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Chinese Food Culture

Chinese Food Culture. Dining: Cross-Cultural Differences. West: Individualists: Independence Rectangular or square tables: Focus is eating Fixed helpings, compartmentalized East: Communities: Collective Harmony Interdependence: Relationship building Round tables: Eating is socializing

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Chinese Food Culture

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  1. Chinese Food Culture

  2. Dining: Cross-Cultural Differences • West: Individualists: Independence • Rectangular or square tables: Focus is eating • Fixed helpings, compartmentalized • East: Communities: Collective Harmony • Interdependence: Relationship building • Round tables: Eating is socializing • Table corners are not good: Awkward • Fuzzy personal boundaries “Collective Enjoyment”

  3. The actual Eating • Seating position & power: Where do you sit? • Generally seat facing the front door is preferred • How to determine power? • It’s the host who gave the invitation • It’s the person who orders and pays • Power order: Form older men to younger men • When unsure who should sit where, pause • Stand around until the powerful one sits you

  4. Concrete Aspects of Food • Developmental Perspectives • Provide Food & Feeding is Caring: Love • Food is Relationship • Food is Comfort • Food as Ceremonial Rituals • Food is Conflict Resolution • Food is Power, Prestige & Status

  5. Developmental Perspectives • Baby’s first instinctive need is feeding • Eating is a basic need next to oxygen & water • Mother’s body is programmed to nurse • Caring of child through breast-feeding • There is bonding with child: Imprinting • Deprivation & Fear if neglected

  6. Provide Food & Feeding is Caring: Love • A good mother provides Feeding • A good father works hard to “Feed the family” • Timely & sensitive food service is “Care” • Serving food on your plate: “Love” • Feeding & Caring of the sick is “Love” • “Good Food equals Good Care”? • “More Food equals More Love”? • “Expensive Food equals More Love”?

  7. Food is Relationship • “More Food equals More Status” • “Expensive Food equals Higher Status” • “Fresh Food equals Better Love”

  8. Food is Comfort • From positive post-natal experience • Baby cries, mother feeds baby giving comfort • Timely feeding satisfied hunger • Timely feeding brings comfort • Food that mimics early nursing experience • Soft foods that requires less chewing • Milk-shake, ice cream, cream cheese chocolates

  9. Food as Ceremonial Rituals • Red-eggs & Ginger banquets 滿月酒 • Wedding banquets 喜宴 • Post-Funeral banquets • Success-Celebration banquets

  10. Food is Conflict Resolution • Business is conducted over a meal • “Negotiation Meals” 講數 • “Reconciliation Banquets” 和頭酒 • Food is Power • Control by Food withdrawal • “No one can make me Eat” • Hunger Strike • Eating Disorders: Anorexia Nervosa vs. Bulimia

  11. Food is Power, Prestige & Status

  12. Food & Eating is Life

  13. Food is Control • When Food is

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