Chinese Food Culture

In an article written by Amy S. Choi entitled, “What Americans can Learn From Other Food Cultures,” Choi discusses food in ways that pertain to ones culture. Today, our younger generation has become less thankful for simple, traditional foods and more wanting of foods prepared in less traditional ways, almost as if, “the more outlandish the better.” Choi mentioned in her article that, “those slightly younger have been the beneficiaries of the restaurant culture exploding in Shanghai” (Choi, Amy. “What Americans Can Learn From Other Food Cultures.” Ideastedcom. 18 Dec. 2014. Web. 17 June 2015) being from America I agree with her statement. Food in many cultures has become a status symbol; I believe that dining in expensive restaurants that serve

China and America are both diverse and have a fascinating history. American and Chinese cultures both have similarities. For example, both cultures prefer to dine with family and friends. Dining with loved ones brings joy to both American and Chinese society. Another similarity is that American and chinese cultures tend to engage in conversations while eating. They talk during meals to socialize and talk about the events that happened during their day. Both countries also prefer to have a wide variety of food. Chinese and American cultures tend to do this so that you can have a lot to choose from. These two cultures differ in etiquette and cuisine.

Grilling meats and spit roasting over a pit fire are both common even today. Americans use barbecue smokers to cook chicken, pork and corn. Frying is the most common in Western countries because almost every famous dish is related to frying. Examples include fried chicken, French fries, burgers and fries, etc. Local families in America like to do baking, which is generally applied to breads, lasagna, manicotti, pastries and other sweet confections. There is a big difference between Chinese and American cooking methods. One is mainly concentrated on the color, smell and shape. The other is always speedy, convenient and cheap.

After reading this article, I’ve realized that the idea of food, eating, and even the type of food is different when compared to different cultures. Specifically, the article talks about food as an identity, as survival, as a status, as a pleasure, as a community, and as humanity. For each of these main ideas, the article gives an example of each culture and what they do differently with food. One that I though was really cool was how in China, people would rather eat unique textured foods such as Jellyfish and pig ears, instead of something that has a unique taste. After reading this, I began to thinking that this was the complete opposite compared to the American culture. This is because we will usually eat foods for taste and when we eat

This has contribute in the evolution of food as there were an exchange of knowledge of food production, and the combination of different culture and cooking recipe could have been done.

Looking at the years of progression of food in china it started with Chinese imperial food originated around the Zhou Dynasty 11th century B.C. – 476 B.C. Although China’s dietetic culture developed and grew prior to the Zhou Dynasty, it truly flourished during the Zhou, Qin, and Han dynasties 1122 B.C. – 220. (www.china.org.cn/english/imperial/25995.) But when we look at the food today it has a mix of diversity of mix culture with the main ideas of the imperial dinning back in Zhou dynasty. We can look at food like curry which came from India and the Chinese culture took the spice and added to its food but also remembering the balance of sweet and sour and hot and spicy as well as tart. We can also look at the U.S.A and seeing the

There is a wide variety of food that could be found in New York City, from Chinese food to Mexican food, from Japanese food to Italian food. Everything is located in the city and it takes just minutes to get from one cuisine to the next. With different foods from different culture, it allows people to gain a different perspective on food. To continue, due to the diversity in food, there has been emergence of new foods, foods that combines different cultures. For example, sushi burger became a hit when it was first created. This food, is a mix of Japanese and American cuisine. Another example is the Mac and Cheese Spring Roll. This is a fusion of classic Chinese and American food. This shows how new food creations have emerged because they combine elements from different cultures. Diversity is a factor to this phenomenon and it is also what makes New York City

Foreign foods in the United States represent the food culture of its country of origin. Examples include pizza from Italy, tacos from Mexico, and dumplings from China. These foods have been introduced in America and they blended in with American culture, causing these foods to eaten on a daily basis. Some foods that originate from different countries have been adapted and been called “American style”. Pizza, for example, is from Italy, but Americans created their own twist on pizza, and today, there is cooked New York style pizza.

The food of the United States reflects the country’s history through its strong cultural influences. The colonization of the United States caused the introduction of many meals and cooking styles to the regions in America (Hanson). These styles have continued to expand into the 19th and 20th centuries because of the continuous amounts of immigrants that have come to the United States from various countries. American cuisine has always been changing, absorbing all of the new influences from other cultures as all of the new immigrants arrived, married and fused their traditions (Carter). There is a wide variety of foods available in the United States that is influenced by the English, Native American, Dutch, Italian, German, Asian, and Irish

Besides explore Chinese restaurant, I also trying to cook by myself. However, compare with other Chinese students, it could be a problem for me. Not like other Chinese student, particularly who from the south region of China, they can easily get the food material from some Asia grocery stores. For me, it always hard to find something from my hometown. like I am trying to buy millet, after seeking in several Asia grocery stores, but no one sell it. I think the reason might be most of oversea Chinese are from south of China, particularly Guangdong province and Fujian province. Influenced by the food and custom they brought from their hometown, many Chinese restaurant I have found in America, their flavor are more southern, it also occurred in Chinese supermarkets. As a student who from north of China, it is not easy to find my hometown flavor in America. It is the hardest adjustment for me.

When watching the movie, “Eat Drink Man Woman”, I was able to learn a lot about the Chinese culture and the food that they eat. Even though all the food that was prepared in the film was high end cuisine, I was still able to get a glimpse of what it had to offer. When a lot of Americans think of Chinese food, they tend to think strictly about American Chinese food, and that is not the case. Many meals were prepared in the film that ranged from elegant soups, chicken, duck, and fish, to fancy dumplings, and desserts. The film was able to show me a lot of what the food they eat looks like, even if it was five star meals, and had a great storyline to back it up.

The more Asian cultures mix with America them more we take from the culture, such as Chinatowns, Chinese food, Vietnamese food, religion, fight styles, etc. We have not just taken from their cultures, but we have also added to theirs by assimilating them into our daily lives and providing different currencies and school programs along with an entirely different government system. Each culture brings something to the table. Asian-Americans have introduced three different cooking styles to the U.S., southwest, northeast, and southeast. According to Asian Nation, each cooking comes from different parts of Asia. Southwest cooking comes from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, etc. This kind of cooking usually consists of flat bread, kebabs, and the use of strong spices. Unlike Southwest cooking, Northeast traditional cooking styles come from China, Korea, and Japan. The tradition in the cooking is to use fats and oils to emphasize sauces in their cooking. Foods from these places are connected to their religion Hinduism and can be used as medicine for good health, and longevity. Southeast cooking comes from Thailand, Viet Nam, Singapore, etc. Featured dishes in this culture are lightly prepared and aromatic, such as stir-fry, steaming, and foods with lots of herbs (Purpose of This Site).

We all know that China has a vast territory and fifty-six ethnic groups. Therefore, different places and groups have different eating habits and they all have their own special local dishes. The ways to name those dishes show the wisdom and culture of people from all ethnic groups and make Chinese dish names have distinctive national and regional features. There are different ways to name a dish and when you begin to name it, you need to consider raw materials, seasonings, cooking methods, regional features, etc. In order to know well about the dish name translation in A Bite of China, an inquiry is made into the main characteristics of those dishes appeared in this food documentary. So let’s see some

1. The essay was talking about the huge different between Chinese’s food and American’s food and they are totally make different foods. Chinese don’t understand how the American people are cutting food with two hands and changing the fork from one hand to the other hand while they are eating food. This is new thing and amazing thing Chinese’s restaurant people are talking too much and crowded seating which is their culture.

The first guide for herbal medicines in China, Shen-Nong-Ben-Cao-Jing, was written after the fall of the Han dynasty, and incorporated around 365 different herbal preparations including plants, insect and animal parts, and minerals for medicines and therapeutic effects. The Chinese kept track of many aspects of the plants; whether the plants were poisonous or beneficial to health, the effects the herbs had on the body, where the plants naturally grew, and at what time could the herbs be harvested. The various indigenous species in China, such as different plants and animals thriving in different areas, led to different groups around the area to develop custom lifestyles, customs, cultures, and resistances to diseases. Many of these herbs were exported from China and put into the world market, with some remedies that were made from these materials having neuroprotective, cardioprotective, antidiabetic, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. Herbs were also used greatly in India, dating back to around 6,000 to 4,000 BCE during the Buddhist period, due to how the belief there that anything could be made into a drug was deeply rooted in their culture. The Ayurvedic literature in the area, such as the Sushruta Samhita, describes not only the use of herbal remedies but also documents surgeries and therapeutic actions that were performed at the time. Ancient Indians used various parts of the plant,