Abstract

Life during the Ming and Qing dynasties was pretty colorful. There were apparent differences in food tastes because of the distinct products and customs in different places. The ‘three whites liquor’ is common in the Jiangnan Delta. The term ‘three whites’ refers to barbels, whitebait and white shrimp, which were famous products of Lake Tai at the time. As aquatic products, not did the three whites figure importantly in the scenery and customs as depicted by the literati of the Ming and Qing, but they were also a commonplace when people were tasting the foods of Lake Tai. This article treats ‘the three whites of Lake Tai’ or ‘the three whites of Jiangnan’ primarily from the perspective of material culture. It then analyzes the cultural sense of place and region connected with it. It is clear that the material taste and imagery deriving from the three whites of Lake Tai has the typical characteristics of watery region culture. The sense of specific place is strong, unique and exclusive. At the same time, of course, the memory of the three whites of Lake Tai has been changing continuously since the Ming dynasty due to the differences of environmental influences and the feelings and tastes of the literati. And they have a place in the nostalgia of their posterity even today.