“Sugar,” now an essential seasoning in modern life, is deeply loved by everyone. In ancient times, however, the practice of making sugar didn't emerge until the Northern and Southern Dynasties period. It wasn't until the Tang Dynasty, though, that the sugar industry began to flourish, allowing people of old to enjoy a “sweet” life. So how did sugar start to thrive during the Tang Dynasty?

First, the practice of health preservation was popular during the Tang Dynasty, and dining styles varied widely due to cultural influences.

1. During the Tang Dynasty, diets were light and simple, and wild vegetables became the mainstay on the dining table.

After the Tang Dynasty was established, because its rulers bore the surname Li, they revered Laozi—Li Er, the founder of Daoism—as their ancestral forefather. As a result, Daoism experienced tremendous growth during the Tang Dynasty and became the second-largest religion after Buddhism.

Taoism imposes extremely strict dietary rules on its disciples, with the prohibition of meat and fish being one of the most important aspects. During the Tang Dynasty, in order to promote Taoism, the dynasty extended these dietary regulations nationwide, resulting in Tang-era cuisine being predominantly light and simple.

Due to Taoist dietary restrictions, cooking methods during the Tang Dynasty primarily relied on steaming and boiling, with stir-frying occasionally used as a side dish to accompany drinks. The main vegetables consumed included water shield, bracken, sweet flag, shepherd's purse, smartweed, burdock, and portulaca.

During the Tang Dynasty, diet at this stage was still predominantly light and simple, with meat and other savory dishes being extremely rare. Even desserts were exceedingly scarce.