Essay on Chinese Food and Culture

Talking about the Characteristics of Chinese Food Culture

Diet is the first need for human survival and development, and one of the basic forms of social life. However, different cultural backgrounds have different dietary concepts and dietary practices, which eventually form different dietary cultures.

Chinese food culture has a long and profound history. It has gone through thousands of years of historical development, has become an important part of traditional Chinese culture, in the long-term development, evolution and accumulation process, the Chinese people from the dietary structure, food production, food utensils, nutrition and health care and diet aesthetic and other aspects of the gradual formation of their own unique dietary folklore, and ultimately created a unique flavor of the Chinese dietary culture, the world's dietary cultural treasure trove has become a bright bright pearl. It has become a bright pearl in the treasure house of the world's food culture. Some countries in the West gathered immigrants from various countries, y influenced by the food culture of various countries, and learn from the strengths of all, and combined with their own dietary habits, to form a sophisticated special-dimensional, self-contained system of dietary civilization.

The difference between Chinese and Western cultures creates the difference between Chinese and Western food cultures, and this difference mainly comes from the different ways of thinking and philosophies.

I. Dietary structure

China has a long history, a vast area, diverse geographical environment, rich climatic conditions, and a wide variety of plants and animals, which all provide a solid material foundation for our diet. Our ancestors in the long practice of life, continue to select and create a rich variety of food resources, so that our country's food sources are exceptionally broad. Since the pre-Qin Dynasty, the dietary structure of the Chinese people has been based on plant foods such as grains, beans, vegetables, fruits and cereals, with a clear demarcation between staple and side dishes. The staple food was grains and cereals, and the side dishes were vegetables, plus a small amount of meat. According to a feast recorded in the Old Story of Wulin, there were more than 200 dishes listed, of which 41 were made of pig, duck, fish, shrimp and other things by baking, boiling and many other processes, 42 were fruits and candied fruits, 20 were many types of vegetables, 29 were all kinds of dried fish, 17 were beverages, and 59 were dim sums, etc. The main food involved was a wide variety of foods, and the side dishes were vegetables plus a small amount of meat. Involved in a wide variety of food, the sky and underground aquatic land long and all kinds of creatures almost nothing to eat, forming a dazzling diet composition. It can be seen that in the Southern Song Dynasty China's food culture tends to mature. According to the survey, Chinese people eat more than 600 kinds of vegetables, six times more than the West. In fact, vegetarian dishes are usual food in Chinese cuisine. Rice and wheat are the main staple foods in China, while millet, corn, buckwheat, potatoes, sweet potatoes and various kinds of camas also have their place. In addition to rice noodles, a variety of pasta, such as steamed buns, noodles, doughnuts, and a variety of porridge, cakes and variations of snacks make people's tables colorful.

Westerners adhering to the nomadic, seafaring people's cultural lineage to fishing, hunting, farming-based, to collect, planting as a supplement, more meat, food, clothing, with all from the animals, and even Western medicine are taken from the animal body materials refined into. Pay more attention to the intake of animal protein and fat, the structure of the diet, but also to animal dishes, mainly beef, chicken, pork, mutton and fish. Therefore, the proportion of meat in the diet has been very high. In modern times, the proportion of plantation has increased, but the proportion of meat in the diet is still higher than that of the Chinese.

Two, food production

Traditional Chinese cuisine for cooking methods are extremely elaborate, common methods are: boiling, steaming, broiling, stewing, roasting, cooking, frying, stir-frying, deep-frying, braising, popping, slipping, brining, steak, crispy, simmering, mixing and so on. And for a long time, due to differences in products and customs, eating habits and tastes around the hobby is very different, the long history of cooking technology through the creation of successive generations of people, the formation of a rich and colorful local cuisine, such as Fujian cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, Guangdong cuisine, Beijing cuisine, Lu Cuisine, Su Cuisine, Hunan Cuisine, Hui Cuisine, Shanghai Cuisine, Hubei Cuisine, Liao Cuisine, Henan Cuisine and so on. Each of these cuisines has its own characteristics in terms of production methods: the simmering and sliding of Hubei cuisine, the shabu-shabu and baking of Beijing cuisine, and even Sichuan cuisine, which is famous for its variety of tastes, wide range of tastes, thick flavors, and changing tastes, and is known for the saying that "a dish has a pattern, and a hundred dishes have a hundred flavors".

Chinese food has its unique charm, the key lies in its exquisite flavor. The main reason for the creation of deliciousness lies in the harmonization of the five flavors. At the same time, the pursuit of color, aroma, taste, shape and art of organic unity. In the color of the preparation, the auxiliary colors to set off, highlight, embellish and adapt to the main ingredients, the formation of dishes with uniform and soft colors, the main and secondary, the intensity of the appropriate, contrasting, harmonious and pleasing. In the taste of the match, emphasize the aroma, highlight the main flavor, and auxiliary seasonings, so as to increase the aroma and flavor. In the shape of the preparation, pay attention to the art of modeling, the use of embellishment, embedded brewing and other techniques, integration of carving and dishes in one, the formation of a harmonious and beautiful shape. Chinese cuisine combines color, shape, aroma, taste, nourishment, and nourishment into one, so that people get the comprehensive enjoyment of vision, touch, and taste, constituting the core of deliciousness, and nourishing the body for the purpose of Chinese culinary characteristics. It has an indisputable historical status for its careful selection of materials, fine knife work, realistic shape, bright colors, and skillful blending.

Western diet, steak are only one flavor, no art. As a dish, chicken is chicken, steak is steak, even if there is a match, it is also in the plate, a plate of "French lamb chops", one side of the mashed potatoes, leaning on the side of the lamb chops, the other side of the boiled green beans, add a few slices of tomato will be. The colors are contrasting, but in terms of taste, the various ingredients are not related to each other, and each is its own flavor, simple and clear.

Compared to the Western diet, the Chinese food culture is unique, food flowers beautiful world.

Three, food utensils

The diversity of food utensils is also a major feature of Chinese food culture. Especially with bamboo chopsticks eating, the use of free, economical and convenient, by Europe and the United States is praised as an artistic creation. Chinese eating utensils from the use of points, there are beans, cans, li, cups, pots, bowls, boxes, urns, pots, cauldrons, plates, etc.; from the material up points, there are pottery products, porcelain products, metal products and bamboo products, etc.; with the improvement of productivity and the continuous progress of the standard of living of mankind, eating utensils in the material, quality, form and so on, have undergone a new change. From the Sui and Tang dynasties, has been the use of a large number of gold and silver and other precious metals made of food utensils, in the folk, ceramic utensils used in large quantities, to the Tang and Song dynasties, China's porcelain is renowned overseas. Until modern times, ceramic eating utensils are beautiful and brilliant, and have become a highlight and feature of Chinese food culture. Westerners mostly use metal knives and forks, as well as a variety of cups, plates, cups and saucers, the types of their tableware, very monotonous.

Four, nutritional health care

Grain-based, focusing on dietary health. That is, grain-based, meat less food, supplemented by vegetables and vegetables, which is the typical structure of the meal. Among them, rice is the staple food, while the dishes are for the rice, that is, to help the rice down the throat. Chinese people pay much attention to the diet of nutritional health care, nutritional composition of the rational mix, balanced diet, through the deployment of edible grains, five fruits, five animals, five vegetables and other smells, functions of different foods, in order to achieve a balance of yin and yang, the coordination of internal organs, replenishment of the essence of qi, health and wellness of the purpose of the body. As early as the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period, Confucius put forward the "food is not too refined, chopping is not too fine," the concept of diet, but also outlines the ten "do not eat" as well as pay attention to hygiene, observing the seasons, pay attention to nutrition, there is no amount of restraint but the scientific dietary laws.

Westerners also pay attention to dietary science, pay attention to food production in strict accordance with scientific norms, the amount of seasonings added to the exact grams, cooking time to the exact second, the kitchen like a chemical laboratory, and the flavor of steak from New York to San Francisco, no different.

Fifth, dietary aesthetics

Chinese food in the continuous development of the formation of the "ten beautiful style": pay attention to taste, color, aroma, texture, shape, order, equipment, suitable, environment, the harmony and unity of the fun. Chinese cooking, not only exquisite technology, but also pay attention to the aesthetics of the dishes, pay attention to the food color, aroma, taste, shape, the coordination of the device. The performance of the beauty of the dishes is multifaceted, whether it is a carrot, or a cabbage heart, can be carved out of a variety of shapes, unique, to achieve the color, aroma, taste, shape and beauty of the harmony and unity, to give a person with a high degree of unity of the spirit and the material enjoyment of the special.

And for westerners, diet is about just a necessary physiological activity, for which the pursuit of beauty, but ignored.

The difference between Chinese and Western food cultures is obvious, and each has its own strengths. With the acceleration of economic globalization and information exchange, the Chinese and Western food cultures will merge in the collision and complement each other in the fusion. Now the Chinese people's table is increasing the proportion of meat and dairy foods; similarly, Western food is also beginning to Chinese food color, aroma, taste, meaning and shape of the realm of the development of Chinese and Western food and beverage culture will be in the exchange of **** with the development, people will enjoy a more delicious, faster, more nutritious food.

References:

1. Wang Xinting, Jin Mingjuan, Yao Eveningxia. Introduction to Chinese Traditional Culture. Beijing: China Forestry Press, 2004

2. Zhao Hong'en and Li Baoshi. An Introduction to Traditional Chinese Culture. Beijing: People's Publishing House, 2004

3. Yao Weijun. The Origin of Chinese Dietary Culture. Nanning: Guangxi People's Publishing House, 1988

4. Yi Yanping and Ma Yinchu. Selected Background Knowledge of Western Culture. Changsha: Hunan Normal University Press, 1999

5. Xu Wangsheng. Food for the People: Chinese Food Culture. Hainan Publishing House, 1993