In southern China, there is a unique food culture that is surprising – the way fruit is eaten with salt or soy sauce. This seemingly "dark dish" way of eating it hides a deep historical and cultural heritage. Many people are puzzled by this, but when you dig deeper, you will find that this is actually a kind of inheritance and tribute to history.
In ancient times, salt was not only a condiment for people's daily diet, but also an important pillar of national finance. As early as the Spring and Autumn Period, Guan Zhong, the prime minister of Qi, recognized the importance of salt, and he proposed the policy of "Guanshan Hai", that is, salt and iron were monopolized by the government. This policy greatly increased the country's financial revenue, enabling the state of Qi to enrich the country and strengthen the army, and the Duke of Qi Huan became the first overlord in the Spring and Autumn Period.
In the Tang Dynasty, after the Anshi Rebellion, the country's finances were tight, and in order to raise military spending, the salt tax policy was further strengthened. The government buys salt from private salt factories at low prices, and then sells it at a high price to designated salt merchants, who then sell it to the common people. In this way, the salt tax became an important source of national revenue, and during the Tang Dynasty, the salt tax revenue even accounted for 50% of the country's annual tax revenue.
However, this high salt tax also placed a heavy burden on the common people. In the Song Dynasty, the price of a pound of salt was equivalent to hundreds of yuan now, which was undoubtedly a huge expense for ordinary families. Therefore, when people consume fruits, they dip them in some salt or soy sauce to add flavor and also to save the use of salt.
This unique fruit culture is especially prevalent in the southern region. By dipping it in salt or soy sauce, people perfectly blend the sweetness and sourness of the fruit with the saltiness and freshness of salt or soy sauce to create a unique delicacy. This way of eating not only satisfies people's taste buds, but also reflects people's cherishing and creativity in food.
Today, although we no longer have to pay a high price for a bag of salt, this unique fruit-eating culture has been preserved as a food tradition in the South. When we taste these fruits dipped in salt or soy sauce, we can not only feel the deliciousness of the food, but also feel the depth of history and cultural inheritance.
In general, the way to eat fruits dipped in salt or soy sauce in the south is not only a unique food culture, but also a tribute and inheritance of the ancient salt tax system. This way of eating not only allows us to taste the deliciousness of the food, but also allows us to understand the economic and cultural background of the ancient society. Therefore, we should cherish this unique food culture and pass it on.