菜蔬素齋：中國中古時期素食的潔淨象徵與功能

This study investigates the symbolic meanings and functions of cleanliness in vegetarian food. The first aspect is about the vegetarianization of fasting. The meaning of "omnivorous" had started to change during the Middle Ages. Because of the poignant odor of such dishes, the meaning of "hun"葷 was transferred from not eating foods with pungent tastes to not eating foods including the ingredient of meat, both of which are regarded as the unclean food. Next, analyzing the cleanliness of vegetarian food from changes in the meanings of words, in this paper four words are discussed, namely "cai"菜, "shu"蔬, "su"素, "zhai"齋. Both "cai" and "shu" two words that refer to foods derived from edible plants. The word "su" has the meanings of "white" and "undecorated", which make the word "vegetarian" carry the meanings of "cleanliness" and "asceticism". The word "zhai" has the connotations of "solemnity", "abstinence" and other ideas related to fasting; at the same time, "zhaishi"齋食is a common expression linked to the diet of Buddhism and Taoism, associated with the meanings of cleanliness and reverence for religious holiness.