Differences between Chinese and Western Food Culture

Differences between Chinese and Western Food Culture

Differences between Chinese and Western Food Culture

Differences between Chinese and Western Food Culture

Difference in ConceptionBecause of geographical features , climate environment , customs and others factors, we can find that different countries have different food culture. But I think the fundamental difference between Chinese and Western food culture is the way of thinking and philosophy of life. In China, people regard man as an integral part of nature . Chinese diets focus on the taste, but neglect the nutritive value of food. While in the west, Westerners focus on "people-oriented“. Western diet concept is a kind of rational diet concept. No matter what the color, flavor and taste the food is, nutrition must be assured in the food. They just concern about how much caloric, vitamin, and protein they can get from the food. As long as the food contains enough nutrition, they should enjoy it. In their eyes, food or eating is just a way to keep healthy. Nor will they be particular about the taste of food. Their attitude towards food is much more practical, while in Chinese conception, cuisine is a great art, which brings people pleasure when enjoying it.

Differences between Chinese and Western Food Culture

Difference in eating habitsGenerally speaking, in China, food shows a kind of hospitality and sincerity. The more and better food you offer to your friends and relatives, the more generous and hospitable you are. So, a banquet, in China, no matter what purpose, there will be only a form, that is, everyone sitting around, sharing a seat. Use roundtable banquet, which resulted from a form of solidarity, courtesy of fun atmosphere. Delicious food are put on the table‘s center, People sit together to toast each other,which reflects the mutual respect between people. While in Western-style banquets, the food and wine, although very important, but in fact it is as a foil(陪衬). Friendship is the core of the banquet, with the conversation between the guests sitting next to the purpose of friendship. The typical form is buffet(自助餐). Westerns just take what they need and do not have to sit on a fixed position during the eating, they can walk free to facilitate the exchange of emotion between individuals.

Differences between Chinese and Western Food Culture

Difference in food objectAnother differences between Chinese and Western food culture is the object they choose to cook. Westerners think that food is to eat, they eat large pieces of meat, whole chickens and other “hard vegetables.” While China‘s cuisine is “Taste”, so the Chinese cook the selected materials and this kind of materials also show great randomness: many things that the Westerners regard as discarded, in China they are the excellent raw materials, that Indicates the Chinese food in the materials used has the character of extensive arbitrary. According to a survey of Western botanists(植物学家), Chinese food has more than 600 kinds of vegetables, six times more than in the West.

Differences between Chinese and Western Food Culture

ConclusionMany people think cooking Chinese food is timeconsuming, and they are always busy ,so more and more prefer f

ast food ,such as hamburger, bread, butter and so on. With the development of science and technology, the differences between Chinese and western food culture are becoming ambiguous.