Some Food for Thought
- Sep 9, 2015
- 3 min read
By Xiaojie Lu
Cuisine, as one of the most distinguishing cultural elements, reflects the development of human history as well as local customs.
I see cuisine as a mirror of culture, tradition and history, because it not only brings joy to my tongue and stomach, but also can take me on a tour of some cultures and traditional stories. In my opinion, studying cuisine is the fastest way to get familiar with its related culture. By analyzing and comparing the similarities and differences between Chinese and American cuisine and food culture, I gained a detailed picture of these two different countries and their customs and traditions.
First of all, the most obvious difference between these two cuisines are the utensils. Chinese people use chopsticks while American people use forks and knives. The main reason that why we use different tools to eat is the food itself. In the United States or other Western countries, people eat such food as steaks and pasta. Large pieces of meat require knives to cut into small pieces while forks make it easier to pick the food up. However, in China or other Asian countries, food is cut into pieces before people cook it and people in ancient times retrieved food from the fire by using wooden sticks, and gradually they started using two sticks to pick up their food. Chopsticks also have the cultural factor in terms of the philosophy of harmony and balance. At the very beginning, Chinese people still used knives to cut food, but Confucius regarded knives as aggressive and bloody tools, therefore, people started using only chopsticks at the table. For more information about the history of chopsticks, please visit http://www.asianartmall.com/chopstickshistory.htm.
Secondly, the food in China and in the United States is very different in both taste and appearance. In China, there are eight different distinct regional cuisines, and if you travel around in the country, you will experience different kinds of dishes. Some are hot and spicy, some are salty, some are sweet and some taste lighter. The difference is based on the weather in the areas and local traditions. For example, the northern part of China, it is very cold so people there eat more meat to keep themselves warm; southern parts are very close to the ocean, so they are famous for their seafood dishes; in some areas people eat wheat more often than in other places due to the climates and weather; in some religions people worship such animals as cows, so beef is forbidden in those districts. In comparison, American food is more monotonous and adapted from other countries. For information concerning different Chinese cuisines, please see: http://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/chinese-food/.
In addition, table etiquettes in China and the United States are very different. On a Chinese dining table, we have a flat revolving tray called a Lazy Susan. Unlike Americans, people in China like sitting around the table and sharing food together, while American people prefer square tables and eat their own food. When there is a large group of people eating together, we put all dishes on the Lazy Susan in the middle of the table and people can reach the food by rotating the Lazy Susan instead of standing up. Also, when a Chinese family eat together, younger people in the family must invite elder people to sit first before everyone else is seated. Before people start eating, elder people usually will give a brief speech to the family and other family members do not start eating until they get permission from the elders. In Chinese tradition, respecting elders plays a very important role in society. Round tables represent harmony. In contrast, American table manners do not have so many rules and people do not share food. You can also read the about Chinese table etiquette http://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/chinese-food/dining-etiquette.htm.
It is very interesting to look into two different cuisines and dining etiquettes and compare the culture and history of two different countries. Eating plays an essential part in our daily life, and we do not eat only to fill our stomach but also to enjoy history and culture. As a big food lover, eating is one of my favorite ways to explore the world and its rich and colorful stories. I enjoy my life through tasting food and learning its unique stories.
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