Hmong Culture Essays

The Inuit people, with their diets mostly consisting of protein and fat, suffered little from major dietary health problems that we are so used to seeing today. This might come as a bit of a shock to most of us growing up constantly seeing the food pyramid and being taught that that the only way to stay healthy is to consume a balanced diet of grains, vegetables, meat, eggs and dairy.

     The Hmong Culture of South Asia is a very interesting ethnic group. Between 300,000 to 600,000 Hmong live in Southeast Asian countries, such as Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar. About 8 million more live in the southern provinces of China. Since the Vietnam War ended in 1975, Hmong refugees from Southeast Asia have settled in Australia, France, Canada, and the United States. The largest Hmong refugee community lives in the United States with a population of about 110,000. The U.S. Department of state has tried to spread Hmong refugees out across the country to reduce the impact on any one region. Because Hmong families tend to be large in numbers, the community grows rapidly.

Lee begins to assess the day-to-day quality of the !Kung by keeping records of their food sources and water sources. He makes table depicting the !Kung’s movements during dry season to wells of fresh water. He documents how many different groups stay at which well. He tables all the available species of crops and food and comes to the conclusion that out of 75 percent of the listed species of food the !Kung are only using a selected few. One of the most utilized food is Mongongo nut that

In Hmong there is a total of eighteen surnames and it does not matter what dialect the person belong in. The eighteen surnames have sets of rules that all Hmong dialects have to up keep. First, two couple of the same surname cannot get married, whether they are of different dialect because people of the same surname are consider “brother and sister” and there will be no incest. Second, to up keep the forbidden; in the surname Yang, males are not allowed to eat the heart of any animal because it is forbidden. There are forbidden thing other surnames cannot do and it goes the same for all dialects. Third, Shamanism religious guideline; during the funeral it forbidden for the relative of he dead, to eat spicy and very dry food because by eating spicy and dry food it deprived the loss loved one to crossover. There are more sets of rules, but I felt these makes a stronger argument. What notion the people may be seeing, there is a change in newer generation and we do not see each other

The Hmong are a group of people who originally lived in the mountains overlooking Laos, China, Vietnam, and Thailand-- though most have since emigrated to other countries and areas due to political conflict. They have valued self-sufficiency and resisted authority throughout history, as they have constantly been the minority and often seen as the Other and persecuted for being such. Still, many have managed to survive and preserve much of their culture, such as religious beliefs and shamanic healing practices.

After doing all my research on the Vietnamese food, I now want to travel there and try it all!! In the 1800’s, during the Nguyën Dynasty, the French established a colony in Vietnam and they brought along their own food, which shortly became a huge influence on the Vietnamese cuisine. Foods like carrots, potatoes, lettuce, and others are all a few of the ingredients the French introduced to the Vietnamese that they now use on a daily basis in their cuisines. Coffee and baguettes are two of the mostly influences foods introduced by the French, along with several others (Wiens, Mark, 2013).

Another big difference of both countries is food. Vietnamese foods include: rice or noodles, meat, and vegetables in every meal. Almost every Vietnamese meal is sit down rather than grab and go. Vietnamese cuisine mostly focuses on varieties of vegetables and herbs in every dish. A Vietnamese dinner normally includes white rice, a small plate of typical sauce, a bowl of soup, a dish of vegetables, and two dishes of animal meat, which could be pork, beef, fish, and chicken. The vegetables can be made with plenty of different methods: boil, steam, fry, grill, or sometimes we eat raw. The main spices Vietnamese people use to make their food are garlics, peppers, sugar, monosodium glutamate, chicken bouillon, and fish sauce. That makes a harmonious mixture of sweet, spicy, salty taste.

Pork seems to be the most popular, and they are served in luaus. Hawaiians followed a strict diet, and men would eat taro (SIRS). They used to only eat things that were grown on the

The popular interpretation of the words for wild rice (manoomin) as good berry or good seed “may reflect the deeper meaning of wild rice in Aboriginal culture or recognize its nutritional properties” (Vennum 5). In addition to storytelling, the gift of manoomin has been acknowledged through ceremony. A feast that featured the first harvest of rice was held at the ricing camp, and wild rice was served at other ceremonies and family feasts (Blegen 21). But it is also used as an everyday good and was eaten all year round, by itself or in stews, soups, not just at harvest or through the winter.

My culture does not have any certain beliefs pertaining to food and nutrition. My culture does however, tend to eat foods that are high in fats and salts. Eating foods that are high in fats and salts are not good nutritional habits. For example, foods that are high in fat content can lead to obesity and heart disease. Foods high in fats are foods that are fried in oil. These types of foods, like fried chicken, are very popular among my culture. Consuming too much sodium, or salt can lead to conditions such as hypertension, or high blood pressure. Foods that are popular in my culture are foods such as pork. My culture is known for cooking food known as “soul food,” which consist of fried foods cooked in fattening oils, hot sauce which is high

In the culture of Guam, there are many American, Spanish, Filipino, and Mexican influences. These influences are manifested in the local language, music, dance, sea navigation, cuisine, fishing, games, songs and fashion. The food of Guam is largely based on what Guamanians’ ancestors could gather, grow, and hunt. There is plenty of fish, rice, breadfruit, taro,

History and outside influence also had an impact on Korean food. During the 20th century, China was the most powerful and advanced country in East Asia. Because of this, China has been influencing its neighboring Asian countries like their government, culture, and food. One the most influential items that were passed down by China is rice. Rice has now been one of the most major grain crops in Korea. Furthermore, Korea is mostly surrounded by water, fishing has been a huge part of Korea’s economy and that seafood has been favored by many Koreans for generations. Weather is also the influential factors of Korean dish. Fermented dishes such as kimchi is a Korean cuisine that is traditional side dish made from salted and fermented vegetables such as cabbage and radishes. Doenjang or soybean paste is a fermented bean paste made from soybean and brine. These two dishes are very popular because people enjoyed them throughout the freezing climates.

There are different foods from different countries around the world. The different elements are noticeable in our foods. Chinese dishes are prominent and it is the ultimate food. People have different tastes in food though many people appreciate Chinese’s. It is famous for color, appearance, taste, aroma, and meaning. Around the bay area there are many Chinese restaurants. My family is Chinese, so Chinese food are something we eat almost every day. Even though I eat Chinese food every day, I still don’t get bored with it. My favorite Chinese foods are sweet and sour pork and fried rice. Sweet and sour pork is my favorite because of the sauce and fried rice because of its taste and it is simple to make when I have to make my food; both foods are the traditional dishes may be found all over the world.

If you were to ask any average American, most would not realize the importance of their culture’s food and how distinct it makes them from others in the world. What we eat as humans can drastically affect how we view the world as well as the country we live in. As countries develop and become more advanced politically, traditional cultural aspects including food and cuisine can be lost over time. Traditionally, older dishes that were cooked and prepared in a country’s past may lose its significance over time and eventually lose its cultural importance. In the country of Vietnam, there have been many hardships and issues only a half century ago that the country has had to deal with as a whole. Political unrest during times of struggle made it difficult for Vietnam to develop culturally and build on their food and cuisine. However, as I found out during my research and interview, Vietnamese (especially younger adults in Vietnam) have made a conscious effort to return these traditional dishes in their dishes of choice, regain a sense of nationalism that has brought the country into a more secure and developed society.