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Chinese Food Introductions To Chinese Culture 3rd Edition Junru Liu Install Download

The document introduces 'Chinese Food Introductions to Chinese Culture' by Junru Liu, highlighting the significance of food in Chinese culture and its diverse culinary practices across regions. It discusses traditional foods, dining etiquette, and the philosophy of food as a source of health and fortune, emphasizing the aesthetic and therapeutic aspects of Chinese cuisine. Additionally, it mentions the evolution of dietary habits influenced by globalization and the historical roots of Chinese agriculture.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
55 views81 pages

Chinese Food Introductions To Chinese Culture 3rd Edition Junru Liu Install Download

The document introduces 'Chinese Food Introductions to Chinese Culture' by Junru Liu, highlighting the significance of food in Chinese culture and its diverse culinary practices across regions. It discusses traditional foods, dining etiquette, and the philosophy of food as a source of health and fortune, emphasizing the aesthetic and therapeutic aspects of Chinese cuisine. Additionally, it mentions the evolution of dietary habits influenced by globalization and the historical roots of Chinese agriculture.

Uploaded by

omfuiey6428
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
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Liu JUNRU M.A., graduated from the Chi¬
nese Language and Literature Department
of Beijing Normal University. At present, she
is a teacher in the Cultural School of Beijing
Language and Cultural University, research¬
ing and teaching of media studies and news
writing as well as teaching Chinese language
to foreigners. Her major works include: The
Writing of Practical Writing (the practical writ¬
ing of media), The Practical Writing (the prac¬
tical writing for foreign-related affairs).
Chinese Foods cultural China Series
ese

Liu Junru
Translated by William W. Wang
(CIP)
William W. wangif .-4bM; ttiliSfi,
2004.10
ISBN 7-5085-0613-8

I.tf... II.dlTOJ... @W... III.Sift-til-S* IV.TS971

tf5|l)iK+ll=f8ffiCIPSrfgft^ (2004) g 111456-^

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^ / William W. wang

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Jf ;z|5:/ 720 X 965 *3^ 1/16

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EP ^1E/10

;/:/ 2004^10^^1 its


EP 7 2004^10^:^1 ;/:Epj?ij

ISBN 7-5085-0613-8/TS • 08

1^ ii\ / 90.00 jt
Table of Contents

001 ^ Introduction

007 Traditional Foods

017 4 Foods from TVfar

023 4 Tools of the Trade

031 A Eating, the Chinese Way

039 Home Gourmet for Everyone


I
047 ^ Foods and Festivities

055 Delicacies from All Over


1
I
065 A Dining with the Minorities

075 A The Etiquettes of Dining


079 <> The Art of Tea
j

095<i> Wine, the Beverage of Romance

107 Five Tastes in Harmony

1l5f Chefs and Culinary Art


i
i
125 ^ Foods and Health

133 The “Forbidden”

141 When Restaurants Race


Introduction

W hen it comes to food, the Chinese have a common


saying, “The masses regard food as their heaven,”
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 philosopher Confucius, “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 from France and Italy,
perhaps the skills of chefs of no other country can gain
recognition from the 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 cookbook also contains quite an extensive list of foods.
^oods/

Rice fields by the Fuehun


River. (Photo by Wang Miao,
provided by image library of
Hong Kong China Tourism)

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 far across the seas. Today, in
this world where even the farthest corners can seem as 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, prefer to eat pasta or pastry instead. In the north, classic dishes include
Beijing’s lamb hotpot (fondue) and roast duck, and Shandong province’s L,u 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.
Having Chinese food not only indulges people’s sense of taste, the sense of sight is
also entertained. The Chinese culinary arts rely on the canon of “color (aesthetic beauty),
aroma, and taste,” missing any one element would not make a good dish. To make the
food pleasing to the eye, usually the appropriate meat and non-meat ingredients are selected;
it would include a single main ingredient and two or three secondary ingredients of different
colors. Blue, green, red, yellow, white, black and brown sauce colors are to be mixed in
Introduction

the right combination. Through proper cooking techniques,


aestheticism in food is achieved. “Aroma” is achieved by using
3
the right spices, such as scallion, ginger, garlic, cooking wine,
aniseed, cassia bark, black pepper, sesame oil, shiitake
mushrooms and so on, to stimulate the appetite with the aroma
from the cooked food. When preparing food, techniques such
as fry, stir-fry, roast, steam, deep-fry, quick-fry, simmer and
others are put to use, with the goal of preserving the natural
taste and juices of the food. One can also add the right amounts
of soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, spices, spicy pepper and other
seasoning, making the dishes taste salty, sweet, sour, hot and
much more. With tomatoes, turnip, cucumber and other
sculptural vegetables to create elegant and intricate decorations
to the plate, and the use of exquisite fine china for dining Top: This is the most commonly seen
teacup with lid. (Photo by Zhang
ware, Chinese cuisines really become a true art form complete
Hongjiang)
with aesthetic beauty, wonderful aroma, and great taste.
Bottom: Tea-picking women in
Americans rely on calculating calories and cholesterol Yunnan Province. (Photo by Chen
content from food to maintain good health and a shapely figure. Anding, provided by image library of
Hong Kong China Tourism)
Dining environments with antique flavors and imitation imperial dishes of royal heritage closely bind culture and cuisine
together. (Photo by Shen Yu, provided by Imaginechina)
Introduction

Vegetable sections in
supermarkets that supply all
kinds of fresh seasonal
vegetable. (Photo by Shi
Huiming, provided by
Imaginechina)

The Japanese are into trying various health foods to preserve


an everlasting youth. Different from both, the Chinese way of
looking at health lies in its philosophy of “food and medicine
sharing the same roots.” The firm belief that food has healing
powers and therapeutic effects has led to the introduction of
many edible plants and herbs. And with the benefits of disease
prevention and health preservation, they have become regular
dishes in Chinese homes. At the same time, there is the pursuit
of refinement in cooking. The amount of food and mixing of
ingredients is very essential, and it is recommended that meats
and non-meats be used in combination. Whether making dishes
or soups, foods with suited nutritional contents are put in
combination so as to achieve the goal of balanced nutritional
intake. And it is recommended to dine until the stomach is
about 70% to 80% full, as this practice is passed down the
generations as a secret to long life.
At the dinner table, the Chinese has their own set of
manners and customs. When dining, the eater must be seated.
When people of all ages and both sexes sit at the same table,
the elderly must be seated with priority. One must eat food
held with chopsticks; when having soup, a soupspoon must be
used. There’s also to be no noise when eating and so on. These
etiquettes have continued to this day, but the biggest change is
none other than the fact that more and more Chinese have
proactively given up the rule of “No talking when eating.”
Indeed, when dining with the Chinese, one would frequently
^oods/

I
This is a piece of New Year’s encounter a dining environment full of chatting and noises.
painting named Abundance &
Many people who have their mouths full still intend to chat
Harvests in Successive Years,
away. This phenomenon may be due to the reason that
which shows people’s best
wishes at the beginning of the contemporary Chinese have come to consider dining as an
New Year. (Collected by Wang important social opportunity. People need, at this time, to relax
Shucun) I
and talk about certain soothing and joyous topics to increase
understanding between those sitting at the table.
In recent years, due to the accelerated development of
industries and commerce, aside from traditional menu-ordered
food services, Chinese fast foods have dawned onto the scene.
And not only this, cuisines from every corner of the world
have, one after another, made their grand appearances in all
major cities in China; Italian pizza, French gourmet, Japanese
sushi, American burgers, German beers, Brazilian barbeque,
Indian curry, Swiss cheese and more. Anything one can think
of can be found, a true all-inclusive list of dining choices. It
justifies the saying “Eat in China” even more so.
Traditional Foods

T here is a saying, the reason that great differences exist


between eating habits of various regions of the world
is the result of a multitude of factors, including limitations
in ecological environment, the population volume, level
of productivity and others. Most meat dishes are from areas
where population density is relatively low and the soil is
either not needed or unable to sustain agriculture. Reliance
on meat has possibly stimulated economic activities of
sharing and trade. In comparison, a dietary habit of mainly
grain, and plants' roots, stems, leaves and less meat is
usually associated with an environment where supply
cannot meet demand. The food supply in these places is
more dependent on self-growing. However, dietary habits
are not status quo, and with no classification as good or
bad. But with migration of people on a global scale, dietary
traditions that are once fixed to a region might be accepted
and adopted by more and more people; and the original
regional dietary habit evolves to contain more new
elements. People could possibly see from the long-standing
Traditional Foods

Chinese food culture the footprints of the common development of humankind.


China is one originating source of the world's agriculture. The Chinese have
invented ways of irrigation at a very early time; building canals and using sloped
land to develop agriculture by irrigation, as well as other means of farming. As
early as 5,400 B.C., the Yellow River region already saw growth of foxtail millet
(Setaria italica, also called foxtail bristlegrass, meaning the seed of broomcorn millet),
and has already adopted the method of crop storage in underground caves. By
4,800 B.C., areas along the Yangtze River have been planted with rice (with the
distinction of sticky or non-sticky rice, the earliest "rice" refers to the glutinous
types of rice only). Since entering the agricultural age, the Chinese have formed a
dietary composition with grains as the principal food and meats as supplement,
and such tradition has continued to this day.
There exists an old piece of writing in China by the title of Huangdi Neijing. It
describes the food composition of the Chinese as "The Five Grains as life support,
the Five Fruits as complimentary aide, the Five Meats as added benefits, and the
Five Vegetables as substantial fill." The grains, fruits, and vegetables are all plant
foods. Grain crops in ancient times were referred to as "The Five Grains" or "The
Six Grains," and usually consist of shu (broomcorn millet, sometimes referred to as
"yellow rice," a small glutinous yellow grain), ji (what we call millet today, has the
title of "Ffead of the Five Grains," shu and ji were the principal cereals of Northern
China at the time), mai (including barley and wheat), dou (the general term for all
pod-bearing crops, grows in wet lowland areas, and is the main source of protein
for the Chinese), ma (refers to the edible type of hemp, was the principal food for
farmers in ancient times), and dao (rice). Shu and ji are both indigenous to China,
and were introduced to Europe in prehistoric times. On the other hand, both the
mai and dao are not indigenous to China. It is usually believed that dao (rice) came
from India and Southeast Asia. From archeological sites uncovered from early
Neolithic Age, earliest rice cultivation in history was found. Mai (wheat) originated
from Central and West Asia, and were introduced to China in the Neolithic Age.
Also, the sorghum is an indigenous Chinese crop as well, and was introduced to
India and Persia (present day Iran) during the first century A.D.. During every
Chinese New Year celebration, the Chinese use the idiom "Good Fiarvest of the
Five Grains," which really means to bless the New Year with good harvest of all
crops, so as to bring prosperity. This is enough to show that in a large country
^ ^oods/.

Drying crops in the sun on


rooftops is a more common
tradition in the countryside
of southern Chma. (Photo by
Feng Xiaoming, provided by
image library of Hong Kong
China Tourism)

where "The masses regard food as their heaven/' the


production of crops has held enormous importance since
olden days.
Experiences from cultivating land gave way for the
Chinese to learn about many edible plants that are
unknown to the West. And they have discovered that many
of the human body's essential nutrients can be obtained
from plants. The beans, rice, broomcorn millet, millet and
other foods that the Chinese often eat are all rich in
proteins, fatty acids and carbohydrates.
Foods made from grain come in many varieties and
take on many forms. The northern Chinese's principal food
was wheat. Therefore, most dishes on the dinner table are
various types of pastry or pasta. Wheat flour is made into
buns, pancakes, noodles, stuffed buns, dumplings, wonton
and so on. On the other hand, in the southern part of China,
the principal food is rice-based. Besides plain rice, there
Traditional Foods

would be thin rice noodle, thick rice noodles, rice cakes,


stuffed glutinous rice balls in soup and other types of
rice-based foods to be found everywhere. Rice spread
from south to north, and with barley and wheat passing
from west to east contributes significantly to the
shaping of Chinese dietary habits.
Bing, or Chinese pancakes, was one of the earliest
forms of pastry. The earliest method of making bing, is
to ground the grain to a powder, make into dough by
adding water, then boil in water until cooked. In time,
there has come to be steamed, baked, toasted, fried and
other kinds of pancakes. Bing also has the most varieties
among all dough-made foods. It comes in all sizes and
thickness, some with stuffing. Even the stuffing comes
in no less than several dozen varieties. The non-stuffed
pancakes are single or multi-layered. Those with good
skills can make around a dozen layers in a pancake,
each layer being as thin as paper. The sesame seed cake
is the most popular baked pastry, and can be found in
Noodles after being air-dried can be stored
both the north and the south.
for longer periods of time. (Photo by Michael
Noodles are also a type of traditional food made Cherney, provided by Imaginechina)
from flour. The earliest way of making noodles was
nothing but to cook in boiling water or soup. It was only after the Song Dynasty
(960-1279 A.D.), did there come to be meat or vegetarian pasta sauce. Noodles have
a close correlation with Chinese festivities. In the north, there is the belief that ''on
the second day of the second month (lunar calendar), the dragon raises its head."
So people have the custom of eating Dragon Whisker Noodles, to pray for good
weather and harvest during the year. In the southern regions, on the first day of the
lunar year, "New Year's Noodles" are to be had. In addition. Longevity Noodles
are for celebrating birthdays. When a child reaches one month in age, together the
1
family shall have "Soup Noodle Banquet." Though the art of noodle-making may
look simple, it is actually a complex task that requires many different skills, such as
rolling, rubbing, stretching, kneading, curling, pressing, and slicing.
The Chinese at around the 3''‘^ century A.D., have mastered flour fermentation
^aods/

techniques by using the easily fermented rice


soup as a catalyst. Later, bases were experienced
to neutralize the fermentation process when
making dough. The advent of the steam basket,
the Chinese griddle and other cooking utensils,
together with fermentation techniques, have
helped to provide the endless possibilities of
pasta dishes and pastry. The most common food
made from flour, since the development of
fermentation techniques, would be the mantou,
or plain steamed bun.
Plain steamed rice is the most commonly
encountered type of rice-food, and is the principal
food of the southern Chinese. But more
characteristic of traditional Chinese rice-foods is
still zhou, or Chinese porridge (congee). Porridge
has had thousands of years of history in China,
and the way people eat porridge varies from
region to region. There are also countless varieties
of Chinese porridge, where just the basic
ingredients are divided into six main groups,
namely the grains, vegetables, fruits, flowers,
Special racks to air-dry grain crops
herbs and meats. And the way of eating rice dressed with
in the sun used in the villages of
Guizhou Province. (Photo by Chen
porridge has existed for quite some time.
Yinian, provided by image library of Thirty years ago, rice and white flour were considered
Hong Kong China Tourism) "fine foods," which most common folks are not able to
have at every meal. Its counterpart, the "rough foods,"
were the real main dietary components of the Chinese,
including corn, millet, sorghum, buckwheat, oats, yams,
beans and so on.
Among all the "rough foods," soybeans gave the
greatest contribution. The earliest record of soybean
planting was in the West Zhou Dynasty. Soybeans at the
time were the food of farmers. It was not until the West
Traditional Foods

Han Dynasty (26 B.C. - 25 A.D.) after


the emergence of tofu, or bean curd,
did soybean become acceptable to
the bureaucrats and the literati class
in Chinese society. To the present
day, there are well over a hundred
kinds of tofu and foods made from
soybean milk. Chinese-grown
soybeans and soybean products
provide for an important source of
vegetable proteins, and can be made
into many premium sauces. Bean
curd is placed somewhere between
China is an important center of origin for citrus fruits in the world. Original
the category of principal and wild orange types grow in many places such as Hunan, Sichuan, Guangxi,
supplementary foods. It has since its Yunnan, Jiangxi, Tibet and so on. (Photo by Shen Yu, provided by

creation evolved into many kinds of Imaginechina)

dishes, and has become typical Chinese home cooking. Different when compared
to westerners' common use of butter and other animal oils, the Chinese mostly use
vegetable oils such as soybean oil, vegetable seed oil, peanut oil, corn oil and so on.
In pre-Qin Dynasty (221 B.C.) writings, fruits to make the most frequent
appearances are peaches, plums and jujubes; and after those come pears, sour plums,
apricots, hazelnuts, persimmons, melons, hawthorns, and mulberries; making rare
appearances are Chinese wolfberries, Chinese crabapples, and cherries. Most of
these fruit trees are indigenous to temperate zones of northern China, or have been
introduced to China in prehistoric times. Of which, peaches, plums, jujubes and
chestnuts were often used as ceremonial offerings. Peaches were exported from
northwestern China by way of Central Asia to Persia; and from there, the peach
found its way into Greece and other European countries. So it is unlike the common
belief of the Europeans that peaches originated in Persia. Many other fruits that
were indigenous to southern China, including tangerines, shaddock (pomelo),
mandarin oranges, oranges, lichee, longan, Chinese crabapples, loquat, red
bayberries and more, are gradually being consumed in broader areas.
During the transformation from a fishing-and-hunting society into agricultural
society, meats were also once an important component of the supplementary diet
of the Chinese, due to underdeveloped technology in the Rice is a major source of the
Chinese's principal food. From
growing of vegetables. In the agricultural age, the Chinese
Boxing'on Mountain to areas
considered cattle, sheep, and pig to be the three superior along the Yangtze River, and from
domesticated animals, called the ''three sheng/' or Yungui highlands to the foot of the
sacrificial animals. When performing sacrificial rituals, the Himalayas, vherever rice can be
grown, it will appear in people's
three animals were considered the best grade of all
daily diets, j'eligious celebrations
offerings. Horse, cattle, sheep, chicken, dog and pig and wedding banquets or in the
together, were called the "six chii,” or domesticated paintings and songs. The planting

animals. Under the influence of relatively high population of rice changes sceneries in its
location. Almost d billio?i people in
density and limitations in the natural environment, as well
the world share the culture,
as other factors, horses and cattle were most often regarded tradition and the untapped
as principal assistants in agriculture, and not fed and raised potential of rice. The picture shows
farmers transplanting rice
as livestock for food. Therefore, all the way until the Song
seedlings in rice paddies in Hainan
Dynasty, the Chinese considered beef a rare delicacy, Province. (Photo by Xiong Yijun.
whereas mutton was seen as a very common dish. Lamb provided by Imaginechina)
Traditional Foods

(meat from a young sheep) was considered the superior


grade of meat from a sheep. The character mei in the
15
Chinese script, meaning beauty, is associated with eating
mutton in its meaning and form. Pigs and Chickens were
also some of the earliest animals to be domesticated and
used as food. Due to the early development of poultry
breeding, eggs are the most frequently consumed animal- Stone millings are
traditionally important tools
related food for the Chinese. A common feature of the
to process crops. Before the
Chinese countryside is that families raised pigs (excluding 1950s, in many places, stone
believers of Islam), as pork is the most common meat in millings were also important
Chinese food. With the same attitude towards lamb, the dowries when girls get
married. At present,
ancient Chinese believed that meat from a piglet tastes
mechanical processing
better than that of a fully-grown pig. In China's past, dogs technique is applied by more
were animals that could be slaughtered at any time to be and more farmers in China.
The picture shows a mill in
cooked as food. Though it is not as common as having
a Shaanxi cave-house.
pork and chicken, there were specialized professions in
(Photo by Shan Xiaogang,
the area of dog butchers. The Chinese also invented the provided by image library of
primitive egg incubator, breeding cell and many other Hong Kong China Tourism)
^oods/

16

A farmer with pig legs on the


shoulder going home to celebrate
a festival. (Photo by Zhu Jian,
provided by image library of
Hong Kong China Tourism)

poultry feeding devices.


Food for the Chinese since pre-Qin Dynasty period have been mainly grains, so
meats were rare and cereals were abundant. With the advancement of vegetable
growing techniques, vegetables were no longer the privileged enjoyment of the
wealthy few. The list of vegetables that the Chinese eat is perhaps the biggest variety
offering in the world. Common veggies include the Chinese cabbage, turnip and
radish, eggplant, cucumber, peas, Chinese chive (leek), wax gourd, edible fungi,
plant shoots, and various beans, as well as edible wild herbs grown in small
quantities. Wild herbs are supplementary foods with the main purpose of helping
people to swallow food. This forces culinary technique to constantly improve upon
itself. The various vegetable roots, stems, and leaves could be eaten fresh or cooked,
and could be dried for storage, or cured for making different kinds of appetizers.
The goal is to offer as much variety in texture and taste as possible.
When compared to a dietary composition of excessive animal-based foods, many
nutritional scientists believe that the Chinese inclination towards grains as principal
food, with fish, meats, eggs, milk and vegetables being supplementary diet
components, helps to provide for a balanced nutritional intake and more benefits to
health, and is also in accordance with the global call for energy conservation and
environmental protection.
A ccording to statistics, seventy to eighty thousand
species of edible plants exist on the earth, among
which are about 150 species that can be grown in large
quantities. However, only 20 species of those are being
used widely in farming today, but already make up for
90% of the world's total grain production. Domesticated
animals and plant species are essentially the basis of global
agricultural production. The fishing industry, which relies
on wild animals as basic provision, outputs nearly 100
million tons of food annually for global consumption. Just
as other countries of the world, the trade and spreading of
foods, edible plants and animal species in China have been
a non-stop process since ancient times. Not only did this
broaden the range of the Chinese's food supply and made
Chinese cuisines even more full of tasty dishes, but has
also caused changes in Chinese dietary habits and put more
life and variety into Chinese food culture.
Besides a small number of food species that were
introduced to China by pre-Qin Dynasty period, a larger-
^oods/

scaled food trading and spreading happened over two thousand years ago during
the tremendously prosperous and powerful West Han Dynasty. Grape, pomegranate,
sesame, lima bean, walnut, cucumber, watermelon, muskmelon, carrot, fennel,
celery, Chinese parsley (coriander) and other food species, which had its origins in
the Xinjiang (Uygur) region of China or West and Central Asia, made their way into
central Han Chinese territory by way of the Silk Road.
And it was from that time, the Chinese and foreign cultures experienced more
communication as the days went by. Many foods that were not indigenous to China
began to appear on Chinese dining tables.
The corn, which has its roots in the Americas, was introduced to the Orient
through Europe, Africa and West Asia. The potato, a cross between principal food
and a vegetable, came to China via the southeast coast of China; at first it was only
planted in Fujian and Zhejiang regions.
Sunflower seeds made its way into China
from America during the 17th century;
200 years later, cooking oil was extracted
from it, making the Chinese line-up of oils
even more complete. The mung bean
(gram), of the pod-bearing crops, has its
roots in India, and was brought to China
in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127
A.D.). Spinach, a kind of vegetable, came
by way of Persia during the reign of
Emperor Taizong (627-649 A.D.) of the
Tang Dynasty. The eggplant, which was
first found, in India, along with the
teachings of Buddhism, spread into
China in the Northern and Southern
Dynasties (420-589 A.D.). Many crops
with unmistakably Chinese origins such
as peanut, garlic, tomato, balsam pear,
pea and other food types were replaced
by premium foreign species.
Early fruits introduced to China

Although the history of Chinese eating hot peppers is only


300-some years, the custom of having hot foods is already
quite popular. The picture shows a vendor selling red chili
peppers. (Photo by Zheng Yunfeng, provided by image library
of Hong Kong China Tourism)
Foods from Afar

mostly came from West Asia (e.g. grapes). Central Asia


( e.g. early apples), the Mediterranean (e.g. olives), India
19
(e.g. oranges), and Southeast Asia (e.g. coconuts,
bananas). Other fruits such as pineapple, tomato,
persimmon, strawberry, apple, durian, grapefruit and
more, which have become the principal fruits for the
Chinese, were imported from Southeast Asia, the
Americas, or Australia/Oceania in modern times.
Hot pepper, already a popular type of spice for Chinese
dishes, has only had about 300 years of history with the
Chinese. Historical records show that hot peppers came
to China by sea from Peru and Mexico during the late-
Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 A.D.). Sugar, the main source of
sweetness in cooking, saw its production in China after
Emperor Taizong's ambassadors to Central Asia during
the Tang Dynasty, learned sugar-making skills. What the
Chinese see as high-class food, namely the shark's fin and
bird's nest, were introduced to China from Southeast Asia
in the 14th century. Starting in the Qing Dynasty (1616-
1911 A.D.), they have become lavish foods for the wealthy
only. With the widespread influence of Western cultures,
exotic beverages such as coffee, soda, fruit juices as well
as all kinds of alcohol drinks are no longer a rarity in
Chinese eyes.
In terms of dishes, the earliest foreign recipes were
Top: Fresh cojfee beans. China began
introduced to China in the Tang Dynasty. As frequent trade planting cojfee by 1884. Currently, the
between China and other countries flourished, the Arabs, main coffee production area in China

who brought their Muslim foods, made great contributions is Yunnan Province.
Middle-top: A cup of latte. (Photo by
to diversifying the Chinese dietary customs and adding
Weng Guangjie, provided by
to the already plentiful selection of Chinese culinary Imaginechina)
techniques. In near-modern times. Western foods appeared Middle-down: All kinds of Western
cakes. (Photo by Feng Gang)
in China. Not only can all types of Western restaurants be
Bottom: In some magazines that
found around many commercial ports, Chinese and initiate trendy lifestyles, there are often
Western food even fused together to create a new style of articles on how to self-make foreign
foods. (Provided by Imaginechina)
S- '

HRHHIIIIII^^^^BM^flw^kiJIKvSM

^K^KmKtZSSmKSrWtBttlll^ ^K
< Eating a popsicle. (Photographed 1957 in Beijing,
provided by Xinhua News Agency photo department)

Foods from Afar

21

Left: For more than a decade, the fast


gourmet technique. This is most exemplified in the Yue
food industry of China has been
(Cantonese) style of Chinese foods. increasing by 20% annually. Many
In recent years, as Sino-foreign economic and cultural well-known international names in
fast food met with astounding success
exchange became more intimate, the importation of
in China. (Photo by Ling Long,
premium animal and plant species from foreign countries provided by Imaginechina)
has already become a crucial part of the Chinese import Right: Starbucks Coffee bought

business. More and more foreign foods have found their Western dark coffee and all kinds of
lattes into the China market where tea
ways into the home of common Chinese families. However,
culture prevails. (Photo by Zhou
the Chinese government, just as governments of other Junxiang, provided by Imaginechina)
countries, is beginning to see the large quantities of
imported, or invading foreign species as a threat to
domestic biological varieties. Laws and policies on
protecting national ecological security have been drafted
and implemented.
^oods/

1
' '''£1^ 1
feSH 1
li-i

Chic building styles of restaurants reflects the need for personalized dining in modern times. (Photo by Shen
Yunfei, provided by Imaginechina)

Coffee-making utensils. (Photo by Wang Hao, provided by Imaginechina)


Tools of the Trade

H umans evolved from the primitives, who plucked


the hairs and feathers from animals and drank blood,
into intelligent and skillful beings that can make today's
gourmet foods. Gone were the days of seizing food with
bare hands, people now dine with chopsticks, knives, forks
and spoons. Apparently, changes in the ways of eating
and dining utensils can reflect the path of human evolution,
from a primitive state to modern men. The cooking and
dining utensils of the Chinese have an inseparable
connection with their culinary techniques and dietary
habits. Today, people can learn about history through
artifacts and a written language that were passed down
through the generations. Chinese dining ware has gone
through changes in material, from stone and pottery to
bronze, iron and other metals. The one form of "made in
China" product that is well known throughout the world
is porcelain, or fine china. As productivity levels
heightened, dining utensils not only underwent changes
in material and craftsmanship, but also a typical change
^oods/

from large to small, rough to delicate, and thick to thin.


The earliest cooking utensils included earthenware
ding, li, huo, zeng, yan and more. Later came more elegant
and larger successors to these utensils with the same
names, but made from bronze and iron. Some of these
cooking utensils doubled as vessels for food, such as the
ding that was used to both cook and hold meat. Usually
large in size, the ding is usually round in shape and has
three pedestals for support; certain ones are square with
four pedestals. Between the pedestals, firewood and fuel
can be placed for direct burning and heating. On either
side of the upper exterior of the ding is a handle for easy
carrying. In the Bronze Age, the function of the ding
changed as some were used as important tools in sacrificial
rites. Li is used for cooking porridge (congee). It is similar
in shape to the ding but smaller in size. Its three pedestals
are hollowed and connect to the belly. The food in the
hollowed legs therefore can be heated and cooked more
quickly. Huo is specially used for cooking meats, and is
Top: Since the Neolithic Age, pottery
more advanced than the ding. It has a round belly but no
dings have been used as primary
cooking utensils. By late Xia Dynasty feet, more akin to the '"wok," which came at a later time.
(approximately 18th century B.C.~ The zeng is used for steaming food. Its mouth folds outward
16th century B.C.), other than still
and has handles. The bottom is flat with many apertures
performing as a cooking vessel,
bronze dings were also used to hold for the passage of steam. Some zengs have no bottom, but
dishes of meats in times of sacrificial instead has a grating underneath. When in use, the zeng is
rites. This ding is one of the earliest
placed over the li, a cooking tripod filled with water. What
bronze dings still existing in China,
with a height of 18.5 cm and a
merged the zeng and li together is the yan. The Chinese
diameter at the opening of 16.1 cm. have had earthenware zeng since the late Neolithic Age.
Bottom: Gui is a kind of ancient vessel After the Shang Dynasty (around 17* to 11* century B.C.),
for millets and rice. This bronze gui
there appeared zengs made of bronze.
was made at around 11th century B.
C. with a height of 14.7 cm and a Food containers had their divisions of responsibilities
diameter at the opening of 18.4 cm. as well. Among remaining artifacts, besides the plates and
bowls, which differ little in function from today's versions,
there are also the gui,fu, dou, dan, bei and more. The gui is
Tools of the Trade

very much like a large bowl, with a round mouth and large belly.
On the underside is a round or square base. Some has two or four
25
handles at the upper outer rim. This kind of vessel was initially
used to store grain, and was later used as a dining utensil, as well
as a ritualistic tool. The ancient Chinese usually first fill rice from
the zeng into the gui before eating. Fu's function is similar to that
of the gui and its form is close to that of the later high-legged
plate. But most fus have a lid. The difference between dou and fu
is that a dou has handles at their bottoms. Earthenware dou surfaced
during the late Neolithic Age. After the Shang Dynasty, there were
wooden painted dou and bronze dou. The dou is not just a dining
utensil, but a tool for measurement as well (in ancient times, 4
sheng make up one dou). Dan is a container for rice, made of bamboo
or straw. The bei, or cup, is not so different from today's cup in
form or function, mainly for carrying soup. Regardless of having
meat or rice, the bi is used. The bi that is used to get pieces of meat
from the huo is larger in size than the smaller bi used to obtain rice
from the zeng. The bi's function is the same as the modern-day
spoon which succeeded it.
China has a long history of winemaking. Countless numbers
of wine vessels from the Shang Dynasty were uncovered. From
these, it can be determined that drinking alcohol was high fashion
Yan is a kind of ancient cooking utensil
at the time. The zun (full round belly, protruding extended mouth,
This bronze yan was made at around
long neck, and spiral pedestals at the bottom, comes in many 13'^' century B.C. - ID century B.C.
different designs and types of production process and material. with a height of 45.4 cm and a diameter
at the opening of 25.5 cm.
The most popular during the Shang Dynasty was the "bird and
beast" design), hu, (long-necked and small opening, deep-bellied
with round base, some with overhanging handle), you (elliptic
opening, deep-bellied with round base, has a lid and overhanging
handle), lei (some round and some square, openings vary in size,
short neck with square shoulders, deep bellied, with curling feet
or round base, and has a lid),/ow (earthenware) and the like are
wine vessels, jue (deep-bellied, tri-pedestal, can be heated on top
of fire, protruding grooves at the top for easy pouring), gu (the
^^^^Ainese/ ^aods/

most common wine-drinking utensil, more often used in


combination with jue, which is bigger, opening is shaped
like a bugle, long neck, thin waist, tall curling feet), zhi
(similar to the zun in shape but smaller, some with lids),
jia (round mouth and belly, three pedestals with short
handles, used to warm up alcohol), gong (oval belly, has
an outer edge for flow of wine, short handles, bottom has
curling feet, lid is in the shape of the head of a beast, some
has an entire body like a wild animal, with small spoon as
A jade bowl in the shape of lotus leaf
accessory), hei (cup), zhen (shallow and small cup) is to
made in the Ming Dynasty (1368—
drink from. Wine is stored in large containers such as the
1644) with a height of 5.3 cm and a
diameter at the opening of 9.4 cm. lei. When serving, wine is poured into hu or zun, and placed
at the side of the seat and table, then poured into jiie, gu,
or zhi for drinking.
Great inventions such as gunpowder, compass,
movable-type printing and many more appeared, bearing

Thermoses are still the Chinese’s


primary utensils for holding drinking
water. (Photographed in 1961, provided
by Xinhua News Agency photo
department)
witness to the advancement of Chinese science and technology. At the same time,
Chinese porcelain-making crafts reached unprecedented heights in the Song
Dynasty, as the making of celadon porcelain, white porcelain, black porcelain,
overglaze or underglaze enameling all experienced great improvements. There
emerged much more creativity in modeling, patterns and decorative illustrations,
and enameling. Many fine and rare porcelain pieces that are famed today in both
China and the West were created during this time period. Exquisite porcelain vessels
for food and wine, together with the Chinese tradition in '"pursuit of refinement" in
food, became the very much-treasured heritage of Chinese food culture that makes
the Chinese so proud.
Speaking of the prominent characteristics of Chinese food culture, the chopsticks
that the Chinese use for dining come to mind. The three main types of human dining
tools are the fingers, fork and chopsticks. Seizing food with the fingers is a custom
mainly practiced in Africa, the Middle East, Indonesia and the Indian subcontinent.
The Europeans and North Americans use forks for dining. Other peoples, like the
Chinese, who use chopsticks for dining, include Japanese, Vietnamese, and the North
and South Koreans. Due to the influence of overseas Chinese, using chopsticks is
also rapidly becoming a prevailing trend for people in Malaysia, Singapore and
Southeast Asia.
There is a legend about the origin of the chopstick. In ages past, during the time
of legendary sage kings, Yao and Shun, floods overrun the land causing catastrophes.
Dayu received orders to prevent floods by water control. One day, Dayu set up a
cauldron boiling meat inside. Meat after being cooked from boiling waters usually
must be cooled before picking up by hand, but Dayu did not want to waste any
time. He chopped off two twigs from a tree and used them to clip pieces of meat
from inside the boiling soup. His men saw that with the twigs he was able to eat the
meat without burning his hands and kept free of grease. So they imitated his doing
one by one. Gradually, the rudimental form of the chopstick was established. The
legendary story of Dayu inventing the chopsticks was a way the ancients honored
^aods/

28

It is difficult to find a better the hero. The real inspiration behind the invention of the
replacement for Chopsticks
chopsticks should be the fact that fully cooked foods could
when having certain Chinese
cuisine and snacks, such as burn hands.
when enjoying Lamb Hotpot. Historical materials clearly record that in the Shang
Dynasty, some 3,000 years past from today, the Chinese
have already begun the use of chopsticks when dining.
The oldest pair of chopsticks preserved today is made of
bronze, uncovered at the Yin ruins (ruins of late-Shang
Dynasty capital, located in present-day Anyang of Henan
Province. It is the earliest capital city in Chinese history
with a confirmed location. Oracle bone inscription used
for divination was discovered there in 1899. Large-scale
archeological excavations at the site began in 1928). Upon
reaching the Han Dynasty, chopsticks were already widely
used by the Chinese.
The chopsticks, great invention of the Chinese, is
Tools of the Trade

probably very much associated with mass consumption of the roots, stems, and
leaves of vegetables in the Chinese diet. Long before invention of the chopstick, the
main utensils for eating meat were bi (spoon), dao (knife) and zu (chopping block).
Meat would be cut with the knife and served by hand. So even the ancient Chinese
had the habit of washing hands before meals. Chopsticks have yet more importance
as it influenced the course of development of Chinese dishes and dietary habits. For
example, having foods such as lamb hotpot, long noodles, and bean-starch noodles
just becomes that much more fun and convenient when the chopstick joined in.
Compared to knives and forks, chopsticks seem more difficult to handle. The
two thin sticks have no direct point of contact. Rather, with the thumb, index and
middle fingers doing the work, the sticks can perform multiple feats including raise,
stir, nip, mix, and scrabble. And it can precisely pick up any food except for soup,
stew and other kinds of liquid foods. Specific studies show that when using
chopsticks to clip foods, it involves more than 80 joints and 50 pieces of muscles in
the body, from shoulders to the arms to the wrist and fingers. Using chopsticks can
make a person quick-witted and dexterous. Many westerners praise the use of
chopsticks as the creation of an art form. Some even think that the Chinese's excellent
skills in table tennis should give credit to the chopstick.
However, chopsticks still have its weakness when compared to knives and forks,
as well as to eating from the hand. When it comes to round and slippery foods such
as stuffed glutinous rice balls, meatballs or pigeon eggs, one's skills of using
chopsticks are put to the test. Those with less than average mastery of the tool can
result in embarrassing moments.
Westerners have a real cultured way of
dining, usually holding the knife in the right
hand, fork in the left, and eating ambidextrously.
The Chinese also has its own set of rules when
eating. Chopsticks are for rice and spoons are
for soup, but only one hand can be used at a
time, unlike the west where both hands are used
simultaneously from left and right. In addition,
there are even more proprieties when eating
with the chopstick. It is usually accepted that
chopsticks should be held in the right hand. In
The painty-end Japanese-style chopsticks are
already accepted and used by the Chinese.
olden days, training was conducted for the right-hand
usage of chopsticks. When finished with the meal,
chopsticks must be securely bridged on top, at the middle
of, the empty bowl. If for a temporary recess in the middle
of a banquet, chopsticks can be laid on the table close to
the bowl and should not be placed upright in the bowl.
This is because only bowls holding sacrificial offerings are
to have a pair of vertically implanted chopsticks. It is also
Many people have collecting not allowed to aimlessly stir around amidst foods or to
chopsticks as a favorite hobby, poke at things with chopsticks. When two people try to
but these collector’s items are
clip up foods, the pairs of chopsticks cannot cross. One
rarely used to eat daily meals
with. (Photo by Hai Yang) should never knock on an empty bowl with chopsticks.
One also cannot use two chopsticks of different lengths or
use only one chopstick. Chopsticks cannot be used in place of toothpicks, etc.
As a daily appliance of the Chinese, its not unusual to find chopsticks made
with a wide range of materials including bamboo, wood, gold, silver, iron, jade,
ivory and rhino horn. Former kings and emperors of China usually dine with
chopsticks of silver, as it has the peculiar property of reacting to poisonous chemicals
by turning black, thus guaranteeing safety of the food.
Chopsticks are not only the most loyal ''attendants" on Chinese dining tables,
but also a cultural folk craft worthy of collecting. Therefore, many areas in China
produce "brand-name chopsticks" that are made of exquisite materials through
special crafting process. The unique artistic value that chopsticks hold has won the
hearts of domestic and international tourists and collectors alike. Shanghai collector,
Mr. Ling Lan, had a keen vision as he set up China's first family museum specializing
in the collection of chopsticks. There, on display are over 1,200 pairs of chopsticks
of over 800 types, all in extraordinary splendor for the viewing pleasure of visitors.
Among the collection are hotel-used chopsticks; chopsticks from specific tourist
spots; chopsticks used for dying of cloth in the countryside; Mongolian chopstick-
dance props; metal chopsticks used as weapons in ancient armies; bird-raising
chopsticks and more, the list goes on and on. In Indonesia, an elderly overseas
Chinese has over 908 types of chopsticks in his collection, among which is a pair of
golden chopsticks that was used by a former imperial Chinese concubine.
Eating, the Chinese Way

C hina not only has a wide variety of cuisines and exotic


fare in all its regions, even ordinary homemade
cooking for three meals a day can provide for plentiful
unique recipes. The Chinese stress the aesthetics of food,
the refinement of dining ware, and the elegance of dining
environment, so having food is a daily enjoyment. Eating,
as a branch of learning and art form, not only gave birth to
rich and excellent culinary techniques, also reflects the
Chinese's content and joyful nature.
The Chinese have had a regular dining discipline since
long ago. First it was a two-meals-a-day practice. The first
meal, called zhao shi (morning food), is usually had around
nine-o'clock in the morning. The second meal, hu shi, is
had around four in the afternoon. The Chinese sage
Confucius says that "bii shi hu shi," which translates to
"meals are not to be had if it is not the appropriate time,"
meaning to emphasize the punctuality of meals. At around
the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-220 A.D.), with better
development of agriculture, people of every nationality
^oods/

Upper-left: Deep-fried Twisted Dough Sticks and soybean milk are a favorite kind of breakfast for the Chinese. (Photo
by Liu Jianming, provided by image library of Hong Kong China Tourism)
Upper-right: Many urban dwellers like to eat at breakfast stands on the street. (Photo by Shan Xiaogang, provided by
image library of Hong Kong China Tourism)
Bottom; Mantou, or steamed bun, is one of the Chinese’s principal foods. Many families living in northern China can
make it at home, but some people would rather buy ready-made steamed buns on the streets for convenience. (Photo
by Ma Yuanhao, provided by image library of Hong Kong China Tourism)
Eating, the Chinese Way

I
group and region slowly
began to adopt the "breakfast,
33
lunch and dinner" practice.
their dinners were had
much earlier than modern
men, as they believed "work
starts with the break of dawn
and rest is to be taken when
the sun goes down." Three
meals of the day must be
prepared and eaten fresh, a
way of showing the Chinese's
crave and love for food. In
recent years, the pace of life
for urban Chinese are getting
faster and faster. Dining out
is becoming more and more
common, especially for lunch.
Most office professionals dine All family members dining together around the table reflects Chinese ethics
at nearby restaurants, or in that cherish family value. (Photographed in 1950, provided by Xinhua News
Ageney photo department)
cafeterias of schools and work
units. As for dinner, female heads of households are usually very attentive in its
preparation.
In comparison with the Western way of individually served foods, the way of
shared dining is seen as a distinguishable characteristic of the Chinese. For the
Chinese, no matter if it is dining with family or with friends and associates, people
usually sit around the table and eat from the same served dish and the same bowl
of soup. But this was not always the case, as ancient Chinese practiced individually
served foods for quite some time before the switchover.
The earliest cooking and dining utensils were mostly earthenware placed on
the ground. Later, supporting tools were invented, such as low, wooden tables. In
the Shang Dynasty (around 17th to 11th centuries B.C.) oracle bone writings, one
can see the character "sw." Its image is that of banquet seat (mat) with people sitting
on it. The character "xf," the pictograph of mat, shows that Chinese men at the time
Soup-filled buns, dumplings and rice dumplings all cannot he done
without steam boxes. (Photo by Yang Yankang, provided by image
library of Hong Kong China Tourism)

Eating, the Chinese Way

A capable homemaker preparing holiday dinner for her familly. (Photographed in 1980, provided by Xinhua
News Agency photo department)

sat low on the ground. Most seating was rectangular or square in shape with the
distinction of different sizes and lengths. The longer ones could seat several people
while the shorter ones can seat at most two. The square ones were called du ziio
(single seat), used by the elderly or people with high status. According to the needs,
single or multi-tiered small mats can be set up. A person's status can be observed
from the number of people he or she is sitting next to. At the dining seats, a strict set
of proprieties exists. Elders and younglings, or the noble and the vulgar, may not
sit together. There exists factual occasions after someone has broken the proprieties,
where the person who was dishonored wielded his sword to cut the seat into halves
so as to end the inappropriate and humiliating seating situation. Corresponding to
the seating customs, the Chinese also had a small table for each eater. The practice
of individual seating and servings continued until the later years of the Han Dynasty
(206 B.C.-220 A.D.). In Chengdu, Sichuan Province, uncovered from an Eastern Han
Dynasty (25 B.C.-220 A.D.) tomb site were brick paintings with scenes of banqueting.
People were shown to be sitting in groups of two or three, while tables lay in front.
These paintings depict the lives of people during those times.
The ancient Chinese's dining habit cannot be explained independently of their
dining utensils. In the Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.), the former dining habits changed
suddenly. Tall and long dining tables and chairs appeared. From the wall paintings
at Dunhuang's 473 caves, we can see illustrations depicting scenes inside a tent.
^oods/

Scenes of women and children dining


where a long table sits, and tablecloth drapes from all four
in an official’s home in southern
China during the late 19"’ century. sides. We can see spoons, chopsticks, cups, plates and other
(Painted by Wu Youru) dining utensils and vessels depicted on the table. Long
seats are placed alongside the sides of the table, on them
sits a number of men and women. Using high tables and
large seats for dining gradually replaced the practice of
seating on the ground. Sitting on round stools or high
chairs around a table in a natural posture, while sharing a
table full of tasty food, is the way the Chinese eat today; it
is the most characteristic of the Chinese's dining habits. It
is safe to say that the emergence of shared dining and
Eating, the Chinese Way

related customs is inseparable from


and based on the changes in dining
57
utensils and seating.
The idea of having families and
friends enjoying great food at the
table, for the Chinese, is full of
warmth and harmonious
atmosphere. This may be related to
the close attention the Chinese pay to
blood relationships and kinship. On
another level, traditional Chinese culture
focuses on ‘'he/' or harmony. When dining
together, it is an important way for the Chinese to People are more and more concerned

have increased interpersonal understanding and with the aesthetics of the home
environment, hoping to achieve the
communication. This may also be the reason behind the
best atmosphere of warmth and
Chinese's preference to chat vigorously at dining banquets. cleanliness in the limited space of a
Epicures are concerned for individually served foods dining room through m.eticulous
arrangement of furniture and decor.
impacting the preservation of culinary aesthetics. For
(Photo by Feng Gang)
example, when a whole steamed fish, with great color, taste
and aroma, is to be divided into individual servings, how
shall it be divided? Who gets the head and who gets the
tail? This certainly is a dilemma. It is no wonder that some
epicure worry about China reverting to individual servings
of food, afraid that it may result in a setback of a glorious
culinary tradition, losing its certain unique advantages.
In the face of the threat of SARS in 2003, whether or
not to have individual food servings was an unprecedented
topic actively debated by the government and the general
public. For a time, forced implementation of individual
servings took hold in restaurants. Flowever, with the
disease slowly being put under control, people regained
their tradition of shared dining. In actuality, with the
increased popularity of buffets, as well as Chinese or
Western fast foods, individually served foods have
^oods/

righteously entered the daily


lives of urban Chinese. And
with even more international
communications, some upscale
banquets have universally
adopted the practice of
individual servings but with an
atmosphere of shared dining.
Regardless of shared or
individual dining, the Chinese
stress complementary servings
of meats and non-meat dishes.
Different foods such as cold,
hot, salty or sweet items, each The dairy section in a supermarket. (Photo by Shi Huiming,
provided by Imaginechina)
has its particular order for
serving. An official dining occasion has specific ways of ordering and serving foods.
In the past, at reasonably upscale restaurants, the first dishes to be served onto the
table are usually four cold platters, usually meat appetizers, which go well with
alcohol. If there were many drinkers, the number of appetizers would be increased
to eight. Followed by four hot dishes, each being somewhat larger in serving
compared to the cold platters. The hot dishes are usually made of fresh vegetables
of the season, very appetizing but not oily. What comes afterwards are four mixed
bowls, the dishes contain broth for both the purposes of maintaining temperature
and being appetizing. Then finally come the real main courses; most are made with
real delicacies found in the high mountains and the deep seas. Not only is the food
tantalizing, cooking techniques and presentation put people in awe as well. The
containers that hold the main courses are also unique. Large and deep bowls were
often used in the past, and could have as many as four dishes. After the main courses
come dry and moist desserts, rice and congee. The last to be served are soups and
fruits. If one were having Yue (Cantonese) style food, the first to be served would be
the soup. But for now, these "set rules" are only followed in formal banquets.
Home Gourmet for
Everyone

T he three daily meals enjoyed by Chinese families are


what we call ''common home gourmet." Most
ingredients found in home-cooked meals are taken from
ordinary grocery and spice list. And the only principle that
it abides by is good flavor. The so-called "common home
style" also means that it is flexible and ever-changing, full
of varieties and does not stick to just one form of cooking.
The Chinese, who pay great attention to food, will not settle
for bland and identical taste everyday. Under the tenet of
a simple and non-luxurious life, cooking homemade dishes
is certainly no easy task, as the food not only must entertain
the taste buds of the family members, but must also be
constantly changing in variety and combination. In
general, home meals do not differentiate between "regional
styles." However, due to the fact that China has a vast
expanse of territories, with products and living habits
^aods/

40

different in each area, it


objectively creates for the
situation where home-
style cooking tastes
different in each and
every home.
It is common belief
that dinner is the one
meal that the Chinese
take most seriously,
whereas breakfast is the
simplest. At a breakfast
table of the Chinese, the
most common food is the
stuffed or plain steamed
buns with a bowl of
porridge (congee) and a
dish of pickled veggies;
we couki also see wonton,
hot soup noodle, rice and
stir-fried dishes. Though
Left: Pasta and pastry' come in many the ''deep-frieci twisted dough stick" and soybean milk
varieties and shapes like arhvork. The
are standard breakfast items, few families make them at
picture shows a Shandong lady
making a meal for her family. (Photo¬ homes, as they are usually purchased from breakfast
graphed in 1980, provided by Xinhua shops. Milk, oatmeal, or egg and ham sanciwiches are no
News Agency photo department)
longer rare and fancy in the eyes of the urban population.
Right: Rice is an important principal
food. (Photo by Zhu Fan, provided by Eggs and bean curd are the general source of protein in
Imaginechina) breakfast and are easy to prepare. For lunch and dinner,
aside from rice and pasta, there are also stir-fries, soups
and porridge for complement. The preparation of
Home Gourmet for Everyone

ii
homemade foods is usually the responsibility of the female heads of households.
But in families with double income, where both the man and woman earn a living,
it is not uncommon for a man to make the meal.
Different from the West, the majority Han Chinese and most Chinese minority
nationalities have little dairy beverage each day. But for the northwestern minority
nationalities, dairy products are an important component of daily diet.
In areas where pasta and pastry are the principal food components, homemakers
can usually use wheat flour, corn flour, sorghum flour, soy flour, buckwheat flour
or naked oatmeal flour to make a wide variety delicious treats. According to different
taste preferences, pasta dishes can be stir-fried, fried, stewed, steamed, braised,
simmered and so on. When having a bowl of pasta, jiaotou, or pasta sauce, is a top
priority, and usually comes in the form of fried bean sauce (usu. with minced meat),
soy gravy, dipping, soup stock and so on. Second priority to eating pasta are the
shredded vegetables mixings, the types of vegetables vary during the seasons. At
the birthplace of Chinese pasta, Shanxi Province, there are at least 280 types of
pasta in the cookbooks.
For homes with rice as principal food, nothing is more common than a pot full
of steamy, savory rice. But day after day, this becomes rather monotonous. So people
spent much time in coming up with different ways of cooking and combinations.
Steam, boil, stir-fry, roast,
deep-fry and simmer,
different ways of cooking
bring out drastically
different texture and taste
in rice. In daily life, the
Chinese usually would
not and need not have
excessive meat dishes.
More often, inexpensive
vegetables with good value
are preferred. Turnips or
radishes, green vegetables
and bean curd are almost
indispensable from each
A street-side vegetable market in the 1970s in Shanghai. (Photographed in
1978, provided by Xinhua News Agency photo department)
Making dried vegetables is a tradition for fanners in many places, which still exits nowadays. (Photographed
in 1961, provided by Xinhua News Agency photo department)
Exploring the Variety of Random
Documents with Different Content
AND HIS DESCENDANTS. 257 1187— V. Eliza', born Oct.
25, 1812, at 2 a. m. ; married Otis Warner July 3, 1828. He was
born Jan. 29, 1800; and died Jan. 25, 1885, at the age of eighty-
four. She survived him, and died at Madison, Ohio, March 29, 1888,
at the age of seventy-live. Their children were born in LeRoy, Ohio,
as follows: I. S. Ebiiyra'. born June 14, 1834; married James Warren
Sept. 23, 1858. He was born Aug. 29, 1820; and died June 2, 1894,
aged seventy-three. She survives him, and lives in Madison. They
had an adopted son. 2. Holina R.', born April 9, 1836; married
Francis M. Scott March 11, 1874. He was born May 16, 1823; and
died Aug. 5, 1896, aged seventy-three. She survives him, and lives
in Madison. They had one child, which died in infancy. 1188 — VI.
Simeon', born Aug. 12, 1814. See family numbered "1188." 657 Hon.
Levi Hovey", born Jan. i6, 1792. He began life as a carpenter in
Lima, N. Y. ; but soon drifted to Genesee, N. Y. There he studied law
and became a lawyer and judge of a court in Batavia, N. Y. He was
the owner of a book store, and became publisher and editor of the
Genesee Democrat, the county organ of the Democratic party. He
invested in a new printing press, and before he was able to pay for it
a note he had given was protested. Feeling disgraced, he went to
New Orleans, La., and died. It was learned, upon examination of his
business affairs that the books in his store would have been ample
security for his debt. He married Betsey, daughter of Asa and
Christiana (Dart) Bishop Sept. 22, 1816. She was born in Genesee
Sept. 20, 1792, and died May i, 1819. Their children were born in
Lima, N. Y., as follows : — 1189 — I. Augustine Washington', bom
June 19, 1817. See family numbered "1189." 1190— 11. Charles',
born Aug. 2, 1821. 5'^^ family numbered "1190." 1 191 — III. Jane
Elizabeth', born March 10, 1825; married Isaac I. Voorheis April 24,
1867, in Pontiac. He was a farmer and capitalist; and lived at Lapeer,
Mich., where she died Sept. 30, 1884. 673 Dr. James A. Hovey^ born
in 18 10. He was a physician ; and married Gloriance Phillips. He
died in Ithaca, N. Y., many years ago. Child :— 1 192— I. Louise'.
674 Josiah Hovey^ born in Brighton, Mass., Dec. 14 (24), 1763. He
was a soldier of the Revolution, being a pensioner; and resided in
Cambridge, where he was a merchant and innholder. During the
latter part of his life he was a merchant in Boston.
258 DANIEL HOVEY Mr. Hovey married, first, Miss Isabelle
Winship, sister of Hon. Jonathan Winship, March 31, 1789; and she
died Nov. 24, 1821. He married, second, Mrs. Mary Forbes in 1822.
She was a school teacher in Cambridge. He married, third, widow
Susan ; and, fourth, Mrs. Elizabeth (Ingalls) Greenwood of Boston in
1838. Mr. Hovey died in Cambridgeport March 29, 1847, at the age
of eighty-three. Eight days before his decease he was stricken with
paralysis, remaining conscious, but unable to speak. He devised the
residue of his estate to the Newton Theological Institution and the
Baptist General Convention in the United States for Foreign Missions.
His wife Elizabeth survived him, and died, his widow, her will, dated
Feb. 28, 1849, being proved June 10, 1856. She possessed an estate
of about twenty thousand dollars, and in her will she gave to the
Northern Baptist Education Society, the Massachusetts Baptist State
Convention and the American Tract Society, for the support of
colporteurs in the West, one thousand dollars each ; the Baptist
Home Missionary Society in New York, three thousand dollars : the
Boston Baptist Bethel Society, the New England Sabbath School
Union and the American and Foreign Bible Society, five hundred
dollars each; and the residue of her estate to the American Baptist
Missionary Union. Child:— 1 193 — I. Isabella', bon Dec. 29, 1789;
married William Leathe July 4, 1811; and died Aug. 9, 1875, at the
age of eighty-five. Children : I. Mary Ann'. 2. '. 676 Dea. Thomas
Hovey", born in Roxbury, Mass., Aug. 8, 1766. He was a blacksmith,
and lived at first on the south side of the main road from Roxbury to
Watertown, in Cambridge, until 1809, when he removed to Newton.
He married Elizabeth, daughter of Capt. Ebenezer and Sarah
(Coolidge) Seaver of Brighton Sept. 22 (30?) 1793. She was born
Jan. 31, 1770. Mr. Hovey, for fifty-seven pounds, bought of Lois
Baker of Needham, widow, one-eighth of an acre of land in the
South precinct of Cambridge, with the house thereon, Feb. 3o(?),
1795;''' and sold it, for nine hundred and fifty dollars, to Elijah White
of Cambridge, victualer, Oct. 28, 1797.! The buildings on the lot were
then described as a mansion house and barn. He bought, for two
hundred dollars, of Benjamin Capen of Cambridge, yeoman, one
acre of land in Cambridge, on the south side of the country road,
June 10, 1799.$ * Middlesex Registry of Deeds, book 116, page 551.
t Middlesex Registry of Deeds, book 127, page 513. % Middlesex
Registry of Deeds, book 134, page 30.
AND HIS DESCENDANTS. 259 After his removal to Newton,
Deacon Hovey became a yeoman; and was killed instantly while
driving his team with a load of lumber which he was hauling for a
barn he was building for himself, Nov. 19, 1829, at the age of sixty-
three. It was supposed that he fell off the load, and that the wheels
passed over his head. He was a consistent Christian, and a deacon
of the Baptist church at Newton. Mrs. Hovey survived him, and died,
in a fit, his widow, Aug. 4, 1843, at the age of seventy-three. Their
children were born as follows: — 1194 — I. Eliza Ann', born July 6,
1794, in Brighton; married Ebenezcr, son of Jeremiah Fogg of
Hancock, N. H., Dec. 25, 1814, at Cambridge. He was born in
Hancock Oct. 25, 1788; and died at Cambridge, where they lived,
May 18, 1836. Sl^e died April 8, 1869. Their children were born as
follows : I. Eliza Ann', born Oct. 25, 1815; died Aug. 15, 1817. 2.
William S.", bom April 26, 1817 ; married Mary S. Wood in New York
City. 3. Ebenecer', born April 19, 1819 ; died Nov. 12, 1821. 4. Sarah
C", born Dec. 13, 1821 ; died Auy. 5. 1849. 5- Caroline', born Oct.
21, 1824; married Robert McLeod Nov. 27, 1843, at Cambridge ; and
had two children. 6. Jane E.', born Feb. 13, 1826; married Waldo W.
Smith of Chicago, 111., July 6, 1848; and had several children. 7.
Hannah M.', born July 15, 1828; married John H. Dodge of Littleton,
Mass., Oct. 15, 1855; and died Nov. — , 1899. 8. Abigail S.', born
Dec. 30, 1829; married Edward Thorndike of Boston, Mass., Nov. 2,
1854; and had two children, 9. Charles £.', born Oct. 7, 1832;
married Caroline Bristol July 3, 1862 ; and she died March i, 1873.
10. Stephen L.', born Feb. 8, 1835 ; married Marian Auld of New
York City Nov. 29, 1863 ; and has two children. 119s — II. Thomas',
born Jan. 7 (20?), 1796. See family numbered '■1195" 1196— III.
Stephen', born Feb. 8, 1799; and was living in 1829. 1197 — rv.
Lucy', born Oct. 3, 1800; married Ephraim Ward; lived in Cambridge,
and died July 25, 1863, at the age of sixty-two. Their children were
born as follows : i. Thomas A.', born Dec. 18, 1830; married Hannah
Morrison. 2. Elijah L.', born Aug. 11, 1833, in Newton. 3. Ephraim',
born Dec. 29, 1834. 4. Joseph Grafton', born Aug. 5, 1837 ; died in
the War of the Rebellion in 1863. 5. Lucy E., born Aug. 20, 1840. 6.
Annie Caroline', born Aug. 21, 1841. 1198 — V. Samuel Sparhawk',
born March 16, 1802, in Newton. See family numbered "1198." 1
199 — ^vi. Anna Seaver', born March 20, 1804. 1200 — VII. Eben
Seaver', born Dec. 16, 1805. 1201— VIII. Allen Dana', born Sept. 12,
1807. 1202— IX. Almira Coolidge', born Oct. 31, 1809; married John
Robinson ; lived in Cambridge ; and died in California. 1203— X.
Joseph Grafton', bom Nov. 17, 1812; married Miss Webster; lived in
Cambridge; and died in California. 677 Maj. James Hovey^ born in
Roxbury, Mass., Feb. 8, 1768. He was a yeoman, and lived at first in
Cambridge and afterwards
26o DANIEL HOVEY in Brighton. He was a founder of the
First Baptist church at Central square, in Cambridge. He married
Anna, daughter of John Wilson of Cambridge Nov. ii, 1794. She was
born in 1774. Major Hovey died in Brighton, of consumption or a
cancerous stomach, Sept. 21, 1831, at the age of sixty-three. His
will, dated July 18, 1831, was proved Nov. 8, 1831. He was a kind
and indulgent husband, and an affectionate father. She survived him,
and died in Brighton Dec. 2, 1865, at the age of eighty-one. Their
children were born as follows: — 1204 — I. William Bowles', born
Sept. 3, 1795, in Newton. See family numbered "1204." 1205 — iL
Abigail [Abia] Wilson', born July 27, 1797; lived in Quincy, Mass. She
early embraced the Christian faith. The latter part of her life she was
paralyzed, and never again spoke, though with one hand she made
clothing for the poor. She died, unmarried, Sept. 2, 1869, at the age
of seventy-two. 1206 — in. Eleanor', born Oct. 5, 1803; died Oct. 6,
1803. 1207 — IV. Martha Turpin', born Oct. 3, 1804, in Brighton;
married Horatio Nelson, son of Benjamin Wadsworth and Mehitable
Willard (Baxter) Glover of Quincy Dec. 14, 1826. He was born in
Quincy March 6, 1801 ; and lived there, being a man of moral worth,
esteemed by his fellow-citizens, who elected him to various offices of
trust and honor, in which he served faithfully. He was a promoter of
education, and happy in his domestic relations. He died in Quincy
Dec. 28. 1863 ; and she survived him, living there, his widow, in
1865. Their children were born in Quincy, as follows : i. Horatio N.',
born Sept. 14, 1827 ; lived at Neponset village, in Dorchester ;
merchant; married Anne Augusta, daughter of Nathan Holbrook of
Dorchester Aug. 2, 1855 ; and had three children. He died at
Neponset May 22, 1905, at the age of seventyseven. 2. James
Hovey', born May 9, 1829; drowned in Quincy bay by the upsetting
of a new boat, which he had built, Oct. 8, 1850, at the age of
twenty-one. 3. Anna Hovey", born March 25, 1831 ; died, unmarried,
Feb. 14, 1863, aged "thirty-one. 4. Martha Maria', born July 8. 1833
; died March 16, 1835. 5. William Bowies', born Sept. 20, 1835;
merchant in Boston ; lived on the homestead in Quincy. 6. Abhy
Caroline', born Feb. 16, 1838; died May 25, 1839. 7. Harriet Lincoln',
born Jan. 5, 1840; died in . 8. Julia Elizabeth', born Feb. 13, 1843 ;
lives on Atlantic avenue, Atlantic, Mass. 9. Emily Caroline Lincoln',
born July 9, 1845; died in . 10. Sarah Wadsworth', born Oct. 5, 1847
; died in . 1208 — V. Julia Anna', born Feb. 21, 1810; married, first,
Rev. Valentine Cushman, a Baptist clergyman, and lived in South
Boston. He died; and she married, second, John Russell of Natick
before 1865. After Mr. Russell's death, she lived in Haverhill, being
interested in the Second .'\dvent people. Mr. Russell died June i,
1885, at the age of eighty-seven; and she died Jan. 3, 1901, aged
ninety. She had no children by Mr. Russell. 1209— VI. James
Gardner', born April 14, 1813. See famitv numbered "1209."
AND HIS DESCENDANTS. 261 678 Ebenezer Hovey^ born
in Lunenburg, Mass., June 8, 1769. He was a yeoman, and lived in
Cambridge, on the south side of the causeway leading to the West
Boston bridge. He bought a pew in the Baptist meeting house in
Newton in 1804, and probably attended church there. He married
Sarah, daughter of Nathaniel Greenwood of Cambridge Nov. 28,
1799; and died in Cambridge May 5, 1831, at the age of sixty-one.
His wife survived him, and died June 27, 1863. Their children were
born in Cambridge as follows: — 1210 — I. Ebenezer', born March
24, i8oi. See family numbered " izio" 121 1 — iL Josiah', born Nov. i,
1802; instantly killed Sept. 19, 1803. 1212 — HI. Elizabeth', born
June 10, 1804; unmarried in 1834. 1213— IV. Sarah', born June 28,
1806; died May (March) i, 1807. 1214 — V. Eleanor', born Nov. 19,
1807 ; married Lorenzo Willis June — , 1829 ; and died Feb. 2,
1830, aged twenty-two. They had one child : i. Leweliyn', living in
1849. 121S — VL Sarah Ann', born Feb. 2 (22), 1809; died,
unmarried, Nov. 23, 1830, at the age of twenty-one. I2i6 — VII.
Freeman', born March i, 181 1. See family numbered "I2l6." 1217—
VIII. Susanna', born Nov. 23, 1812; married Nahum Stone Jan. — ,
1832; and died Aug. — , 1887, aged seventy-four. They had five or
six children. 1218 — IX. George', born Aug. 5, 1814. See family
numbered "1218." 1219 — X. Thomas Green', born Jan. 23, 1816.
His name was originally Thomas Hovey, and he had it changed by an
act of the legislature of Massachusetts April 19, 1837. See family
numbered "i2ig." 1220 — XI. Josiah', born June 3, 1819; married
twice; and probably had no children. He was a druggist in
Winchester, Mass., in 1849. I22I— xn. Stephen Dana', born March
20, 1823; died Feb. 24, 1838, aged fourteen. 679 Phineas Brown
HovEY^ bom Nov. 8, 1771. He lived in Cambridge, Mass., where he
was probably born, and owned pew numbered twenty in the
Cambridgeport meeting house. He conducted a grocery store at the
western corner of Main and Brookline streets, in Cambridgeport, for
many years ; and was succeeded by his youngest son. Mr. Hovey
married, when he was of Watertown, Sarah Stone of Newton Dec. 5,
1792 ; and she died Dec. 9, 1846. He died April 19, 1852, at the age
of eighty. Children : — 1222— L Sally', born April 10, 1795 ; married
Samuel Foster of Greenwich Nov. 19, 1817; and died Dec. 10, 1819,
aged twenty four. Child: i. Sarah H.'; married George W. Colburn of
Cambridge; and died in or before 1884.
262 DANIEL HOVEY 1223 — II. Eunice', bom May 31, 1797;
married Isaac Livermore of Cambridge; and died June 11, 1871, at
the age of seventythree. Children : i. Charles F.', lived in Detroit,
Mich., in 1852 and 1885. 2. Edward M.'; lived in New York City in
1885. 3. Jane E.'; married Burlingame; he died , and she lived at
Syracuse, N. Y., in 1885. 4. Sarah Elicabeth'; married Briggs ; she
lived in Pittsfield, Mass., his widow, in 1^5. 1224 — III. Elizabeth',
born March 17, 1799; lived in Cambridge, unmarried, in 1885. 1225
— rv. Phineas Brown', born Sept. 3, 1803; was a horticulturist;
married Mary L. Cook Nov. 10, 1828; and died about 1885 She
survived him. 1226 — V. Cakoune', born April 14, 1807; unmarried in
1852. 1227 — VI. Charles Mason', born Oct. Ji, 1810; graduated at
Cambridge academy in 1824; and married Ann Maria Chaponil Dec.
25, 1835. He lived in Cambridge ; was interested in fruits and
flowers at an early age ; became a horticulturalist ; and had in his
grounds on Cambridge street the largest cultivation of difl'erent
varieties of trees in the United States. He originated many and fine
kinds of fruit. He was a member of the principal horticultural
societies of America, and corresponding and honorary member of
the Royal societies of London and Edinburgh. He was president of
the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, 1863 to 1867 inclusive. With
his brother Phineas he edited and published the American Gardner's
Magazine, in Boston, in 1835 and 1836. The name of this periodical
was then changed to the Magazine of Horticulture, and it was edited
and published by Charles alone from 1837 to 1869 inclusive. He
published Fruits of America, with colored plates, in two volumes, in
New York, in 1854. He died in Cambridge Sept. 2, 1887, at the age
of seventy-six. 1228 — vn. Josiah Dana', bom March 31, 1813 ;
married Atlantic Pierce Dec. 27, 1835 ; and conducted his father's
old comer grocery in Cambridgeport, where he was living in 1885.
713 Chester Hovey*, bom Jan. 20, 1778. He married Olive Rexford ;
and lived in Hatley, in the Province of Quebec, Canada. She died
Aug. 21, 1833. Children : — 1229— I. Malinda' ; married Capt.
Taylor Wadleigh ; and lived in Hatley. Their children were born in
Hatley, as follows : l. Horatio', bom Feb. 7, 1821 ; farmer; justice of
the peace; school teacher; school commissioner; and municipal
councilor; in every way a loyal British subject; married Matilda Gould
June 2, 18—. She was born in Boston Nov. i, 1828; and died in Lynn,
Mass., in 1895 ; he died in Hatley Dec. 10, 1900, at the age of
seventy-nine. They had four children. 2. Alice J.'; unmarried. 1230 —
II. Marv'; married Seth Huntingdon, esq. 1231 — III. Elmira'; died at
the age of twenty-eight 1232 — IV. Lucy'; married Charles Wallace.
1233— V. Sophronia'; married Nathaniel Hawes.
AND HIS DESCENDANTS. 263 1234 — VL Olive'; married
Russell Rexford. 123s — VII. Caroline'; married, first, Philip James,
son of Abiel and Grace (Hitchcock) Abbott (grandson of Ruth Hovey,
355) Oct. 22, 1841. He was born Feb. 17, 1816; lived in Hatley; and
was a farmer. She married, second, Simon Bean ; and died Sept. 6,
1857. She had no children. 1236 — ^viii. Chester'; died at the age of
thirty. 1237 — IX. Alonzo', bom June 11, 1818, in Hatley. See family
numbered "I237-" 1238 — X. Hester'; married George Oliver. Horace
Hovey®, born in Hatley, Canada, Dec. 21, 1798. He was a farmer,
and lived in his native town. He married, first, Pamelia, daughter of
Jesse and Lucy (Turner) Wadleigh in 1829, in East Hatley. She was
bom in Hatley June — , 1808; and died there Dec. 18, 1844. He
married, second, Mary Flanders in 1864; and died in Hatley Dec. 11,
1871, at the age of seventy-two. His wife Mary survived him, and
died Oct. 27, 1876, aged fifty-seven. , Mr. Hovey's children were all
by his first wife and born in Hatley, as follows: — 1239— I. Wright',
bom July 23, 1833. See family numbered "1239." 1240 — II. Alice
Jane', born Nov. 24, 1836 ; married, first, Horace, son of Jacob and
(Haines) Taylor Sept. 28, 1858. He was a farmer ; and lived in
Stanstead, Province of Quebec, where he died April — , 1861. They
had one child, bora in Stanstead: I. Minnie', born Sept. 28, i860;
married Harry Hobhs Oct. — , 1884; and they live in Chicago, 111.,
where he is manager of a manufacturing company. Mrs. Taylor
married, second, William Miller, son of Joseph and Anna C. (Miller)
Atwood June — , 1865, at Magog, Province of Quebec. He was born
in Magog Nov. 12, 1829; and lived there. He died in Magog Sept. i,
1872. She survived him, and died in Clyde, Kansas, Jan. 17, 1904.
Mr. and Mrs. Atwood had one child, born in Magog: i. Don H.', born
March s, 1867. He is a banker, and resides in Clyde. 1241 — ^in.
Horace Melvin', born Dec. 15, 1838. See family numbered "1241."
1242 — IV- Leslie Pierpont', born Oct. 29, 1842. See family
numbered "1242." 725 William Hovey*, bom in Hampton, Conn.,
Oct. 8, 1797. He married ; and resided in Waterford, Vt. Child:—
1243 — L Jacob G.', born June 24, 1834. in Waterford. See family
numbered "1243."
264 DANIEL HOVEY 734 Oliver Hovey*, born in Hampton,
Conn., Jan. 11, 1793. He married ; and died Sept. 18, 1S40, at the
age of forty-seven. He had one child : — 1244 — I. Anna Dewey';
married Sidney McBride; and died at Beloit, Iowa. 735 Orein Hovey^
born in Monson, Mass., Dec. 11, 1794. He married Sally, daughter of
Dea. Daniel and Sally (Hatch) Childs of Becket, Mass., April 17, 1832.
She was bom in Becket May 7, 1806. They lived in Monson ; and he
died Nov. 28, 1861. She survived him, and died March 20, 1879, at
the age of seventy-two. Children : — 1245 — I. George C, born June
27, 1833; died May 27, 1846, aged twelve. 1246— H. William Oren',
born Dec. 16, 1834, in Monson, Mass. See family numbered "1246."
1247 — in. Sarah E.', born June 26, 1836, in Monson ; lived in
Monson in 1862, at Milford, Conn., in 1865, and at Wilbraham, Mass.
; married John L. Chaffee Jan. 30, 1883. He was bom in Monson
May 2, 1816; and died March 26, 1903, aged eightysix. 1248— IV.
Daniel O.', bom May 18, 1838; lived in Monson in 1862; served in
Washington, in the Seventh company of artillery in 1865 ; and now
resides in Massachusetts, unmarried. 1249— V. Albert Henry', born
March 22, 1840, in Monson. See family numbered "1249." 1250—
VI. Charles Louie', bom Nov. 29, 1842, in Monson. See family
numbered "isso." 1251 — VII. Laitra Elmira', born Dec. 22, 1845 :
married James K. Butler April 7, 1870; he was born March 18, 1845;
and she died at Wilbraham, Mass., Jan. 19, 1907, at the age of fifty-
one. Their children were born as follows : i. Adella E.', bom Aug. 2,
1871 ; died Feb. 14, 1872. 2. Benjamin O.', bom Oct I, 1873 ; died
Feb. 4, 1875. 3- Albert H. H.', born Oct. 30, 1874. 4 Blanche B.',
bom Nov. 19, 1876. 736 Horace Hovey', bom in Monson, Mass., June
24, 1796. He married ; and died Oct. 29, 1873, at the age of
seventy-seven. Children, all living at Vernon, Mich. : — 1252— L '.
1253— 11. ]. I2S4— lu. \ 1255— IV. '• 1256— V. \ 1257— VL '.
AND HIS DESCENDANTS. 265 740 Hiram Hovey^ born in
Monson, Mass., Jan. 12, 1803. He was a farmer, and lived in
Munson, Ohio. He married Abigail Foster of Monson, Mass., in 1827,
at Munson, O. She was bom Dec. — , 1812. He died at Munson, O.,
July i, 1849, at the age of forty-six. She survived him, and died at
Munson, O., Jan. 23, 1892, at the age of seventy-nine. Their children
were born at Munson, O., as follows : — 1258 — I. Louisa', born May
28, 1831 ; married George Wheeler in 1849, in Newbury, Ohio. He
was born in Munson, O., June 2, 1829. She died at Painesville, O.,
May 25, 1900, at the age of sixty-eight. They had no children. 1259
—11. Elisha Flint', born Dec. 6, 1832. See family numbered '1259."
1260 — III. Hiram Almon', bom Nov. 18, 1835. See family numbered
"1260." 1261 — IV. Elvira', bom June 29, 1837; married Frank
Loveland Feb. 14, 1856. He was born in Newbury, O., Oct. S, 1824;
was a farmer ; and died in Geauga county, O., June 26, 1886, at the
age of sixty-one. She lives, his widow, in Newbury, O. Children, born
in Newbury: i. George F.', bom Feb. 11, 1857 ; lives at Newbury ;
married Elizabeth Walters Sept. 24, 1885. She was born at Sugar
Creek, O., Sept 28, 1868. They have three children. 2. Nellie', born
April 25, 1870; married Hiram Carlton Aug. 4, 1897 ; and lives at
Newbury. He was born at Burton, O., Nov. 15, 1870. They have three
children. 1262— v. Orrin Utley', born Oct. 2, 1841. See family
numbered "1262." 1263— VI. Albert D.', born Nov. 7, 1845. See
family numbered "1263." 1264 — VII. Horace'; died young. 1265 —
VIII. Mary' ; died young. 748 Hon. James Albert Hovey*, bom in
Hampton, Conn., April 29, 1815. He was educated in the common
and private schools of his time, and chose the law as a profession.
His life was spent in the towns of Hampton, Windham and Norwich.
From 1830 until 1842 he was connected with the state militia. He
was assignee in bankruptcy for New London county under the act of
1841, executive secretary in 1842 and 1843 under Gov. Chauncy F.
Cleveland of Hampton, member of the board of aldermen in Norwich
from 1849 till 1853, and judge of the New London county court from
1850 until 1854. He was vice-president and trustee of the Chelsea
savings bank and trustee of the Norwich savings society. He was also
president of the Uncas bank of Norwich from 1852 to 1872. Judge
Hovey was a member of the general assembly in 1859 and 1886;
and mayor of Norwich in 1870 and 1871. He was always a Democrat
in politics.
266 DANIEL HOVEY He married Miss Lavinia J. Barber; and
she died before 1891. Child:— 1266 — I. ' (son) ; died before 1891.
752 Charles Fox Hovey*, born in Brookfield, Mass., Feb. 28. 1807. He
lived in Boston, and was the founder of the great drygoods house of
C F. Hovey & Co., on Summer street. He resided in Gloucester, Mass.,
in 1851 and 1854. He married Justine Watts de Peyster, who was
born in New York April i, 1820. He died in Boston April 28, 1859, at
the age of fifty-two ; and she died there July 7, 1891, at the age of
seventy-one. His estate was appraised at $167,086. Mr. Hovey was
an ardent supporter of all reforms, and in the anti-slavery movement
was a follower of the Garrisonian wing of that party. In his will, he
makes liberal provision for his wife and children, and gives to William
Lloyd Garrison and his wife Helen E. Garrison, Parker Pillsbury,
Stephen S. Foster and his wife Abby R. Foster one thousand dollars
each; and to Henry Clarke Wright of Philadelphia, "an itinerant and
independent lecturer and writer on moral reforms," two thousand
dollars. The residue of his estate amounted to about sixty-five
thousand dollars ; and relative to this he made the following
provision : "I direct my said trustees to hold all the rest and residue
of my estate, real, personal and mixed, in special trust, for the
following purposes, namely, to pay over, out of the interest and
principal of said special trust, a sum of not less than eight thousand
dollars annually, until the same shall be exhausted, to said Wendell
Phillips, William Lloyd Garrison, Stephen S. Foster, .\bby R. Foster,
Parker Pillsbury, Henry C. Wright, Francis Jackson and Charles H.
Whipple and their survivors and survivor, for them to use and
expend, at their discretion, without any responsibility to any one, for
the promotion of the anti-slavery cause, and other reforms; such as
woman's rights, non-resistance, free trade and temperance, at their
discretion ; and I request said Wendell Phillips and his said
associates, to expend not less than eight thousand dollars annually
by the preparation and circulation of books, newspapers, employing
agents and the delivery of lectures that will, in their judgment,
change public opinion, and secure the abolition of slavery in the
United States, and promote said other reforms. Believing that the
chain upon four million slaves, with tyrants at one end, and
hypocrites at the other, has become the strongest bond of the Union
of the States. I desire said Phillips and his associates to expend said
bequest by employing such agents as believe and practise the
doctrine of 'Non union
AND HIS DESCENDANTS. 267 with slave holders, religiously
or politically,' and by circulating such publications as tend to destroy
every pro-slavery institution." At the end of this interesting will Mr.
Hovey requests that "No prayers be solicited from any person and
that no priest be invited to perform any ceremony whatever, over or
after my body. The priesthood are an order of men, as I believe,
falsely assuming to be reverend and divine, pretending to be called
of God ; the great body of them, in all countries, have been on the
side of power and oppression ; the world has been too long cheated
by them ; the sooner they are unmasked, the better for humanity."
Mr. Hovey's children were born as follows : — 1267—1. William
Alfred', born Dec. 21, 1841, in Boston. See family numbered "1267."
1268 — II. Edward Clarence', born April 13, 1854, in Paris, France.
See family numbered "1268." 753 George Otis Hovey®, born in
Brookfield, Mass., Feb. 22, 1809. He was reared in the household of
his uncle Jabez C. Howe in Sterling, Mass., and when the family
removed to Boston George went with them. When he became of age
he was made a member of his uncle's firm, J. C. Howe & Co.,
Samuel R. Payson of Roxbury being one of the partners. He married
Mary Ann Levley, daughter of Joseph Cotton March 19, 1835, in
Boston, where she was born March 25, 1809. In the interests of the
firm, he spent several years of his life following his marriage in
France, his eldest two children being born in Paris. His winter home
was 100 Beacon street, Boston. He was a pioneer of the North Shore
summer residents, spending his first season at Fresh Water cove, in
Gloucester, in 1843. He spent every summer there after that as long
as he lived, building his home there in 1846. His wife died in Boston
Oct. 29, 1873, at the age of sixty- four. He died at his summer home
in Gloucester July 18, 1877, at the age of sixty-eight. Their children
were as follows: — 1269— L Marian', born Dec. 29, 1835, in Paris
France. She died in Gloucester, unmarried, Aug. 28, 1898, at the age
of sixtytwo. 1270 — IL Helen Elise', born July 18, 1838, in Paris ;
died, unmarried, Feb. 8, 1870, at Pau Basses, Pyrenies, France, at
the age of thirty-one. 1271— HI. Fanny Pope', born May 27, 1840, in
Roxbury, Mass.; marned John T. Morse, jr., June 10, 1865, in Boston;
and lives at 16 Fairfield street, Boston, Mass. 1272 — nr. George
Otis', bom Jan. 6, 1842, in Boston ; and died at Brookfield, Mass.,
Aug. 25, 1843, aged one year. 1273— V. Henry Stone', born Jan. 30,
1844, in Boston. He was for many years owner of the Pittsfield
Cotton Mills at Pittsfield, N. H., but retired from the business a
number of years before
268 DANIEL HOVEY his death; and then gave a large part
of his time to his favorite sport of yachting, being the owner of the
sloop Fortuna, winner of many races at Marblehead. He was three
times elected commodore of the Eastern Yacht Club, at Marblehead ;
and was a member of many other prominent yacht clubs. He was
also a member of the Somerset Club and of other clubs in Boston
and New York. Mr. Hovey was a bachelor, and for many years lived
with his father at their old home on Beacon street, in Boston. After
his father's death, he continued to reside there with his sister, and
when she died, in 1898, he gave up the house and lived at Hotel
Chesterfield, 371 Commonwealth avenue, Boston, where he died
Nov. 19, 1900, at the age of fifty-six. His funeral was held at his
winter apartments, with the utmost simplicity. Many prominent men
were present, and the interment was at Mt. Auburn. 1274— VI.
Joseph Cotton', born June 20, 1816, in Boston. He was a commission
merchant, and lived in Boston. He died unmarried, in Lowell, Mass.,
Oct. 9, 1874, at the age of twenty-eight. 754 Frederic Hovey^ ;
married Sally Judd. His children were born in Hampton, Conn., as
follows : — 1275—1. Betsey', born Oct. i, 1816; married Reuben
Calkins Sept. 20, 1838, in Suffield, Conn. He was a farmer, and lived
in Gaines, N. Y., where she died May 4, 1875. Child : I. Clarissa S.',
born Dec. 28, 1841, in Milford, Mich.; and lives in Gaines, N. Y.,
unmarried. 1276 — II. Douglass', born Feb. 22, 1828. See family
numbered "1276." 757 John Hovey', born in Londonderry, N. H., Oct.
15, 1786. He was a house-carpenter, and lived in his native town
until 1839, when he emigrated to Marietta, O. He married, first,
Eleanor White of Chester, N. H., Sept. 27, 1810; and she died March
29, 1812. He married, second, his first wife's sister, Betsey White of
Londonderry Dec. 16, 1813; and she died May 29, 1819. He married,
third, Abigail, daughter of Timothy Dustin of Haverhill, Mass., June
29, 1820. She was bom in Manchester, N. H., Jan. 14, 1798. He died
in Marietta July 20, 185 1, at the age of sixtyfour; and she died there
May 10, 1883, at the age of eightyfive. The children of Mr. Hovey
were born as follows : — 1277 — I. John Dustin', born June 19,
1821, in Londonderry, N. H. See family numbered "1277." 1278 — II.
Albert Galeton', born July 11, 1824, in Londonderry, N. H. ; lived in
Eugene, Ore. ; married, first, Mary Ellen Mulkey in 1853, in Oregon;
second, Emily Humphrey in 1866; was state senator of Oregon, and
one of the most prominent citizens, being a banker. He died in
Eugene Nov. 27, 1898, at the age of seventy-four.
AND HIS DESCENDANTS. 269 1279 — HL James Burnham',
bom July i, 1826, in Londonderry; was a merchant, and president of
the Marietta city council; married Virginia A. Rowland Oct. 9, 1849,
in Newport, O., and died at Marietta April 25, 1897, at the age of
seventy. 1280 — IV. Milton', born Sept. 11, 1828, in Londonderry;
was a carpenter and builder, and noted for his fine workmanship;
married Elizabeth Hayes Dec. 24, 1857, in Marietta, where he died
April i, 1861, at the age of thirty-two. 1281— V. Franklin Stark', born
Sept. 22, 1830, in N. H. ; merchant; married Mary Kuntz Feb. 5,
1861 ; and died in Salem, Ore., March 31, 1877, at the age of forty-
six. "An honest man." 1282 — VI. Ann Dustin*, born May 26, 1834;
died Aug. 15, 1835, aged one year. 1283— VII. George Theodore',
born July 23, 1837, in Manchester, N. H.; lives in Marietta, O., being
an architect of note. He is a distinguished Free Mason, having been
Worshipful Master of American Union Lodge, No. I, for sixteen years.
He married Julia M. Sprague Oct. 12, 1864, in Marietta. 1284— vin.
Abigail Dustin', born Feb. 18, 1839; married J. S. Sprague May s,
1857; and died March i, 1895, at the age of fifty759 Dr. Isaac
Burnham Hovey^ born in Derry, N. H., May i, 1790. He was a well-
known physician, residing in Atkinson, N. H. He married Miss Eliza,
daughter of Joseph and Lucy (Belknap) Richards of Atkinson Oct. 6,
1828. She was bom in Atkinson Nov. 26, 1805 ; and died there, of
fever, June 15, 1866. Doctor Hovey died there Jan. 6, 1872, at the
age of eightyone. Child:— 128s— L Isaac R.', bom Dec. 30, 1830, in
Atkinson, N. H. ; farmer; lived in Atkinson ; and died there, of heart
disease, Dec. 29, 1895, at sixty- five years of age. He was never
married. 770 John Jacobs Hovey^ born in Sutton. Mass., Aug. 31,
1814. He went to Virginia, and was a wealthy planter and merchant
in York county. He married Alice Post Feb. 25, 1871, in York county.
She was born in New York City Jan. 17, 1853. He died in York county
Dec. 5, 1881, at the age of sixty-seven. Their children were born in
York county , as follows : — 1286 — L Elizabeth Waters', born March
13, 1872; married James E. Wilkins Sept. 25, 1898; and lives in
Virginia. 1287 — II. John Jacobs* bom Jan. 21, 1875; lived in
Virginia; and married Mary Emeline Ewan Feb. i, 1899. 1288— iiL
Maeel Alice', born Nov. 15, 1877; married R. E. Wilkins Feb. 18, 1893
; and lives in Virginia. 1289 — IV. Charles Marius', born Aug. 28,
1880; lives in Virginia, unmarried.
270 DANIEL HOVEY 773 Marius Milner Hovey', bom in
Sutton, Mass., Aug. 17, 1818. He lived in his native town, and was
largely engaged in the wood and lumber business, running a saw-
mill for several years principally to saw his own lumber. He cleared
much woodland, and became an extensive landholder. His farm was
one of the finest cultivated in the state, having on it some of the
best stock. He also had a store in Greenville, S. C, where, in 1876,
he was doing an extensive business under the firm name of Hovey &
Town. He represented Sutton in the legislature, and held other
offices of trust and honor. He made money, and accumulated a
fortune. Mr. Hovey married, first, Louisa L. Sabin of Plainfield, Conn.,
June 18, 1851 ; and she died in Sutton Sept. 24, i860. He married,
second, Ellen Douglas, daughter of Dr. Leonard and Mary LeBaron
(Putnam) Pierce of Sutton Nov. 16, 1864. She was born in Sutton
Aug. 22, 1836. He died in Sutton Feb. 16, 1898, at the age of
seventy-nine. His wife Ellen survives him. Mr. Hovey's children were
born in Sutton, as follows : — 1290— I. John William", born Aug. 24,
1865; died, of diphtheria, in his third year at Harvard University, Jan.
13, 1889, aged twentythree. 1291— n. Mamus Milner', born June 15,
1875 ; married Annie Hall May 1. 1899. 784 Simon Augustus
Hovey^, bom in Oxford, N. Y., Dec. 21, 1828. He was a farmer, and
lived in his native town. He married Harriet Amanda, daughter of
John and Polly (Hackett) Gordon Nov. 16, 1853, in Oxford, where
she was born May 9, 1831. He died at Oxford Jan. 7, 1868, at the
age of thirty-nine. Their children were born in Oxford, as follows : —
1292— L Ellen Adella', bom Jan. 25, 1855; married Robert Gilson of
Deposit, N. Y., May 6, 1873 ; he was a farmer, and lived in Deposit,
where she died May 15, 1880. 1293— II. Frank Adelbert", bom Feb.
28, 1859. See family numbered "1293." 1294— III. Henry Morris",
born Aug. 2, i860. See family numbered "1294," 786 Horace Waters
Hovey', born in Guilford Centre, N. Y., Aug. 16, 1827.* He was
brought up on a farm, and attended the village schools, then Oxford
(N. Y.) Academy for two years, and the State Normal college at
Albany for two years, graduating * The record of the family of the
father of Mr. Hovey was received too late for insertion in its proper
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