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7577621 
Journal Article 
Kuai and Sheng - The raw fish and meat dishes in Chinese history 
Fan, H 
2000 
71 
247-+ 
Chinese 
CCC:000088006000001 
In the Book of Rites edited by Dai De and in the chapter "Wang Zhi" of the Book of Rites, "cooked foods" as opposed to "raw foods" were used as a criterion to distinguish the Chinese from their neighbouring ethnic groups. The Chinese ate cooked foods while other ethnic groups ate raw foods. However, since the invention of 'cooked foods,' have the Chinese had the custom of eating raw fish and meat at all? As this article will show, they certainly have. Then, what have they eaten? How were they prepared? How important were these fish and meat dishes in the life of the Chinese in historic times? What was the geographical distribution of this eating custom? Did people have some particular views concerning eating raw fish and meat? Why are the average Chinese today no longer aware of this custom? This article will explore the questions concerning the custom of kuai and sheng-or catching for immediate slaughter and preparing for immediate consumption instead of having the raw fish and meat processed by drying in the air, pickling, soaking in sauce or wine, brewing, etc. It will also try to give tentative answers to these questions. 
History; kuai, sheng, kuai-sheng, raw fish, ji (mashed condiment)