Wushi Zhongkuilu facts for kids
Wushi Zhongkuilu (which means "Madame Wu's Records on Household Essentials" in Chinese) is a very old cookbook from China. It was written around the end of the 13th century, which was a long time ago during China's Medieval period. This book is special because it's the first known cookbook written by a Chinese woman. We only know her as "Madame Wu" from the Pujiang region, and her real name isn't known.
This cookbook was likely published during the late Song Dynasty or early Yuan Dynasty. It gives us a peek into what people cooked and ate in Chinese homes many centuries ago.
What's Inside the Book?
The full name of the book is "Song Dynasty Pujiang Woman of the Wu Surname Records on Household Essentials." This long name tells us exactly what the book is about: a detailed guide for preparing important foods and dishes for a household.
It includes recipes for cooked meals, but also for pickled and preserved foods. These preserved items could be eaten as they were or used as ingredients in other dishes. Imagine having a pantry full of these preserved foods ready to go!
Madame Wu's book has three main parts, or chapters. Each chapter groups recipes based on the type of food or main ingredient:
- "Preserved Meats and Pickled Fish" (脯鮓): This section has 20 different recipes. It teaches you how to prepare meats and fish so they last a long time.
- "Vegetable Preparations" (制蔬): This is the biggest section with 38 recipes. It focuses on different ways to cook and prepare vegetables.
- "Sweet Foods" (甜食): This chapter has 15 recipes for desserts and sweet treats.
One really cool thing about this book is that it's the first time anyone wrote about using soy sauce in recipes. The book calls it "醤油" (shòuyóu). Before this, people mostly used other sauces made from soy, fish, or meat. So, Madame Wu's cookbook shows us an important step in the history of Chinese cooking!
