송대 시가에서 음식은 단순한 생리적 요구를 넘어 문화적 품격과 미학적 가치를 표현하는 중요한 요소로 등장한다. 특히 고급 양 품종인 ‘와사세륵’은 송대 문인들에 게 미식의 품격을 상징하는 식재료로 자리 잡았다. 본 연구는 ‘와사세륵’을 통해 송 대 문인들이 음식과 미각을 문화적, 사회적 의미로 어떻게 활용했는지, 그리고 이를 문학적으로 어떻게 구현했는지를 분석하고자 한다.

The Song Dynasty, a period of profound cultural and social transformation, saw a burgeoning interest in refined tastes among the intellectual elite. One of the most notable expressions of this trend was the growing preference for Wasa-Selu (臥沙細肋), a premium breed of lamb from Sha-Yuan沙苑 in Tongzhou同州, Shanxi 陝西, renowned for its tender texture and fine grain. This lamb became a symbol of luxury dining, epitomizing the heights of gourmet cuisine during the Song period. The demand for Wasa-Selu among the Song literati reflects a broader cultural movement in which the elite sought not only intellectual refinement but also culinary excellence. It came to represent elevated social status and sophisticated taste, often appearing in Song Dynasty poetry as a metaphor for refined sensibilities and gastronomic aspirations. This study explores how Wasa-Selu is depicted in Song poetry, examining its symbolic significance as both a luxury food item and a cultural marker of the intellectual elite’s discerning tastes. By analyzing these literary references, the study sheds light on how the consumption of Wasa-Selu reflects the Song elite’s broader cultural and intellectual pursuits, and how food culture intertwined with literary expression to underscore the era’s quest for both aesthetic and culinary perfection.

【초록】
1. 들어가며
2. 추억 속 잊지 못할 호양(胡羊) 맛
    1) 남정(南鄭)의 호양(胡羊)
    2) 미식의 척도
3. 동주(同州)의 사원(沙苑)
    1) 풍익(馮翊) 고천(苦泉)의 물을 먹고 자라는 양
    2) 사원의 모래에 뒹굴며 자란 양
4. 송시 속의 와사세륵(臥沙細肋)
    1) 비양(肥羊)의 선미(鮮美)
    2) 문인 식탁 위의 와사세륵
    3) 낙타의 등살, 곰 발바닥 그리고 와사세륵
5. 나가며
【참고문헌】
【논문초록】

• 金源熙(제주대학교 인문과학연구소 학술연구교수) | 김원희