Buddhists are undoubtedly vegetarians in ancient times. Vegetarian food in temples has become an extraordinary flavor. Today, while burning incense and worshipping God, it has become a icing on the cake to taste vegetarian food in ancient temples. Vegetarian dishes that imitate Buddhist fasting have long existed, but when did the "canteen" run by temples start to "open to the outside world"? It is estimated that it existed in the Tang and Song Dynasties, which was related to the popularity of rusu in Daxing at that time. The development of its commercialization is more accurately recorded in Clearing the Banknotes: "The temples are all famous at that time, the capital is Fayuan Temple, Zhenjiang is Dinghui Temple, Shanghai is Baiyun Temple, and Hangzhou is Xia Yandong." For example, the price of a seat in a cave in Xia Yan is "the highest one needs 50 yuan silver coins". I don't know what food * * * has, and the price is already very extravagant.
Feeling. Even so, there are still customers who come here-to pursue that ethereal and clear realm, or to compete with the fireworks on earth? According to Zhu Wei's judgment in Kao Chi, "vegetarian dishes are usually accompanied by cold side dishes, such as cucumber, bamboo shoots, spinach, Chuanxiong, radish, etc." . Then, Chinese cabbage, winter mushroom gluten, mushroom heart and assorted tofu are indispensable. What's more, there is a Luohan Quanzhai, where Nostoc flagelliforme, Lentinus edodes, bamboo shoots, vegetarian chicken, fresh mushrooms, golden needles, fungus, cooked chestnuts, ginkgo, cauliflower and carrots are stewed in a casserole, and the taste is extremely rich. "What he quoted is just a popular menu, but its elegance can be seen, which is not inferior to the fish feast in the world.
What's more interesting is that many vegetarian dishes are simply paired with fish, such as vegetarian chicken, vegetarian duck, vegetarian fish and vegetarian ham. They are all cooked with vegetarian oil, imitating only the form, but in fact they are all replaced by tofu, gluten, yuba or other bean products. Sometimes you can't even tell the difference visually, you have to taste it yourself to know the authenticity. Although it's a fake, it tastes different from the real thing-it makes people feel cheated. I ate such a table at Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou, and I was amazed: I admire not only its production technology, but also its imagination. But this excellent banquet is mostly a performance for the audience. I don't think monks eat this stuff every day-the essence of life is simple after all. Comparatively speaking, I'm more impressed by the plain face of Nanjing Jiming Temple (it is said to be from the True Story of a Nun). Sprinkle chopped green onion and soy sauce, without any oil star, and you can simply show an epiphany of abstinence. ...
Go to Wutai Mountain in groups, and there will be vegetarian food after practicing Buddhism. The "canteen" is in the backyard of the Buddhist temple, without signs, and it is empty. Its area is equivalent to a small auditorium, with nothing but a dozen rows of tables and chairs-so it is like a classroom in a private university. Twenty people can sit in each row, and the expression is solemn, not like eating, but like listening to a class. The host briefly talked about the request, that is, not talking, and everything was expressed by actions, such as reaching for an empty bowl when you need to add rice, rowing around in the bowl with chopsticks and so on. Everyone has a rice bowl and a vegetable bowl in front of them. First, a monk walked by with a good-for-nothing, giving everyone a big meal one after another. There is only one dish, namely Shanxi-style vegetarian stew, which is made of potato pieces, tomatoes, vermicelli, tofu and cabbage. What impressed me deeply was that when the monk gave me rice, he accidentally spilled it on the console table and immediately put his hand in his mouth to chew. Many people noticed this scene, so everyone finished the vegetarian meal silently and dared not leave a grain of rice in the bowl. Gourmets may not understand such a simple vegetarian diet. But as you can imagine, this is the daily food of monks. We eat whatever the monks eat. It makes no difference-I had a real vegetarian meal in Wutai Mountain. Perhaps the real vegetarian diet should be such a content, such a mood: a spoonful of vegetables, a spoonful of drinks, not happy with things, not sad for yourself ... diners who come with curiosity will be disappointed. It's only their own fault: there's nothing mysterious about fasting-it's just everyone's mood when they eat. Simple is always closer to reality than gorgeous.