小麦怎样走上了藏族的餐桌?——西藏的现代化与藏族饮食文化变迁

How did Wheat Find Its Way to the Tibetan Table? Modernization and the Change of Tibetan Food Culture

青稞是藏族的传统食物和独特文化象征,农业现代化则使小麦走上了藏族餐桌,其变迁历程可分为20世纪70年代后期"藏族不愿吃小麦"、90年代"小麦是不坏的选择"和今天"藏族都爱吃小麦"三个曲折阶段。为什么不同时期藏族对小麦会持有截然不同的观念?什么因素和机制制约着藏族的饮食选择和文化变迁?本文认为:第一,藏族传统饮食文化是青藏高原独特自然环境塑造的,20世纪70年代小麦受到文化抵制的实质是当时条件下小麦与自然环境和生计模式的冲突。第二,人口压力、技术进步和其他现代化措施会改变自然环境与生计模式、饮食习惯的制约关系。90年代后,进一步现代化从多方面改变了藏族生产生活环境,小麦因此能扬长避短,嵌入藏族餐桌。第三,人类也不只是外在变化的被动接受者,藏族在不同时期会根据情况作出符合其利益的选择,主导着现代化和文化变迁的进程。

Highland barley was traditional Tibetan food and a cultural icon. However,agricultural modernization has transformed Tibetan palate for wheat. The transformation has gone through three stages:(1)in the late1970 s,Tibetans disliked wheat;(2)in the 1990 s,they found wheat not a bad option;(3)now,Tibetans all like wheat. Why did Tibetans have different ideas for wheat in different stages? What factors and mechanism shaped the change of Tibetan food culture? This paper presents three arguments. First,traditional Tibetan food culture was shaped by the unique environment of Qingzang Plateau. In the late 1970 s,wheat was found culturally repulsive essentially because there was conflict between wheat and the natural environment in which livelihood was sustained. Second,population pressures,technical progress and other modernization measures could change the relations between environment and food culture. After the 1990 s,further modernization changed Tibetan production and living environment paved the way for wheat to the Tibetan table. Third,Tibetans are a highly adaptable breed and can make their best choice according to specific conditions.