明清時期的飲食生活十分豐富，不同地域因其物產、風俗之不同， 形成了鮮明的飲食品味差異。「三白」為太湖地區的名產白魚、銀魚 與白蝦三者的合稱。作為水產的「三白」，一直是明清時代文人筆下 描畫江南的重要風物，亦為品味太湖美食時所常見。本文從物質文化 史的角度分析，論述由太湖三白形成的物質品味與意象，以及，從明 代以來，因環境的影響和文人的不同感受而產生的有關太湖三白的懷 舊與生活記憶。

Life during the Ming and Qing dynasties was pretty colorful. There were apparent differences in food tastes because of the distinct products and customs in different places. The ‘three whites liquor’ is common in the Jiangnan Delta. The term ‘three whites’ refers to barbels, whitebait and white shrimp, which were famous products of Lake Tai at the time. As aquatic products, not did the three whites figure importantly in the scenery and customs as depicted by the literati of the Ming and Qing, but they were also a commonplace when people were tasting the foods of Lake Tai. This article treats ‘the three whites of Lake Tai’ or ‘the three whites of Jiangnan’ primarily from the perspective of material culture. It then analyzes the cultural sense of place and region connected with it. It is clear that the material taste and imagery deriving from the three whites of Lake Tai has the typical characteristics of watery region culture. The sense of specific place is strong, unique and exclusive. At the same time, of course, the memory of the three whites of Lake Tai has been changing continuously since the Ming dynasty due to the differences of environmental influences and the feelings and tastes of the literati. And they have a place in the nostalgia of their posterity even today.