Stone Bread

Stone Bread

　　Stone bread bears distinct traces of ancient stone-cooking methods. The use of fire by the people of the Yellow River region went through a long historical process. The emergence of stone-cooking techniques is believed to be related to the consumption of grain-based foods such as millet and wheat. The practice of cultivating grains for food began during the era of Shennong. Shennong was a sage among the early inhabitants of the Yellow River region, known in legend as the Yan Emperor and one of the ancestors of the Yellow River civilization. He pioneered agricultural production and taught people to consume grains. The Baihu Tong states: “In ancient times, people all ate the meat of birds and beasts. But when Shennong came, the population increased, and there were not enough birds and beasts. So Shennong, in accordance with the timing of heaven and the advantages of the earth, invented the plow and taught people how to work the land.” However, grain-based foods were not suitable for direct roasting over fire, so the ancients invented the method of “parching grains on stones.” The Gu Shi Kao states: “In Shennong’s time, people ate grains by placing them on heated stones and then consuming them.” Other ancient texts also mention “parching grains on stones.” The Li Ji · Li Yun reads: “They parched millet and placed it on hot stones to cook. They dug shallow holes in the ground to hold water and drank from cups. Millet was placed on burning stones and parched until cooked.” “And they cooked sliced meat by placing it on heated stones.”

This method involves heating stones and then placing grains directly on them to cook. It primarily takes advantage of the stones’ slow heat transfer and slow cooling properties, as well as their even heat distribution, in order to control the cooking temperature. This technique has been passed down through generations. During the Tang Dynasty, it was referred to as “stone griddle bread,” and in the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was called “natural bread.”