Raw fish and meat dishes, known collectively as
kuai, were first documented in China in the
Zhou dynasty (1045–256 BC), and are mentioned in the
Classic of Poetry,
Classic of Rites,
Analects and
Mencius. A related preparation method is
xuan (), which involve slicing the raw meat in large thin pieces in the manner of
carpaccio, however the term
kuai was used to refer to this method.
Kuai is the preferred preparation of raw beef and lamb, or fish such as the carp, while meat from wild deer and boar were prepared as
xuan. Thinness in the slices or strips was an important factor for judging the quality of the dish. alluding to the perceived oddity of not eating fish raw. It is also during this period that the renowned dish
jinji yukuai () along its accompanying
baheji sauce () was created. Although the dish was not widely consumed in later Chinese dynasties, it enjoyed a very high status in Chinese cuisine. Chinese physicians of the time sometimes recommended against it due to the very real possibility of serious illness due to
flukes and other parasitic organisms, however many prominent Chinese individuals (including
Cao Zhi and
Chen Deng) maintained a strong affinity for the dish. It was believed that the application of strongly flavored
spices such as
mustard or
Sichuan pepper could render the dish safe to consume. Consumption of
kuai in China declined sharply by the time of the
Qing dynasty. Since that time, most Chinese food has been cooked, though a
Chaozhou (Teochew) dish called
yusheng uses raw fish as its primary ingredient. ==See also==