中西方饮食文化论文

On Differences Between Chinese and Western Dietary Cultures

On Differences Between Chinese and Western Dietary Cultures

Abstract

Diet is absolutely necessary in the life of mankind, and even in the existence or development. Because of the differences between Chinese and western cultural traditions, the Chinese and western dietary cultures are different in concept, target, pattern, attribution and nature. We study these differences and then find out the points that can be digested, in order to facilitate the communication about cultures between China and the west. Chinese people are dumping guidance on life in the restaurants. Thus the diet is rich in culture. Food culture in the west is not developed enough, but this underdevelopment itself is the result of the development of a culture, so it is still significant to study the dietary cultures of Chinese and Western diet. By the analysis of the differences between Chinese and western dietary cultures, we can comprehend the respective cultural traditions of China and the west. And we can also improve and create the culture of China.

Key Words

dietary culture; cultural tradition; differences

Once there is a saying that \"Food is eating well-deserved for human life”, so food is an indispensable condition for the survival and development of human beings. There are two desires in life: one is feasting them to survive; and another is the lust of men and women, which can help the mankind to carry on the family line. Facing the two desires, China pays more attention to the former, while the west tends to the latter. Such phenomenon affects the cultural trend. Diet is actually the contents of our daily lives, but why we call it culture? That is because the diet has special status in the Chinese culture, and it also has a great distinction between China and the west.

Firstly,. Differences in Concepts .Comparing with the Chinese diet which focus on “taste”, the Western diet is a rational concept, regardless of the color of food, incense, flavor and shape, but nutrition must be assured.[3] It cares about the intake of calories, vitamins, protein and so on during a day. The Western diet tastes stereotyped, as simple as chewing the candle, but the sense tells them: We must eat them all because of the nutrition. In celebration, it stresses tableware, stresses the staple, stresses the servings, and stresses the color and shape mix of raw materials. But no matter how luxurious the grade is; from Los Angeles to New York, only one taste of steak, it is no art to speak of. And as dishes, the chicken is chicken; steak is steak, even in groups, which are also conducted in a shallow dish. In a dish of \"French Muttonchops\allocation of cooking beans, and plus a few tablets of tomato. Color is on clear, but the tastes of the various materials are separated, not to reconcile, and the entire flavor is also simple and clear.

There are differences between Chinese and western diet attribution. Western diet tends to be scientific and rational, but the Chinese diet tends to be art and sentimental. During the underdevelopment era of diet, these two trends have only one aim – to live and never be hungry. And when the dietary culture is full developed, the tendency is shown in this different purpose: the former is in the development of nutrition, the latter is expressed as the stress on the flavor.Cooking is from diet; the origin of food is a life-sustaining nutrition. Therefore, the focus of western diet is only the extension of the original diet practicality. The emphasis on the flavor of Chinese cuisine caters the diet to the arts field. Mencius said: \"Flavor in the mouth has the same interests\". \"Interests\" points out the key from nutrition to arts. Such interests are from the meaning of flavor. In China, eating is not meant to have enough. It is about nutrition. Sometimes we eat though we are full. We are overloaded with food. Why? Saying bluntly, it is to appreciate the art of cooking; and not saying it nicely, it is the temptation of \"delicious\" for the enjoyment of taste.

The third, the different ways of diet in the Western diet is quite different from the way, such differences also have effect on national character. In China, no banquet, no matter what purpose, there will be only one form, that we were sitting around, sharing one seat. Use round-table banquet, which led to a form of unity, politeness, the atmosphere of fun. Delicious food on the table's center, it is a table of people

appreciate, the taste of the object, and a table of emotional exchanges medium. People toast each other, let each dish, urge the vegetable, in front of the happy thing, reflects the mutual respect between people, be courteous virtue. Although from the health point of view, this diet has obvious shortcomings, but it is consistent with our nation\" Reunion\" mentality, reflects the classical Chinese philosophy\" and\" this category to the offspring of thought influence, easy to collective exchange, so it's hard to

reform.The western-style banquets, although the food and wine are very important, but in fact they are just foil. The core of Banquet is friendship, by the conversation with the guests who sitting next to achieve the purpose of recreation. Only the Chinese banquet is more popular in the communion, but western banquet shows guests .

There are differences in targets.All diet cannot be done without vegetables. The word \"dish\" is for the sound in China, and it always has something to do with the plants. According to a survey of western plants scholar, there are 600 varieties of vegetables, six times more than in the west. In fact, the Chinese dishes, vegetable dish is usual food. Meat dish entered the normal diet only on holidays or higher living standards, so since ancient times, and there was a saying of \"fresh vegetables\". Chu ? Mandarin language: \"Common people eat fresh vegetables, fish only offered in the worship.\" It is said that fresh vegetables are mainly to the civilian in general, only being able to eat meat only in worship. Vegetarian diet takes the dominant position in the normal structure. Chinese people consider the vegetables as the main dish; it has inextricably linked with the advocacy of Buddhists. They deem animals as \"people\" and plants have \"no soul.\" So, they advocate vegetarianism. Westerners do not seem

to have such a good habit. They uphold a cultural origin of nomadic, seafaring nation. Living mainly by fishing and hunting, collection and planting are just the complement. There are more meat dishes in their lives. Feeding, clothing, and using are taken from the animals, and even Western medicine is derived from animals.

The Chinese and Western dietary patterns can be very different, and these differences affect the national character. In China, a celebration, no matter what, there will be only one form, as sitting together, sharing one feast. Banquet uses round table, which has created a unity of form, which is courtesy, comity atmosphere. Cate are in the center of the table. It is the objects for people to appreciate and taste, and it is also an intermediate of communication. People toast each other and share the vegetables, which reflect the mutual respect between people in the face of the good things, also show the virtues of comity. Although from the health point of view, this approach has obvious deficiencies, but it is in our national \"happy\" mentality, it reflects the classical Chinese philosophy area of \"and\" impact for future generations. It is helpful to facilitate the collective emotional exchanges and consequently difficult to reform.The western-style banquets, although the food and wine are very important, but in fact they are just foil. The core of Banquet is friendship, by the conversation with the guests who sitting next to achieve the purpose of recreation. Differences in the Nature

Finally,differences in the nature of the Chinese and western diet are inosculated with the respective lifestyle and the pace of life. In the west, people do the duplication of pipeline operations, and implement piece-wage system, so the paces of their lives are so fast. People fall under the mechanical method either intentionally or unintentionally, and believe that \"Work is work, and game is game.\" Mechanical lives led to oneness of diet or a single blind about diet, and eat beefsteak and potatoes every day. Monotonous diet is the same as work, for which the purposes is to fulfill the \"incident\But China is not, \"The game is work, and the work is of a game”. Such life manner is also emerged in diet. A baker sells bread in the street, he likes using the rolling pole to beat the chopping board rhythmically when they knead flour. When the cooks fry a dish, even beating scoop, they also care the sense of rhythm during cooking. These would not work for any conveniences, but it increases the interests of workers. Only in such an atmosphere work will be meaningful, and it will have more creativity and artistry of Chinese cuisine.

So in the final analysis, or the difference between emotional and rational. However, this difference seems to change with the development of science and fuzzy. More and more Chinese people are no longer focus only on food color, smell, taste, and pay more attention to the health and nutrition. Especially after experiencing sars. Also, as people increasingly busy work, think Chinese food is too troublesome, no Buddha Hamburg convenient. Such a difference in eating it is not clear.

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