The ancient Chinese table does not separate starter, main course and dessert. It is organized around fàn, the grain base (in northern China, under the Northern Wei, it is millet and not rice, which remains a southern luxury), surrounded by cài, the small side dishes — salted vegetables, meat, fermented sauces — that are shared and give flavor to the grain. One eats warm, around a central hearth, and each bite mixes a spoonful of grain with a bit of cài.

The Northern Wei dynasty was founded by the Xianbei, a steppe horsemen people: their taste for mutton permeates the northern cuisine of Mulan's time. It is spiced with huājiāo, a local berry with a lemony aroma and a tingling effect on the tongue — an ancient Chinese spice, unrelated to the chili pepper from the Americas.