine making and measures levying wine taxes illustrate certain links between wine and national taxes. Wine is an important segment of dietary culture, and its significance in Chinese culture should not be overlooked.