Lamb, Rice, and Hegemonic Decline: The Mongol Empire in the Fourteenth Century

Abstract

An examination of the role of lamb & rice in the 14th-century decline of the Mongol Empire draws upon two cookbooks: Yinshan Zhengyao (1330), by Chinese nutritionist Hu Shui; & centenarian Jia Ming's book on the secrets of his long life (around 1400). The rise of the Mongols & their takeover of China are described, along with the nature of Mongol governance & their love of luxury & feasting. Shui's book, an attack on overindulgence, contains very few Mongol recipes. Most of the recipes include lamb, the standard meat of Eastern & Central Asia, while pork, the main choice in China proper, is only included in one recipe. It is contended that the international scope of the book was an attempt to make the Chinese court a world court. Ming's book, published after the decline of the Mongol Empire, represents changes that were sweeping across the entire Old World by highlighting rice & paying little attention to lamb. Ways in which cookbooks demonstrate both core-periphery shifts & changes in Empire are discussed. References. J. Lindroth