我国辣椒起源与早期传播考

Textual Research on the Origin and Early Spread of Pepper in China

我国最早记载辣椒的文献不是明浙江高濂《遵生八笺》,而是山东王象晋《群芳谱》,地方志最早的记载也见于山东。我国辣椒发源于山东,入清后由此向北、向西逐步传开,所用名称主要是秦椒,在整个北方地区形成了一个时间连续、名称大致统一的传播区。康熙、乾隆年间,以华北平原为核心,包括山东、辽宁等地方志的辣椒记载相对密集,是我国最早的辣椒喜食区。康熙至道光年间,我国南方的辣椒从浙江发轫,时间稍晚于山东,最初多称辣茄,台湾、福建一线后来传入的品种则称番姜。整个华东地区早期地方志记载比较稀散,显示出大致相同的区域特征。中南、西南诸省区的辣椒记载更晚一些,但大多比较密集,传播过程有着紧密联系。其中湘西的辣椒记载早、分布密,最初多称海椒,应该来自广东沿海,深得苗、瑶等少数民族生活风习传布和“湖广填四川”移民活动的推动,又适应一些缺盐、瘴湿环境民众的特别需求,由此先后向南、向西强劲传播,最终形成以湖南、贵州、四川、重庆为核心的广大密集分布区。四川盆地的辣椒兼得南北两个方向的来源,有着南北两路终极汇流的色彩,也标志着辣椒自东部沿海向西部内陆传播主体过程的基本完成。上述三大区固然起始时间有先后,但更多是辣椒名称、传播关系、分布疏密的不同分野,奠定了我国晚清以来辣椒不同食用习性的区域格局。根据上述辣椒起源、传播情况及相关品种信息,可将我国古代辣椒的传入分为两个阶段。最早的辣椒应来自与山东隔海相望的朝鲜半岛,传入时间在明万历后期。辣椒这样的茄科草本植物在我国以木本之“椒”命名,应与最初落脚在传统秦椒分布较盛的山东有关。清康熙尤其是乾隆以来,浙江、福建、台湾、广东等东南、华南沿海及相邻的江西等地多有不同新品种陆续记载并逐步内传,其来源则应以东南亚为主。

The earliest record of chili peppers in China is not the“Zunsheng Eight Notes”by Gao Lian in Zhejiang,but the“Qun Fang Spectrum”by Wang Xiangjin in Shandong.The earliest records of local chronicles are also found in Shandong.China's chili peppers originated in Shandong,and gradually spread northward and westward after the Qing Dynasty.The name used is mainly Qinjiao,which has formed a continuous time and roughly uniform spreading area in the entire northern area.During the reign of emperor Kangxi and emperor Qianlong,pepper records in the north China plain,including Shandong and Liaoning provinces,were relatively dense,making it the earliest chili eating area in China.During the period from Kangxi to Daoguang in the Qing Dynasty,peppers in southern China started from Zhejiang,which was later than Shandong.They were originally called spicy eggplants,and the later introduced varieties from Taiwan and Fujian were called ginger pepper.The early local chronicles of the entire East China region are relatively sparse,showing roughly the same regional characteristics.Chili peppers in south China,central China and southwest China were recorded later,but most of them were more intensive,and the transmission process was closely related.Among them,the peppers in western Hunan are recorded early and densely distributed.At first,they were mostly called sea peppers,which should come from the coast of Guangdong.Thanks to the spread of the living habits of ethnic minorities such as Miao and Yao,and the promotion of the“Huguang to Sichuan”immigration activities,they have also adapted to the special needs of some salt-deficient and wet areas,thus spreading strongly to the south and west,and finally forming a vast and dense distribution area with Hunan,Guizhou,Sichuan and Chongqing as the core.Both north and south of the Sichuan basin chili sources in two directions,with the variety of the north and the south roads,it also marks the completion of the main process of pepper propagation from the east coast to the west inland.According to the origin and spread of the above peppers and related varieties,the introduction of ancient Chinese peppers can be divided into two stages.The earliest peppers should come from the Korean peninsula across the sea from Shandong,and the introduction time was in the late Ming Wanli period.Since Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty,especially in Qianlong,Zhejiang,Fujian,Taiwan,Guangdong and other southeast,southern China coast,and neighboring Jiangxi and other places have recorded and gradually spread different new varieties,and its source should be mainly Southeast Asia.