As the saying goes "diet is the top priority of Chinese people." Dietetic culture, a culture centered on food, drink and dietetic manners in everyday life, is also called dietetic custom.
The historical relics of the Banpo Village Culture of the New Stone Age indicate that as far as five or six thousand years ago, millet was extensively grown in the Yellow River area in north China. Likewise, in the historical remains of the Hemudu Culture seven thousand years ago, traces of rice cultivation was identified. The two discoveries manifest six thousand years ago, eating rice was customary in south China while millet was a routine food in north China. Different styles were formed in north and south China. Southern food, with rice as the principal food, is simple, whereas northern food, characterized by wheat flour, is rather complicated. In the Ming Dynasty, sweet potatoes, potatoes and corn were introduced into China from South America.
Chopsticks are most frequently used in people’s daily life and they enjoy a history of thousands of years. A westerner once commented: the Chinese chopsticks are the full reflection of lever principle. To properly handle chopsticks requires the coordination of more than 130 bones and muscles all over the body. The invention of chopsticks fully displays the dexterity and intelligence of the Chinese people.