As the sauce-making arts developed further in the Han Dynasty, "sauce" came to refer to the bean-based sauces of the heartland (like soy sauce and fermented bean sauce), as well as wheat-based sauces like sweet flour sauce. These are the roots of the "grain-based sauce zone," where flavorings such as pickled vegetables and meat sauces take a back seat to grains and beans.
漢代，隨著做醬工藝的發達，「醬」開始專門指稱中原地區以豆類為主要原料的「豆醬」（如醬油、豆瓣醬），和以小麥為主要原料的「麵醬」（如沾烤鴨的甜麵醬），「穀物醬文化圈」從此確立，其他加工調味品如鹹菜、酸菜、肉醬等則居於次要地位。