Under the Northern Song, meals were not divided into starter-main-dessert. Everything revolved around 主食 (zhǔshí), the grain foundation — millet or rice — around which a few 菜 (cài), small savory and fermented dishes, were placed at the center and shared. Apart from mealtimes, one snacked on 点心 (diǎnxīn, "what touches the heart"), sweets and bites sold at the bustling stalls of Bianjing. And all day long, 点茶 (diǎnchá), whisked tea, punctuated the artisan's breaks. The winter pantry relied on 菹 (zū), lacto-fermented vegetables in jars.

Small, salty, dried soybean pearls fermented into douchi — the umami secret of Chinese cuisine since the Han. A pinch is enough to make a bland porridge or steamed fish sing: it is the "garum of the East," a pantry condiment that transforms an artisan's ordinary fare into something deep and savory.