The development of the imperial cuisine as an elite part of the gastronomic culture of China

This article shows the development of the imperial cuisine of China during various dynasties. It is based on the regulations of ancient Chinese book sources, visual images presented in the collections of museums, modern publications of researchers. The organization of meals for the emperors was an integral part of the functioning of the palace, and this applied both to home meals and meals on travels and hikes. The emperor always had to be provided with the freshest and finest food. The emperor's menu was based on different regional cooking traditions, which gradually underwent certain changes and influenced each other. The dishes were aesthetically shaped, the process of their preparation became more complicated from dynasty to dynasty. Within the framework of the imperial cuisine, the general principles of nutrition in China were formed. Thus, food was supposed to con-tribute to the preservation of health and longevity and be taken at strictly defined time intervals. It should correspond to a person’s individual taste preferences, accompany various kinds of receptions and be varied. The emperors’ food paved the way for elite gastronomic culture of China