Food's Global Spread
Each food has a history of spreading globally. A key conduit of people-to-people exchange is food. China is the origin of rice cultivation, and rice was one of the most important food crops in ancient China. During the Zhou Dynasty, China's rice started spreading northwards to the Korean peninsula and southwards to the Philippines and Indonesia, where it became cultivated as a major food crop. Rice and cultivation techniques also spread to Japan and gradually became central to its diet and culture.
As the Silk Road facilitated exchange between countries, black peppers, grapes, carrots, chili peppers, and other foods and spices arrived in China, enriching China's dietary culture. With the discovery of new sea routes to the East, potatoes, maize, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, peanuts, pumpkins, and cacao, among other items, spread from the Americas to other parts of the world. In the 16th century, maize was introduced to China and exalted as a tribute item to the imperial household. Large-scale cultivation in the 18th century made it an important cash crop, as it has been ever since. In the late Ming Dynasty, sweet potatoes traveled from Southeast Asia to China, where it was planted far and wide to fight famine. The introduction of maize and sweet potatoes led to an enormous hike in crop yield, which went on to feed a much larger population and change the mix of crops in ancient China.
Food is central to human survival. The arrival of foreign foods brought more flavors to the Chinese dining tables and enlivened Chinese dietary culture. Chinese foods and dietary culture also spread to other parts of the world and blended well with local foods and culture. Two-way spread promoted cultural exchange and fostered connectivity between Chinese and foreign peoples.
食物的交流
每一种食物都包含一部全球史，伴随着人类交往，各地食物的交流始终贯穿其中。中国是世界稻作的起源地，稻是中国古代最重要的粮食作物之一。从周朝起，中国稻谷北传朝鲜，南传菲律宾和印度尼西亚，成为这些地区的主要粮食之一。稻米和耕作技术传到日本后，逐渐成为其饮食和文化中的重要组成部分。
随着丝绸之路形成，各国交流活动增加，胡椒、葡萄、胡萝卜、辣椒等食材和香料进入中国，丰富了中国的饮食文化。新航路开辟后，美洲的特产马铃薯、玉米、番茄、甘薯、花生、南瓜和可可等也流向世界各地。16世纪，玉米进入中国，一度是皇家御用贡品，经18世纪推广后成为重要经济作物。明代后期，甘薯从东南亚传入中国，被大力推广用于赈灾。玉米和甘薯的引进，大大增加了粮食产量，直接导致古代中国人口增长，改变了中国的农作物种植结构。
民以食为天。食物的交流丰富了中国人的餐桌，促使中国饮食文化生机勃勃。中国美食与中国饮食文化传播到世界各地，并与当地饮食文化交流融通，推动了中外人文交流与民心相通。
