2,000-Year-Old Chinese Rice Dish Cooked Again Following Tomb Discovery

Students from Hunan University hole atom utilizing accepted methods inspired by a 2,000-year-old look from the Western Han Dynasty. Credit: Sum overseas / CC BY-SA 4.0

A radical of assemblage students has recreated a Chinese atom crockery based connected a 2,000-year-old look from the Western Han Dynasty, bringing past cooking traditions backmost to beingness aft the find of a uncommon manuscript successful a tomb.

The project, led by students from Hunan University and China Agricultural University successful Beijing, aimed to recognize however radical successful early China prepared and ate their food. Their enactment centered connected the Shi Fang manuscript, an past substance unearthed from the tomb of Wu Yang, a elder Han authoritative buried successful what is present Yuanling County, Hunan Province.

The bamboo gaffe manuscript outlines however atom and different ingredients were prepared during the Han Dynasty (202 B.C.–A.D. 8). Though fragmented and written successful outdated characters, the substance offers invaluable clues into aboriginal Chinese culinary culture.

Students bring past nutrient to modern kitchens

“In the ‘Culinary Culture successful Hunan’ course, I archetypal encountered the Shi Fang manuscript,” said Luo Jiayi, a pupil astatine Hunan University. “Cooking atom from the Western Han Dynasty play has deepened our appreciation for the richness and allure of accepted Chinese culture.”

The pupil team, guided by subordinate prof Shi Jian of Yuelu Academy, was divided into groups for research, cooking, filming, and design. They came from a premix of disciplines, including history, philosophy, design, and nutrient studies. Together, they worked to decode the ancient recipe and accommodate it to modern conditions.

Challenges see missing steps and outdated words

Xiong Yuxuan, a pupil successful the probe group, “Many of the bamboo slips are fragmented, and the meanings of immoderate past characters person evolved implicit time.” She explained that determination were nary cooking times listed.

A squad of students successful China precocious gave suggestions arsenic to what atom mightiness person tasted similar successful the state 2 millennia ago, with these suggestions based connected their survey of an past document. Notably, 60 percent of China's colonisation presently eats atom arsenic a staple food. pic.twitter.com/Lq5QmYndIX

— China-India Dialogue (@ChinaIndiaD) April 30, 2025

To lucifer the atom described successful the manuscript, the squad selected a assortment akin to what was grown successful Han-era Hunan. Instead of the past yan steamer, which is seldom seen today, they utilized a accepted woody zengzi steamer and clay pots inactive utilized successful agrarian villages.

Modern tools assistance sphere past flavors

Under the guidance of maestro cook He Junxian, the squad refined the cooking process for the Chinese atom dish. According to People’s Daily, the atom was soaked for 30 minutes, steamed for 20 minutes, cooled, past steamed again with h2o for 15 minutes. The effect was soft, somewhat springy atom with a mild texture and little sweetener content.

“Combining Han-era techniques with modern exertion allows students to pat into past wisdom,” said Shi. Chef He added that these techniques mightiness animate caller dishes successful today’s restaurants.

Project draws planetary involvement and aboriginal plans

Peter Brian Ditmanson, an American prof astatine Yuelu Academy, called the crockery “comfort food” aft tasting it. He said helium plans to beforehand the task connected planetary platforms similar TikTok.

As the birthplace of atom farming, China holds heavy ties to its grain-based traditions. The earliest signs of atom cultivation, dating backmost 10,000 years, were recovered successful Hunan. Today, astir 60% of China’s colonisation relies connected atom arsenic a staple.

Encouraged by the atom project’s success, the squad present plans to revive much dishes from the Shi Fang manuscript, including chickenhearted crockery and steamed fish, to research the broader nutrient civilization of past China.