Because before the Song Dynasty, ordinary people used crocks or clay pots to cook and serve rice. Although there are bronze products, they are too expensive for ordinary families to use. Moreover, many bronzes are actually sacrificial vessels and are generally not used for cooking. Therefore, the ancients could only use casseroles and clay pots for cooking, but this kind of utensils could not cook, only cook.
The different forms of cooking and cooking actually confirm the prevalence of separate meals. After all, cooking can help everyone eat together, but if it is soup, it is not suitable for sitting together to eat. Therefore, the most reasonable way is to cook the food, put it in a smaller container and serve it on the table. For the convenience of eating, everyone sits separately and eats separately. When guests come, they will simply set different tables to entertain them. This is also the most respectable and convenient way. The appearance of iron pots
It was not until the Song Dynasty that iron pots appeared in China, and the system of separate meals was gradually changed to the system of combined meals. But although there was an iron pot, it was very expensive, and because there was no coal at that time, we had to use charcoal to burn the fire, and the price of charcoal was quite expensive. As a result, many people can't catch fire at home, let alone cook.
You know, you can't make good iron without coal and reaching a certain temperature. Without good iron, we can't dig out coal resources and fall into an infinite cycle. However, in the Song Dynasty, which allowed people to develop freely, three of the four great inventions were born, namely gunpowder, printing and compass, which greatly promoted the process of human history.
The appearance of iron pots enriches people's cooking methods. From the previous single cooking, it has developed into a variety of cooking forms. In addition, Zhang Qian brought back many crops and vegetables when he went to the Western Regions. People began to learn to cook in iron pots, and their containers became rich. People no longer need to eat separately. With the diversification of food, they put the stir-fried dishes on a plate, which is more convenient for everyone to eat according to their own preferences. Therefore, the catering system was born.