Diet is the most basic activity of human beings, but if the problem is raised to the level of why and how to eat, it will be reflected as a consciousness or concept. There are obvious differences in dietary concepts between China and the West.
The west is a rational and scientific concept of diet. They emphasize the nutritional value of diet, pay attention to the amount of protein, fat, calories and vitamins contained in food, and do not pursue the perfection of color, fragrance, taste and shape of food. Even if it tastes the same, even like chewing wax, they will listen to rational warnings and eat because it is nutritious. Westerners eat nutrition. They rarely or hardly associate diet with spiritual enjoyment. It embodies a strong practical and utilitarian purpose in diet.
Second, the differences between Chinese and western dietary contents.
The content of diet is the question of what to eat, and the differences on this issue are rooted in the differences of cultural backgrounds of various ethnic groups. Westerners eat more meat dishes and pay more attention to the intake of animal protein and fat. In their diet, most of them are animal dishes, mainly beef, chicken, pork, mutton and fish. This is related to western nomadic and marine national culture. Sailing and nomadic people take fishing, hunting and breeding as their main activities, supplemented by planting, which determines that their main source of diet is animals. Not only diet, but also many other needs in life are taken from animals. China people are influenced by agricultural civilization. In their traditional diet structure, the staple food is grain, supplemented by vegetables and a small amount of meat, and plant dishes are dominant. We usually call it "vegetarian dishes", and meat dishes are usually added only during the Spring Festival. This eating habit is deeply influenced by Buddhist culture, which is more obvious. Buddhism believes that animals are "creatures", and creatures cannot be killed, let alone eaten. The idea of "forbidding killing and releasing" advocated by Buddhists is consistent with the Confucian view of "benevolence and righteousness". In addition, Taoism also forbids eating fish and meat, which makes vegetarianism popular in China. At the same time, it also promoted the development of fruit and vegetable planting and cooking technology, especially the development of bean products technology.
Third, the differences in dietary patterns.
The way of eating, that is, how to eat, is obviously different between China and the West. In China, whether it is a family dinner or a formal banquet, everyone gets together, sits around and enjoys their seats. People toast and exhort each other to show mutual respect, the virtue of friendship and the atmosphere of harmonious reunion. Especially in various festivals, it is also a diet for advice. This way of eating is an important tradition of China's food culture, which is based on the patriarchal concept. Dietary patterns first existed in families and families, and later extended to external families. China people often use this way to educate and express various "rituals" to reflect the relationship between young people and the elderly, respect and inferiority, intimacy and inferiority, and exchange feelings. Because this way of sitting around drinking caters to the traditional family concept and objectively plays a role in maintaining family stability and promoting family members' unity and harmony, it has been circulating for a long time. It is really a family pleasure to have a big meal with the whole family. But at the same time, this way of eating also has its disadvantages, mainly unscientific, unhygienic and wasteful. Now, people have gradually realized this drawback and started to reform. For example, the state banquet in our country has implemented a separate meal system, but it has yet to be popularized in the whole society.
Westerners are used to eating separately. At western-style banquets, although people sit together, their food is served separately. Buffet is the most typical form of western food system. Diners each take a set of tableware and take what they need from the prepared food, so they can walk freely without a fixed seat. This way of eating can not only fully satisfy the individual's preference for food, but also facilitate social communication and emotional and information exchange between individuals, without having to disclose all activities at the dinner table. Therefore, in western-style catering, food is only a means and foil, not the whole purpose. The core of the banquet lies in friendship. This way of eating fully reflects Westerners' respect for individuality and self, and emphasizes individual independence. At this point, it is completely different from China's unified cultural model. Especially since the Renaissance, western society has vigorously advocated the spirit of equality, freedom, human rights and personality liberation, which has greatly promoted people's personality and freedom consciousness and created a cultural environment that emphasizes the free development of personality. More importantly, this way of eating is civilized, hygienic and in line with the scientific spirit. The styles of western food are very different, and this difference also has an impact on national character. In China, any banquet, no matter for what purpose, will only have one form, that is, everyone will sit together and enjoy a seat. Banquets should use round tables to create a United, polite and interesting atmosphere in form. Food is placed in the center of a table, which is not only the object of appreciation and tasting, but also the medium of emotional communication. People toast each other, take food and exhort each other, which embodies the virtue of mutual respect and courtesy between people in the face of beautiful things. Although this kind of diet has obvious shortcomings from the perspective of hygiene, it conforms to the universal mentality of "happy reunion" of our nation, embodies the influence of the category of "harmony" in China's classical philosophy on later generations, and is conducive to collective emotional communication, so it is difficult to reform so far.
Fourth, the differences in cooking methods.
In China, cooking is an art, which attracts people in China who take food as their greatest pleasure, and has a strong interest, even some banter. For China, cooking is as important as music, dance, poetry and painting. There are too many cooking methods in China: sliding, stewing, roasting, stewing, steaming, frying, crisp, stewing, roasting, stewing, frying, casserole, drawing, and so on, and the dishes made are even more dazzling. The change of Chinese food technology is more complicated. Many dishes are time-consuming and have too many decorations. Many of them are inedible, which not only wastes raw materials, but also may not be effective. There is a saying in China Kitchen: "A chef's craft is divided into three parts and the materials are divided into seven parts", which emphasizes the importance of the chef's personal choice of raw materials and the use of different grades, that is, the standard of raw materials plays a decisive role in the cooking.
Westerners emphasize science and nutrition in diet, and the whole process of cooking is carried out in strict accordance with scientific norms. When cooking is standardized, the work of chefs becomes extremely monotonous mechanical work. Furthermore, the purpose of westerners' eating is to absorb nutrition. As long as the nutrition is up to standard, everything else can be tolerated. Therefore, it is definitely meaningless for a chef to repeat mechanical work every day with an extremely tolerant attitude towards diners. Western cooking methods are not as complicated and changeable as those in China. Western food is three-dimensional and edible, and most of the food put on the plate can be eaten. Ornaments are the side dishes of the main course. The raw materials of western food are mostly fresh, pollution-free, natural and natural in operation technology, so as to give full play to its original flavor. Don't use too much dry goods. Milk is an indispensable raw material in western food. Suppliers have further standardized and standardized raw materials according to their characteristics, and chefs no longer judge and decide which raw materials to use simply based on their own experience.
Five, the difference of dining etiquette
In terms of etiquette, the difference between China and the West is even greater. In the dining process in ancient China, there was a set of red tape. Book of rites? "Qu Ji" contains: "* * * does not have enough food, * * * does not eat well. No food, no food, no food, no biting bones, no fish, no dog bones, no harvest, no rice. No chopsticks, no soup, no catkins, no teeth, no soup. Guest flocculant soup, the owner can't quit. The guest is a guest, and the host won't say anything. Don't bite meat, don't bite dry meat, don't simmer. When eating, the guests kneel down from the front and can take a group photo only after the meal is finished. The general idea of this passage is: when eating together, you can't eat alone. If you eat with others, you must check your hands. Don't put the extra rice back into the pot, don't monopolize the food, and don't fan the hot rice. After eating, the guests should get up and clean up the dishes on the table and give them to the host. The host will get up and tell the guests not to work, and then the guests will sit down. Some of these manners are also necessary in modern times.
In western-style banquets, the host usually serves only one dish to the guests, and the rest is eaten by the guests themselves. If the guests don't want it, they won't persuade others to eat it, and they won't toast and take food to the guests frequently according to the habits of China people. Don't make any noise when eating, but guests should pay attention to the food prepared by the host. If you talk to people, you can only talk to your neighbors, not to people far away. The specific differences are as follows.
In terms of clothes, in China, people can wear casual clothes in restaurants, even T-shirts and jeans, and only at important banquets will they wear grand clothes. But when going to high-end restaurants in the west, men should wear neat tops and leather shoes; A lady should wear a suit and shoes with heels. If formal clothes are required, men must wear ties. Don't wear casual clothes to eat in a restaurant.
The seats are different. In China, guests are usually seated after they arrive, and the seats are arranged in the order of seniority. The seats are "Jingdong" and "Chaomen". In the west, generally speaking, the seat facing the door farthest from the door belongs to the hostess, and the opposite is the host's seat. The seat on the right of the hostess is the first guest seat, usually a man, and the seat on the right of the male host is the second guest seat, usually the wife of the guest of honor. Western countries are dominated by women and pay attention to gentlemanly manners.
In the order of serving, in China, the first dish is soup, followed by dry rice and other staple foods, and then the last dish is fruit that promotes digestion; In western countries, the order of serving is usually vegetables and soup, fruit, table wine, staple food, and finally dessert and coffee.
The food was put on the table differently. Chinese food was served at one time, and everyone enjoyed all the dishes. In western-style dining, everyone has his own set of tableware, and one dish is eaten before the other. In terms of food requirements, China does not need guests to finish all the dishes, while in the west, it is a courtesy and respect for the host to finish it by himself.
Sixth, the difference of dining utensils.
The tableware in China is mainly chopsticks, supplemented by spoons, and there are cups, plates, bowls and saucers of various shapes. China pays attention to the coordination of the shape, size, color and dishes of tableware, and pays attention to the beauty of utensils. It regards diet as an artistic activity, not only for a good meal, but also for a beautiful artistic enjoyment.
Westerners mostly use metal knives and forks, mainly stainless steel or silvered, sterling silver and other tableware, as well as various cups, plates, cups and saucers, which also perform their respective duties and cannot be mixed. However, western food doesn't emphasize artistic beauty as China people do in plate loading and side dishes, and the types of tableware and the shapes of dishes are also monotonous. In short, Westerners pay attention to the content of food, while China people emphasize the form of dishes and the feelings gained from them.