When it comes to Chinese cooking, the role of a kitchen deity can be crucial in the success of your dishes. Whether you’re preparing a feast for a large family or just need to keep your kitchen in order, a visit to the kitchen deity can help you find the right balance. Fortunately, there are many options for choosing a Chinese kitchen deity.
Zao Jun
In the Chinese culture, the kitchen stove is associated with the deity Zao Jun. Legend has it that Zao Jun, the former husband of a Chinese woman, once threw himself into the kitchen fire and died. After he died, the ex-wife was so enamored of Zao Jun that she created a shrine to him above the fireplace. This deity later became associated with the stove in many homes. Many people even refer to the fire poker as “Zhang Lang’s Leg.”
According to legend, the kitchen deity returns to Heaven before Chinese New Year and reports on the activities of every household to the Jade Emperor, the emperor of the heavens. Based on the report, the Jade Emperor will reward or punish the family accordingly. However, there is another way to view the deity and the kitchen.
Before the New Year, many Chinese people would make offerings to the deity. They would clean the statue and put sweets next to it. They would also sprinkle sugar on the portraits of their gods. This would make them look darker and more attractive to the Jade Emperor. At the end of the year, they would place the new face of the deity over the stove. This ceremony was meant to express the importance of this God to ancient Chinese.
The deity Zao Jun had a very important role in Chinese culture. In ancient times, three generations of a single family lived in one household. The stove would then pass down to the eldest son, who would inherit the stove. The younger sons would then take the coals and introduce Zao Jun to their new homes.
As a household folk god, Zao Jun was said to protect the family. He was bribed with sweet treats during the Chinese New Year, and would only report good news to the Jade Emperor. However, as a mortal, Zao Jun was unfaithful to his wife. She eventually forgave him, but he eventually took his own life. In the end, he acted out of compassion.
Zao Jun is a part of Daoism, Chinese folklore, and Chinese kitchen culture. He is often found on or near the kitchen stove. In fact, the stove is a central element in the Chinese home. This makes it a prime location for a Chinese kitchen deity.
Zao Jun is the most important household god in Chinese culture. In addition to protecting the home, he also reports on the household’s activities to the Jade Emperor, the emperor of the heavens. Zao Jun is an important figure in the lives of all members of the family.
Zao Jun can summon a circle of buffs for his allies. These buffs apply a shield around allied heroes for four seconds. The shielded ally’s basic attacks will also have an increased damage output. It also causes the Open Flame to grow, making it a powerful ally.
In Chinese mythology, the Kitchen God is associated with a couple who had an affair. Their wife was faithful to them, but the man had a younger lover. After a while, the gods struck him blind. His lover also deserted them and he had to beg for food to survive.
The Chinese kitchen god was first mentioned in the Zhou Dynasty. Later, it was known as Huoshen Huo Shen or Xianchui Xian Chui. Those names mean “fire and warmth.” With the invention of the brick stove, the Kitchen God was moved into a new domain and became one of the key gods for sacrifices in the centuries leading up to the Qin Dynasty. Confucius himself questioned the significance of sacrificing to the Kitchen God.
Zao Shen
The Chinese kitchen deity Zao Shen is revered as a god who protects the kitchen. It is said that the kitchen god leaves his seat above the kitchen stove to talk to the celestial gods and report to the ruler of heaven. In return for his protection, you should offer him sweet food or honey. According to legend, if you offer him sweet foods or honey, he will give you only good words.
Each year, the Kitchen God returns to Heaven to report to the Jade Emperor about the activities of each household in preparation for the new year. The Jade Emperor then rewards or punishes the family according to its report to him. To help him fulfill his duties, it is customary to make offerings to the deity on certain days.
Besides being the god of food, Zao Shen was also known as the Stove God, Hearth God, and Kitchen God. In Chinese mythology, each household had a Kitchen God. Often, these deities are depicted as wooden figures and are kept in niches and shrines.
Another household deity is Zao Jun. His name literally means “stove god.” Many Chinese households have a plaque or paper effigy of him near the stove. In Chinese mythology, Zao Jun is considered the most important of the many household gods. He is a moral force and protects the hearth.
Chinese people often prepare food offerings to the Kitchen God to welcome him home. According to legend, the Kitchen God had traveled to the court of the Jade Emperor and was rewarded. However, his return signals the end of freedom from spiritual surveillance. The Kitchen God is worshiped as a God of food.
There is an even more interesting story of the deity of the kitchen. When Zhang Lang was blind, he was not able to recognize his former wife. His former wife took pity on him and cooked him a meal. In addition to helping him eat, she also encouraged him to look into the kitchen hearth and make the first move towards self-realization.
Chinese households believe the Kitchen God protects the kitchen from evil. His presence in the kitchen helps to maintain family harmony. Traditionally, his image was placed in the kitchen and dining area. In traditional times, the Kitchen God was considered the soul of the house. The image of the Kitchen God once hung in almost every household. His knowledge of the family’s life is a crucial factor in keeping the house in harmony.
