A comparative Study on Food Culture in America and China中美饮食文化比较研究

AcomparativeStudyonFoodCultureinAmericaandChinaAbstract:Foodanessentialprerequisiteforexistence,playsanirreplaceableroleinthedevelopmentofsocietyintheprocessofhumanbeings,whetherinancienttimesorinmoderntimes,andwhetherineastorinthewest.However,thereisanoldsayingoneman’smeatisanotherman’spoison,whichmeansnotallhumanbeingshavethesamefoodordevelopthesamefoodhabits.Basedonthetheoryofthedeepstructureofcultureandculturerelativism,thisthesisendeavorstoanalyzethedifferencesandtheirrootedcausesinChineseandAmericanfoodCulturefromtheprospectionandimitation.Keywords:ChineseandAmericanfoodculture;differences;cross-culturecommunication摘要：无论是在古代还是现代，东方还是西方，饮食，作为人类发展的必要前提，在人类社会发展和人类文明进步的过程中都起着不可替代的作用。然而，人类的饮食和饮食习惯各不相同。正如英语谚语所说“某人的佳肴却是他人的毒药”。本文以“文化深层结构”和“文化相对论”为理论基础，着重探讨和分析中国和美国在饮食观念，饮食内容，餐桌礼仪饮食习惯等方面的跨文化差异。关键字：中美饮食文化,差异,跨文化交流1.Introduction Withthedevelopmentofeconomiclevel,everycountrypursuesthequalityoffood.Foodcultureisanimportantpartofcultureandisclosetoourdailylife.Theworld’smostdiversifiedfoodculturesareformedduetothegeographicallocationanddistributionaroundtheworld.UnderstandingandrevealingthedifferencesbetweenChinaandAmerica’sfoodculturecanhelpusunderstandculturebetterandalsoreduceconflictsincross-culturecommunication.Basedonthedifferencesofdifferentorigins,attitudes,eatinghabits,materials,mannersandsoonbetweenChinaandAmerica,wesuccessfully,thisarticlecomparativelyrepresentthecontentsofdifferentfoodculture.2.Theoriginoffoodculture.

Asweallknow,Americaisacountrywithshorthistoryaswellasanewlandwhichhasalargenumberofimmigrationswhobroughtvarietyoffoodsfromdifferentplaces.SomostoffoodstheAmericanseat,suchassandwich,hotdog,hamburger,pizza,arefromWesternEurope.Strictlyspeaking,thereisscarcelyauthenticfoodinAmericaatearlytime.Buteventually,hedevelopshisowndistinctivefoodculturedependingonhisadvantagesingeography,economyandtechnology.

Whileonthecontrary,Chinaisacountrywithalonghistoryandhasgreatvarietyfeastsystems,healthydietarypatterns,andscientifictheoriesaswellashasagoodreputationof“thekingdomofcooking”.What’smore,lotsofclassicalworksaboutcookingwerehandeddownbyourancestors,whoknewalotaboutcooking.Aswecansee,ChinaisratherdifferentfromAmericainorigin.3.Theattitudes,tastesandfeaturesTheAmericanspayattentiontonutritionwhiletheChinesepayattentiontotaste.Also,theAmericanslikessweetfoodwhiletheChineselikesaltyfood.TheAmericansstressoncommunicationwhiletheChinesestressonatmosphere.Americansmaintainstheconceptofrationaldiet,regardlessoffoodcolor,smell,tasteandshape.Theythinkthenutritionmustbeassured.Fromthispointview,theyacceptthateatingisonlyameantoenjoyinthedietanddonotoccupyanimportantpositionandthereforetheydonotperusethetasteoffood.However,theChinesepeopleretainemotionaleating.Chinesepeopleattachgreatimportancetoeat.Theyperusethegoodtaste,beautifulcolorandrelatedatmosphereandsoon.4.ThechoicesofcookingmaterialsWesternersthinkthedishesaretofilltheirstomach,sotheyeatlargepiecesofmeat,chickenandotherblock.China’scuisineis“Taste”,sowhencooking,theyshowagreatarbitrarinessintheselectedmaterials:manythingsthatthrownawaybywesternersmayseemasanexcellentrawmaterialtoChinesepeople.Americanrawmaterialsaremainlyanimalandfish，supplementedwithplant.Chinesearemainlyplat-basedandflesh-waterfish,supplementedwithanimal.Fourthly,bothChineseandAmericanhavetheirdistinctivefoodculture,whichleadtothedifferenteatinghabits.Thedifferenceswillbelistedasfollow:

a.Generally,Chinesehavethreemealsaday,whileAmericanshaveseveralmealsaday.

b.ChinesearelikelytousevegetableoiltocookthefoodinsteadofanimaloilwhichAmericansusemostly.

c.Chineseprefertobuyfreshfoodeveryday,whileAmericanswouldliketobuythefoodforaweekwhichisdifferentfromhowChinesedo.

d.ChineseeatmorehealthyfoodssuchasvegetableandfruitthanAmericanswhoeatmeatsandeggproductsandseldomeatvegetable.

e.ChinesewilldrinkacupofteaorfruitaftertheirmealwhileAmericansofteneatdessertordrinkcoffeeaftereating.Inthiscase,whatChinesedoishealthierthanAmericans.

f.Thetablewaretheyuseisalsoverydifferent.Inchina,peopleusechopstickstocatchthefoodandricewhileinAmerica,peoplekeeptheknifeintheirrighthandandforkinleft.

g.AfteryoufinishedyourmealintherestaurantofAmerica,youshouldtipthewaiters.Inchina,it’sunnecessary.

h.Inchina,itisbettertohavesomefoodleftbecauseitmeanshavingmorethanneededeveryyear.WhileeatingoutisratherpopularintheUSA.5.Thewaysofeatingaredifferent.Thereisalargedifferentwaysofeating,whichhasanimpactonnationalcharacter.InChina,abanquet,nomatterwhatpurpose,therewillbeonlyoneform,whichmeanseveryonesitsaroundonecircle,sharingonetable.Thiskindofbanquetshoulduseroundtable,whichcanmakeanatmosphereofunite,courtesyandfun.Thedeliciousfoodisputonthetable’scenter.It’snotonlytheobjectoftaste,butalsoamediumofexchangingfeelings.Peopletoasttoeachotherandtakefoodtoothers,whichreflectmutualrespect.Fromhealthypointofview,thiswayofdiethasobviousshortcoming.Itisconsistentwithournations’mentalityofreunion,reflectingChinesetraditionalphilosophyofharmony.Thusitishardtoreform.WhileinAmerica,althoughthefoodandwineareimportant,theystilltreatedasfoils.Friendshipisthecoreofthebanquet,andtheyreachthispurposethroughcommunicatingwithguestswhoarenextto.Chinesebanquetreflectsallseatsoffriendship,andtheAmericanbanquetreflectsthefriendshipbetweentheneighborguests.6.Themethodsofmakingfoodaredifferent.ExceptforTurkey,It’shardtofindatypicallyAmericanfood.BecauseTheUnitedStateshaslongattractedimmigrantsfromavarietyofnationsandcultures.Soit’snotasurprisethatthecuisineofAmericaisdiverseanddifficulttodefine.OnewaytodescribethecuisineofAmericaisasynthesisofcuisinearoundtheworld,astyleofcookingthattakessomethingfromeachimmigrantcommunity.Ontheotherhand,Americancookinghasexportedagreatvarietyofdishesaroundtheworld.Americansdonothavemanyskillsatcooking.Inmosttime,theyonlyboil,steamandbakethefood.Whiletheyaregoodatmakingverysweetcakeandchocolate.However,thecuisineofChinaisverycomplexandknowledgeable.TheChinesechoosefoodverycarefullyandonlychoosefreshmaterials.Chinesehavealotofideasandtechniquesforcooking.Wecancookachickenforovertenways.That’swhyChinesefoodissopopularintheworld.CookingtechniquesarealmosttherecipeinChinesecuisine.Eachtechniqueischosenverycarefully.Thenatureoftheingredients,thedegreeofheatandtimeareconsidered.Differentingredientsarecookedusingdifferentmethods;whilethesameingredientcanbeusedindifferentdishestoprovidedifferentflavorsandappearances.TherearehundredsofcookingmethodinChina.However,themostcommonmethodsarestir-frying,deep-frying,shallow-frying,braising,boiling,steamingandroasting.7.ThetablemannersChinaandAmericaalsowillbecomparedinthiscase.InAmerica,theywillputthenapkinontheirlapbeforetheyeat,whichChinesewon’tdo.Andyoucouldaskotherpeopletopassyourdishesthatareoutofyourreach.However,inchina,peoplewouldliketohelpgueststothefoodwhichcanshowtheirenthusiasm.Ofcourse,themaindifferenceontheChinesedinnertableischopsticksinsteadofknifeandfork,butthat'sonlysuperficial.Besides,indecentrestaurants,youcanalwaysaskforapairofknifeandfork,ifyoufindthechopsticksnothelpfulenough.

TherealdifferenceisthatintheWest,youhaveyourownplateoffood,whileinChinathedishesareplacedonthetableandeveryoneshares.Ifyouarebeingtreatedtoaformaldinnerandparticularlyifthehostthinksyou'reinthecountryforthefirsttime,hewilldothebesttogiveyouatasteofmanydifferenttypesofdishes.

Themealusuallybeginswithasetofatleastfourcolddishes,tobefollowedbythemaincoursesofhotmeatandvegetabledishes.Soupthenwillbeserved(unlessinGuangdongstylerestaurants)tobefollowedbystaplefoodrangingfromrice,noodlestodumplings.

Ifyouwishtohaveyourricetogowithotherdishes,youshouldsaysoingoodtime,formostoftheChinesechoosetohavethestaplefoodatlastorhavenoneofthematall.

PerhapsoneofthethingsthatsurpriseaWesternvisitormostisthatsomeoftheChinesehostsliketoputfoodintotheplatesoftheirguests.Informaldinners,therearealways"public"chopsticksandspoonsforthispurpose,butsomehostsmayusetheirownchopsticks.Thisisasignofgenuinefriendshipandpoliteness.Itisalwayspolitetoeatthefood.Ifyoudonoteatit,justleavethefoodintheplate.

PeopleinChinatendtoover-orderfood,fortheywillfinditembarrassingifallthefoodisconsumed.Whenyouhavehadenough,justsayso