At the table of ancient China, one does not think in terms of starter-main course-dessert but rather a base of steamed grain, the fàn (黍 millet, 稻 rice), surrounded by side dishes, the cài: thick soups (羹 geng), finely sliced meats, vegetables, and always a paired fermented sauce (醬 jiang). Added to these are the xiū (羞), delicate morsels and preserves, and the yǐn (飲), fermented drinks poured especially for offerings to the ancestors. Each food has its place, its season, and its cutting: eating, for Confucius, is an act of ritual (禮) as much as of sustenance.

A fermented paste of grain or meat, at once salty, umami, and tangy. Confucius made it a rule of life: 'without the proper sauce, he would not eat' (Analects, X). Each dish called for its precise jiang; serving the wrong sauce was to break the harmony of the meal.