The Interaction between Su Shi and Local Food Culture in the Song Dynasty and Its Literary Representation

Abstract

This paper discusses the interaction between Song Dynasty writer Su Shi and local food culture and its reflection in literary creation. Su Shi not only has outstanding achievements in the field of literature and art, but also is a gourmet and a culinary practitioner. The thought of "living method" in his diet Fu was rare in the Song Dynasty and even the whole ancient Chinese literati, which had a profound influence on the later generations. This article first summarizes Su Shi's life and his working experience in different regions, as well as the characteristics of social background and food culture in Song Dynasty. Then, it analyzes the fusion of regional cultural elements and literary creation in Su Shi's diet poems, especially his diet practice and literary creation in Hangzhou, Huangzhou, Huizhou and Danzhou. Su Shi's food poems not only record his praise for local food and deep understanding of local culture, but also reveal his life circumstances in different periods. At last, the article summarizes the influence of Su Shi's poems on the field of food culture, which not only inherits the artistic realm of Tao Yuanming's poems, but also creates a new theme of poetry in the Northern Song Dynasty, which has an important impact on the life interest and aesthetic pursuit of later literati.