A Study of the Gastronomic Poems of Du Fu Written While He Lived in Sichuan

Abstract

The ＂Sage of Poetry,＂ Du Fu (712-770AD) , wrote several thousand poems during his life , of which 1,439 have survived . Toward the end of his life, Du Fu made Sichuan, then known as Shu, his home for almost ten years. He especially enjoyed the food and drink in Sichuan, and once wrote, ＂The wine of Shu is unmatched anywhere in the world because of it is richness; fish from the river is the tastiest anyone could ask for.＂ He wrote many verses like this, which enjoy great popularity. The methodology adopted in this paper has been to measure, so to speak, the longitude of Du Fu's poems against the latitude of food and drink in Sichuan. It uses both citations from China's ancient canon, and also citations from Du Fu's poems written in Sichuan. It probes into food materials used in Sichuan cuisine, and cooking methods for Sichuan dishes. It cites examples of famous Sichuan dishes mentioned during Du Fu's residence in Sichuan, both in relation to his mental state and appetite at the time, and also what influence they have had on gastronomic culture nowadays. Through this paper, we can examine Du Fu's character and style from various angles. At the same time, in view of the ancient facts, we can enhance our appreciation not only of the Sicliuan cuisine, but also of the Chinese culture of food and drink as a whole.