Research Paper On American Culture
Chinese Catering Culture in America
In human culture history, people were born, lived, and died in a limited geographical area, and they never encountering other cultural backgrounds. However, in nowadays, the world has become borderless. As the world shrinks and counties become interdependent, people from different cultures increasingly come into contact on a daily basis. Now, people may live far away or just next door to each other, so that all people are faced with the challenge of understand this world. So when the east meets west, People would be influenced by each other. Especially the dining cultures, some of them are listed as follows.
American food culture
Lack of local food culture, American food culture comes from the rest of the world. It is like Shenzhen, a city of China, people come from other place. People bring their own food culture to the United States, such as …show more content…
Chinese fried rice, Vietnamese spring rolls, Mexican taco, Italian pizza, Korean kimchee, Japanese sushi, and so on. However, there is no doubt that all Americans have recognized European dishes are the ancestors of the American food. The distinguishing features of traditional American food are simple, and actuality, but not fancy. Furthermore, the cooking process is not messy. All cooking methods are not very complex work. We can find that there is not much fancy decoration on the plate. Yet, other cultures have been affecting traditional American food culture.
The food for eating is different culture
Eating and drinking are two kinds of physiological need.
All creatures must eat and drink in order to survive. However, the food for eating is all patterned by culture. For instants, Americans eat oysters but not snail. The French eat snails but not locusts. The Jews eat fish but not pork. The Hindus eat pork but not beef. The Russian eat beef but not snake. People all have ideas about what kinds of food are good or bad to eat by their culture.
As a result, people often think that the food from other culture is disgusting or nauseating. In some culture, certain foods are taboo. Sometimes the food taboos may be so strong that just the thought of eating forbidden foods can cause an individual to feel ill. Chinese love to eat fresh material, while American likes to eat frozen food. We can accept killing living things for food, and no food taboo. However, American cannot accept killing livings for food by their religion, and they will not eat frogs, dogs, shark fins for some other reasons. The following, I will use cooking livings as an
example.
As far as I know, most Americans feel strange that Chinese restaurant are always dirty, but their customers never get illness. American’s first impression of China is lack of hygiene, in particular in the diet. In American standard, Chinese restaurant and market are far less than we have for our health expectations. Instead, I think that Americans are not desirable in eating. They are less hygiene than Chinese. First of all, the frozen meat can be stored for a long time, so that frozen food may already have been stored over time. As a matter of fact, the food is stored for the longer time; the more chance of deterioration will be cause. Conversely, from livings to food, the shorter time, the less potential of worsening will happen. Freshness is supreme to people. Second, we usually eat cooked food. Human civilization has proved no better than the fire to kill bacteria. By cook, food will not turn bad even though it is not frozen. In addition, no one will like to use perishable food to cook. Furthermore, the human immune system can solve what we worry about. In Chinese cooking culture, food will be chopped into small piece, and food will be stir-fried fully. Stir-fried means all food keeps turning, to ensure that all of them are heated. By contrast, American like to cook food in big size, such a central part of the food may still raw. We can draw a conclusion from these two contrast, Chinese foods are more hygiene than American’s.
Additionally, their eating religion is very ridiculous. In their faith, they do not eat food with blood, which is why they do not eat living creatures. Nevertheless, it is impossible to eat any meat without blood. The blood inside the meat cannot be removed thoroughly. Any people will have the same experience that the steak will bleed when being cook. The single way to eat food without blood is only eating vegetables. We cannot consider invisible things as not really exist. They set an impossible mission by their faith!
Accompanied by cultural integration, the Americans become to accept the Chinese food culture. Chinese food may appear in many places, such as TV shows, movies, etc. This proves that Chinese food is really popular in the United States.
The way of eating is different culture
In general, Chinese people never eat by hand; instead, we will use cutleries. The most famous cutlery is chopsticks. There is no doubt that fast-food culture is representative of the American Dietetic culture. As we can see, in most fast food restaurants, they do not offer any cutleries, so that the customers have to eat by hand. In traditional western food culture, people use knife and fork to eat. Nowadays, American can eat by chopsticks when they eat in Chinese restaurant. In some studies shows that chopsticks can exercise the brain and by using chopsticks, people can prevent Alzheimer. Therefore chopsticks gradually accepted by Americans.
Yum Cha is one of the famous activities comes from China. By the way, it comes from my home town, Guangzhou. Yum Cha is a Cantonese language. It means go to the restaurant and to have Chinese tea and have some Dim Sum dishes. However, it changes a lot. The Knock Hand Ceremony is no longer existed in America. In addition, Dim sums become a localization style. Many kinds of Dim Sum are disappeared in the United States. The rest existences in America are relatively coarse. It is also a tragedy story that other supreme Chinese cuisines cannot bring into America. People go to Yum Cha now is not enjoy gourmet food, but only to fill the stomach.
The table manners
On the aspect of table manners, there are many differences between Chinese and American. For example, in America, bread plates are to the left of the main plate, beverage glasses are to the right. Salad fork, knife and soup spoon are further from the main plate than the main course knife, fork and spoon. When eating bread rolls, break off a piece before buttering. Use the knife only to butter the bread, not to cut it. They should not start eating before your host does or instructs to do so. At larger meals, it is considered okay to start eating once others have been served. When finished, place the knife and fork together at five o’clock with the fork on the left. It is considered rude to answer the telephone at the table. If need to take an urgent call, excuse self and go outside. Try to eat all the food you are served.
Moreover, we like to seat one by one, and the shape of the table is round. On the opposite, most of the American like to seat in two rows, face to face. They have their own plate.
In China, the table manners are different. Chinese traditionally eat rice from a small bowl held in the left hand. The rice bowl is raised to the mouth and the rice pushed into the mouth using the chopsticks. Some Chinese find it offensive to scoop rice from the bowl using a spoon. If rice is served on a plate, as is more common in the West, it is acceptable and more practical to eat it with a fork or spoon. The thumb must always be above the edge of the bowl. The host should always make sure the guests’ drinks are sufficiently full. One should not pour for oneself, but should offer to pour for others. When your drink is being poured, you should say "thank you" and tap fingers on the table to show appreciation. When people wish to clink drinks together in the form of a cheer, it is important to observe that younger members should clink the edge of their drink below the edge of an elder to show respect.
Conclusion
When we faced with those differences between East and West, we have to think that, in most time, the differences are the customs of different cultures. Neither of them is right nor wrong. It is simple that different people do the same things in different behaviors, even we cannot appreciate, and we should show the respect. I trust that is the best way to make our time become easier and make the world more harmonious.
--------------------------------------------
[ 1 ]. http://baike.baidu.com/view/2143412.htm
[ 2 ]. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taboo_food_and_drink
[ 3 ]. http://ddrdb888.blog.hexun.com/33887418_d.html
[ 4 ]. http://zhidao.baidu.com/question/16156580.html
[ 5 ]. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yum_cha
[ 6 ]. http://whatscookingamerica.net/Menu/DiningEtiquetteGuide.htm
[ 7 ]. http://wenku.baidu.com/view/c946395e312b3169a451a494.html
In human culture history, people were born, lived, and died in a limited geographical area, and they never encountering other cultural backgrounds. However, in nowadays, the world has become borderless. As the world shrinks and counties become interdependent, people from different cultures increasingly come into contact on a daily basis. Now, people may live far away or just next door to each other, so that all people are faced with the challenge of understand this world. So when the east meets west, People would be influenced by each other. Especially the dining cultures, some of them are listed as follows.
American food culture
Lack of local food culture, American food culture comes from the rest of the world. It is like Shenzhen, a city of China, people come from other place. People bring their own food culture to the United States, such as …show more content…
Chinese fried rice, Vietnamese spring rolls, Mexican taco, Italian pizza, Korean kimchee, Japanese sushi, and so on. However, there is no doubt that all Americans have recognized European dishes are the ancestors of the American food. The distinguishing features of traditional American food are simple, and actuality, but not fancy. Furthermore, the cooking process is not messy. All cooking methods are not very complex work. We can find that there is not much fancy decoration on the plate. Yet, other cultures have been affecting traditional American food culture.
The food for eating is different culture
Eating and drinking are two kinds of physiological need.
All creatures must eat and drink in order to survive. However, the food for eating is all patterned by culture. For instants, Americans eat oysters but not snail. The French eat snails but not locusts. The Jews eat fish but not pork. The Hindus eat pork but not beef. The Russian eat beef but not snake. People all have ideas about what kinds of food are good or bad to eat by their culture.
As a result, people often think that the food from other culture is disgusting or nauseating. In some culture, certain foods are taboo. Sometimes the food taboos may be so strong that just the thought of eating forbidden foods can cause an individual to feel ill. Chinese love to eat fresh material, while American likes to eat frozen food. We can accept killing living things for food, and no food taboo. However, American cannot accept killing livings for food by their religion, and they will not eat frogs, dogs, shark fins for some other reasons. The following, I will use cooking livings as an
example.
As far as I know, most Americans feel strange that Chinese restaurant are always dirty, but their customers never get illness. American’s first impression of China is lack of hygiene, in particular in the diet. In American standard, Chinese restaurant and market are far less than we have for our health expectations. Instead, I think that Americans are not desirable in eating. They are less hygiene than Chinese. First of all, the frozen meat can be stored for a long time, so that frozen food may already have been stored over time. As a matter of fact, the food is stored for the longer time; the more chance of deterioration will be cause. Conversely, from livings to food, the shorter time, the less potential of worsening will happen. Freshness is supreme to people. Second, we usually eat cooked food. Human civilization has proved no better than the fire to kill bacteria. By cook, food will not turn bad even though it is not frozen. In addition, no one will like to use perishable food to cook. Furthermore, the human immune system can solve what we worry about. In Chinese cooking culture, food will be chopped into small piece, and food will be stir-fried fully. Stir-fried means all food keeps turning, to ensure that all of them are heated. By contrast, American like to cook food in big size, such a central part of the food may still raw. We can draw a conclusion from these two contrast, Chinese foods are more hygiene than American’s.
Additionally, their eating religion is very ridiculous. In their faith, they do not eat food with blood, which is why they do not eat living creatures. Nevertheless, it is impossible to eat any meat without blood. The blood inside the meat cannot be removed thoroughly. Any people will have the same experience that the steak will bleed when being cook. The single way to eat food without blood is only eating vegetables. We cannot consider invisible things as not really exist. They set an impossible mission by their faith!
Accompanied by cultural integration, the Americans become to accept the Chinese food culture. Chinese food may appear in many places, such as TV shows, movies, etc. This proves that Chinese food is really popular in the United States.
The way of eating is different culture
In general, Chinese people never eat by hand; instead, we will use cutleries. The most famous cutlery is chopsticks. There is no doubt that fast-food culture is representative of the American Dietetic culture. As we can see, in most fast food restaurants, they do not offer any cutleries, so that the customers have to eat by hand. In traditional western food culture, people use knife and fork to eat. Nowadays, American can eat by chopsticks when they eat in Chinese restaurant. In some studies shows that chopsticks can exercise the brain and by using chopsticks, people can prevent Alzheimer. Therefore chopsticks gradually accepted by Americans.
Yum Cha is one of the famous activities comes from China. By the way, it comes from my home town, Guangzhou. Yum Cha is a Cantonese language. It means go to the restaurant and to have Chinese tea and have some Dim Sum dishes. However, it changes a lot. The Knock Hand Ceremony is no longer existed in America. In addition, Dim sums become a localization style. Many kinds of Dim Sum are disappeared in the United States. The rest existences in America are relatively coarse. It is also a tragedy story that other supreme Chinese cuisines cannot bring into America. People go to Yum Cha now is not enjoy gourmet food, but only to fill the stomach.
The table manners
On the aspect of table manners, there are many differences between Chinese and American. For example, in America, bread plates are to the left of the main plate, beverage glasses are to the right. Salad fork, knife and soup spoon are further from the main plate than the main course knife, fork and spoon. When eating bread rolls, break off a piece before buttering. Use the knife only to butter the bread, not to cut it. They should not start eating before your host does or instructs to do so. At larger meals, it is considered okay to start eating once others have been served. When finished, place the knife and fork together at five o’clock with the fork on the left. It is considered rude to answer the telephone at the table. If need to take an urgent call, excuse self and go outside. Try to eat all the food you are served.
Moreover, we like to seat one by one, and the shape of the table is round. On the opposite, most of the American like to seat in two rows, face to face. They have their own plate.
In China, the table manners are different. Chinese traditionally eat rice from a small bowl held in the left hand. The rice bowl is raised to the mouth and the rice pushed into the mouth using the chopsticks. Some Chinese find it offensive to scoop rice from the bowl using a spoon. If rice is served on a plate, as is more common in the West, it is acceptable and more practical to eat it with a fork or spoon. The thumb must always be above the edge of the bowl. The host should always make sure the guests’ drinks are sufficiently full. One should not pour for oneself, but should offer to pour for others. When your drink is being poured, you should say "thank you" and tap fingers on the table to show appreciation. When people wish to clink drinks together in the form of a cheer, it is important to observe that younger members should clink the edge of their drink below the edge of an elder to show respect.
Conclusion
When we faced with those differences between East and West, we have to think that, in most time, the differences are the customs of different cultures. Neither of them is right nor wrong. It is simple that different people do the same things in different behaviors, even we cannot appreciate, and we should show the respect. I trust that is the best way to make our time become easier and make the world more harmonious.
--------------------------------------------
[ 1 ]. http://baike.baidu.com/view/2143412.htm
[ 2 ]. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taboo_food_and_drink
[ 3 ]. http://ddrdb888.blog.hexun.com/33887418_d.html
[ 4 ]. http://zhidao.baidu.com/question/16156580.html
[ 5 ]. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yum_cha
[ 6 ]. http://whatscookingamerica.net/Menu/DiningEtiquetteGuide.htm
[ 7 ]. http://wenku.baidu.com/view/c946395e312b3169a451a494.html