Comparison of Dietary Culture Between Chinese and English

Abstract
Diet is absolutely necessary in the mankinds life, and even in the existence or development. Because of the differences between Chinese and English cultural traditions, the Chinese and English dietary cultures are different in concept, target, pattern, attribution and nature. The author studies these differences and then finds out the points that can be digested, in order to facilitate the communication in cultures between China. Taiwan Professor Zhang Qijun(2000) said, The old saying, 'Eating, drinking, man and woman who wishes greatly'. For such a standard fair, English culture can be said to be malecentered and female-centered culture. But the Chinese culture can be said to be a dietary culture. "As the reason of the cultural traditions, the English lives focused on men and women, but because of the obscure sex relations in gender, Chinese people are shifting attention to the biting and supping in life. Thus the diet is rich in culture. Food culture in England 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 English. By the analysis of the differences between Chinese and English dietary cultures, people can comprehend the respective cultural traditions of China and England. And they can also improve and create the culture of China. Key Words: dietary culture; cultural tradition; differences

Contents

Abstract Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Differences in Concepts

2.1 Sensibility vs. Practicality 2.2 Complexity vs. Simplicity

I II 1 2
2 2

Chapter 3 Differences in Targets

3.1 Vegetables vs. Meat 3.2 Different Dietary Targets Form Different Characteristics

4
4 5

Chapter 4 Differences in Dietary Patterns

4.1 Different Table-wares: Chopsticks vs. Forks 4.1 Different Concepts Regarding the Time of Attendance 4.3 Differences in the Arrangements of Seats

6 6 6
7

Chapter 5 Differences in Diet Attribution

5.1 Nutrients vs. Flavor 5.2 Artistry vs. Rationality

8
8 9

Chapter 6 Differences in the Nature Chapter 7 Conclusion Bibliography

11 12 13

II

Comparison on Dietary Culture Between Chinese and English

Chapter 1 Introduction
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 lines. Facing the two desires, Chinese pay more attention to the former, while the English 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 U.K. As one of the world ancient nations, Chinese diet has a history almost as long as that of Chinese civilization. But in England, ancient thinkers devoted less attention to the food issue than the Chinese philosophers did, and there is even not aware of it to the "heaven" degree. With the opposite, they recognized and interpreted the world in the perspective of the lust or love of men and women more. Whether the awareness of original sin of Christianity, Adam and Eve legend, or ancient Greek philosophy (such as Plato's dialogue) who considered the personal relationships love as the love of ontology of beauty, and regarded it as a reality thinking of philosophy, all these ideas become the basis of English philosophers cultural thoughts. All these had potential effects on the development of English culture and English peoples characters. Receiving the influence of respective cultural tradition, the Chinese and English dietary culture has had different characteristic. The differences in concepts, targets, patterns, attribution and nature had reflected the different dietary culture in the different state characteristic; such characteristic has enriched the research value of dietary culture. Studying these cultural differences, we can find out a joint enhancing the communication between China and England through a comprehensive study of the subject. It may be a great help to the communication of the Chinese and English cultures.

Comparison on Dietary Culture Between Chinese and English

Chapter 2 Differences in Concepts

2.1 Sensibility vs. Practicality

In China, diet has developed to a very important part in peoples life. It is almost beyond any other material and spiritual forms, and this has been apparently reflected in peoples daily life. The seven so-called basic daily needs: firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauces, vinegar, tea, all have deep relations to diet. Eating goes through a mans whole life. When one was born, his parents would hold a birth celebration. Later when he was one month old or one year old, the family would get together and have a party again. When growing up, he would have birthday parties, wedding party and even funeral dinner held for him by his descendants when he passes away. When a visitor comes, he would prepare for the guest a formal dinner, which is called welcome dinner. He would invite friends to have dinner together when he moves into a new house, is promoted in his company or has solved a serious problem. All these show that people in China like eating with much emotions, for dinners have provided them lots of chances to show their love for friends, and exchange information. Even some emotional turmoil would be calmed down during the dinner time. Behind the form of eating, there are a profuse psychological and cultural significance, as well as peoples recognition and understanding of society, which embody a more profound social meaning. Eating not only has some original communication function, but has already transformed into an adjustment of social life and psychology. In Britain, U.S.A. and other English countries, eating is regarded as a way of communication and a necessary survival means. American psychologist Abraham Maslow divides humans needs into five levels in his famous theory Law of Demand. Eating is classified into the first layer, which is the lowest level of human requirements. Lin Yutang(1999), a famous Chinese anthropological scholar, once said, The diet concepts of people from English countries are different from those of the Chinese. They think that eating is just an act giving your body nutrients, like injecting fuel to a machine, to ensure its normal operation. As long as they are healthy enough to resist diseases, they care little about other problems. Therefore, in the minds of the English people, eating just plays a life-sustaining role in their life. We can see clearly that the English people would not assign more important missions to eating, which has been done by the Chinese people for a long time.

2.2 Complexity vs. Simplicity

There is a fundamental difference between Chinese and English countries banquet concepts. Chinese people pay much attention to the dinner itself and its arrangement. They provide profuse wine and courses, including ten main courses at a formal banquet, not including snacks, desserts, rice or noodles in the whole procedure of a dinner. The more sumptuous dishes the host prepares, the better the hosts hospitality and guests social status are reflected. In English countries, grand banquet is usually no more than six dishes and much simpler
2

Comparison on Dietary Culture Between Chinese and English

when it is only a kind of common dinner. Sometimes friends in the United States would all contribute to a dinner, which is called potluck, and means that each person has taken a dish for sharing. It is evident that it creates opportunities for friends to get together and exchange ideas. It is reminiscent of friendships and provides access for them to get information. It is subject to the concept of English countries banquet that the most important thing of a banquet lies not in the dishes themselves, but in the diversifying form of liberalization. The owner should try to create a relaxing, harmonious and cheerful atmosphere, let the guests enjoy the freedom of a wonderful time. Generally, that is the first purpose of a banquet in English countries.

Comparison on Dietary Culture Between Chinese and English

Chapter 3 Differences in Targets

3.1 Vegetables vs. Meat

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, 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. English people 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 English medicine is derived from animals. When the English introduce the diet characteristics of their countries, they always feel that their diet is more reasonable on the mix of nutrition than China. The food industry is more developed, such as cans, fast food, although the taste is monotonous, but it saves time, and it also has good nutrition. Therefore, in their countries: people are generally healthier and taller than Chinese, and the people have strong shoulders and developed muscles; but Chinese people look short, their shoulders narrow and legs thin, their skin yellow and their body weak. The differences between Chinese and English food for English people to judge the merits of the two diets is not justified. Mr. Sun Yat-sen had profound study of the culture of food and incisive exposition. In his composing The Scheme for National Reconstruction, detailing the differences between Chinese and English diet phenomenon, he concludes: "Chinese ordinary people drink green tea, and eat simple food such as vegetables and tofu for meal. Such kinds of food are the most healthy and beneficial according to the research of hygienist. Therefore, the remote people in china, whose diet are far from meat and wine, always live a long life. Also China has a big population, and Chinese people have enormous power to resist disease, but they never try the non-diet. He added:" The Chinese vegetarians all eat tofu. Tofu is expected as the real meat in plants, as it has the nutrition that meat has. It is the meat without toxic materials. So the Chinese are vegetarian used to be a custom without the promotion of scholars. It is also a custom that the European and American drink thick Wine, eat meat and fish. So there was science promotion before and a severe law later, such as the United States Prohibition. And the transfer will not carry out in a short time. "Mr. Suns words tell out the scientific benefits of Chinese diet and disadvantages of English diet.

Comparison on Dietary Culture Between Chinese and English

3.2 Different Dietary Targets Form Different Characteristics

According to the characteristics of the significant differences between Chinese and English diet targets, the Chinese character is called the plant character, while the English peoples character is animal character. In response to the cultural behaviors, the English love adventure, exploration, conflict; but the Chinese people only like to live banally. According to American expert on folklore Ruths opinions on the "cultural pattern" theory, Chinese culture is quite similar to the classical world Apollo-type character and the Englishs is similar to the modern world Faust-type. Indeed, the English put the whole family on the truck, and go out of the city in amid rumbling with the supplies. The Chinese people are always thinking about "home" and "roots", despite the promotion that young people should take the world as home. But after a few decades, the overseas Chinese will come back to the mainland with crutch to seek their roots. This concept of return and such human spirit that can only be said to cooperate with the accumulation in the diet. Then it brings cohesiveness to the Chinese nation and then makes the human folk full of energy.

Chapter 4 Differences in Table Manners

4.1 Different Table-wares: Chopsticks vs. Forks
On the dinner tables, the most obvious difference is the choices of their table wares. The Chinese use chopsticks to clamp rice and dishes, while people from English countries cut food with their forks. Clearly, these different consumption patterns are not an accidental phenomenon. Since ancient times, the Chinese people have been farming on land, and nowadays the majority of the Chinese are still farmers. In such a cultural environment, people
5

Comparison on Dietary Culture Between Chinese and English

usually live on cereal-based food, tending to live and work in peace, stressing the preciousness of stability, opposing aggression and attacks. While many people from English countries were hunters in the past. They lived on meat-based diet. In order to be able to survive in the cruel circumstances, they must be good at hunting, and be offensive, aggressive. Gradually they have developed an adventurous character trait. These two cultural preferences are almost contrast to each other. So what is reflected in the diet tends to be the choices of their table wares and their eating ways.

4.2 Different Concepts Regarding the Time of Attendance

Punctuality seems to be a common term that is appreciated by every person. But people from different cultural backgrounds have different understanding of this term. Some people habitually cant be punctual. American renowned anthropologist Edward T. Hall(1990), one of trans-cultural founders who study human relation thinks that time is a kind of commercial food which can be treated and used in different ways. So no matter in what situations, people from English countries arrive on time. However, in China, people are prone to be late except in some very formal and very important dinners. Shanshanlaichi is usually used to describe such guests who are going to attend friends party not on time. Various reasons cause people to be late when attending dinners. To westerners surprise, the host accepts their unpunctuality, and has prepared some entertainment activities for the other guests during the waiting time. Both the host and guests feel it is common, not regarding it as impolite. In contrast, in English countries being late when one is invited to attend a dinner party is thought to be impolite to the host and the rest of the guests. So when an English guest is at a Chinese dinner, waiting, the interpreter should give proper explanations when some Chinese friends are late, so as to eliminate misunderstandings.

4.3 Differences in the Arrangements of Seats

The arrangement of guests' seats is also an important way to show people's social status and personal relationship. In different countries, the layout of seats is different. Hall (1990) once said "space speaks" to describe the role of space. In China, the guests who are usually respected most would sit in the south of the table. The common friends sit in the north part of the table. While in ancient times, people from English countries thought the seats beside the host were the most respectable places. Another difference is the woman's social status. In ancient times, Chinese women had no social status, being subordinate to men. Although Chinese women's social status has been proving and women can have dinner with men now, there is still such a phenomenon that women sit together at one table, and men sit at another table. In English countries, there is a slogan called woman first. In English countries women have taken important social places from a very early time. Women and men have dinner together and they usually sit together, which embodies that women and men are equal.

Comparison on Dietary Culture Between Chinese and English

Chapter 5 Differences in Diet Attribution

5.1 Nutrients vs. Flavor

There are differences between Chinese and English diet attribution. English 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 fully 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 English 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. Watching the rational diet in England, it is not only waste, but also harmful to the men body. In fact, the herbalist doctors are also opposed to overeat, claiming "dietary restraint". But the dialectics tell us Chinese people, occasionally the "overload" and once we are comfortable, we can absorb and store. Qigong masters at the situation of non-eat and non-drink at home is still in good spirits, although their weight loses, but it is intact on the human body; and it is the consumption of such storage. Herbalist doctor also advocates winter nutrition. It is also in order to store for keeping energy in the coming year. Chinese people's views are more dialectical than the English diet propositions opposing overloaded stubbornly. It is closer to the science truth, and has been checked up for thousands of Chinese medicine practice. Psychologists Spinoza said: "The desire is human nature than other. The human desire for delicious food is the nature of human beings which is fully reflected. In process of the taste enjoyment, it is imbued with the shares of lan vital. Life should not be a yoke, but also not be a repressed desire. We cannot use the absolute reason to regulate the behavior of all people. On the diet, it is not the purpose of "science" and "nutrition" and some delicious are excluded from the table outside. Only delicious things can satisfy people's appetite and then give the arrival of physical and mental pleasure. Chinese diet shows the transformation about sentimental form to rational form from the old days till now, and cause the Chinese dietary culture brimming with imagination and creativity. The sensibility of Chinese culinary culture is a sublime sensibility, infiltrating rational sense, also the realization of the nature of life. In addition, gustatory enjoyment is one of the main objectives pursued of the human struggle. The art of Chinese cuisine is compatible with the development of human history in the process, more scientific than the progress of the English diet. As Zhang Qijun in his work Cooking Principles said: The United States is unprecedented least affluent society, but till today, in essence it is still 'food to eat' stage. There are still some distances from entering the
7

Comparison on Dietary Culture Between Chinese and English

realm of art. In China, The role of diet goes beyond the subsistence of existence, which is designed not only to have the physical presence, but also to meet people's spiritual needs for pleasure. It is positive to enrich people's life performance, and fine arts, music, literature, etc. which have the same level of significance to the improvement of life.

5.2 Artistry vs. Rationality

Chinese diet tends to artistry, the so-called art realm, in fact, that is a complete leap from the necessity to freedom. It is characterized by randomness. For example, similar dishes, because of the differences in area, season, target, function and grade, it has different treatments on operation. Set braised fish for example, in winter deep colors are advised and tastes are advised strongly, but in summer it should be light color and flavor. And for the people in Zhejiang province, their dishes can be put up more sugar in the braised fish, and if facing Chuanxiang customers it should allocate spicy. It is easy to see that if out of the arbitrary, there would be no cooking variety; we will lose the unique charm of Chinese cuisine. Whereas in England, dishes in different areas and different seasons and facing different customers, is the same flavor, no changes. Although it is the most valuable banquet, which is just tableware known, conducted layout, and the vegetables remain the same as before. Moreover, as for materials, the English think the food is to eat, eating special "hard vegetables" such as large piece of meat, chicken block. China's cuisine is "taste". The Chinese cooking in materials has shown tremendous arbitrariness: The things which many, many English people consider as disposable things in China are excellent raw materials. Foreign cooks are not able to deal with things, but in the hands of a Chinese chef, it can get a magic result. Chinese cuisine is evident in the wide use of materials. Besides skills, an excellent cook, of course, can do more complicated dishes. But facing the real simple materials and condiments, the cooks are often able to produce delicious flavors. It is the arbitrariness of skills. In the surface, the menu seems to be scientific. The English always use menu to buy ingredients to produce dishes, but in comparison, it is the machinery, and often powerless facing the complex specific situation. Of course, this mechanical science is still can be said as science, but it is primitive science, and it is not the complete science. Chinese cooking talks about artistry, but it still fit the requirements among the ever-changing, it can be said such science is a real science. The characters of English food which lacks nutrition and artistic atmosphere have great distinction from the artistic realm of Chinese cuisine.

Comparison on Dietary Culture Between Chinese and English

Chapter 6 Differences in the Nature

Differences in the nature of the Chinese and English diet are inosculated with the respective lifestyle and the pace of life. In England, 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", naturally with no interests, and all these have no word in terms of taste. 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. There still exist various differences between Chinese and English dietary cultures. But with the development of cultural communication between China and England, along with the strengthening of communication between China and the west, China has imported various kinds of western food, known as the "KFC" "DICOS", "McDonald". This marks a new western dietary culture exchanges and infiltration. We believe that with the development of society, the cultural differences between Chinese and western dietary will no longer be the difference.

Comparison on Dietary Culture Between Chinese and English

Chapter 7 Conclusion
By the text from this thesis, we can easily find that there still exist various differences between Chinese and English dietary cultures. But with the development of cultural communication between China and England, along with the strengthening of communication between China and England, China has imported various kinds of English food, known as the "KFC" "DICOS", "McDonald". These mark a new English food culture exchanges and infiltration. The impact brought about by economic globalization is stronger and deeper than the internationalization. Economic globalization is a double-edged sword, on one hand, it brings the vitality of economic growth, and on the other hand, the dominant culture is put into other countries through strong economic and infiltrated every corner of the globe. Therefore, the cultural communication focus on how to assimilate advantages of the other countries culture, abandon its shortcoming, and learn how to transform and make it localized, all countries need to study the issue. So in the face of the dietary cultural exchange problems between China and England, we should find each other's advantages and draw the mutual advantages, as China can learn from the point that English diet stresses nutrition match, and make the Chinese cuisine more outstanding. China is the country of a long history with an ancient culture, and enriching in cultural traditions. She feeds the 1.3 billion Chinese people, and Chinese culture is very inclusive; in the course of development, it absorbs a lot of different cultures. Moreover, now China does more efforts to draw all the outstanding achievements in the World. China's reform and opening up policy create the conditions on international relations and cultural exchanges. We need to use such an opportunity to absorb the excellent cultures from other countries, to develop and create China's new culture. This thesis can make the world to know China better and let China go to the world.

Bibliography
10

Comparison on Dietary Culture Between Chinese and English

[1] Bassnegtt B. & Lefever. Translation, History, Culture [M]. Printer Publishers Limited, 1990. [2] Bram J. Language and Society [M]. Random House, 1995. [3] Cha, Y. R. A Grammar of Spoken Chinese. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1968. [4] Edward T. Hall. The Silent Language [M].New York: Anchor Book, 1990(4). [5] Hu Zhuanglin. Linguistics: A Course Book [M]. Beijing: Beijing University Press, 2001. [6] John Defrancis. Chinese-English Dictionary [M]. Chinese-English Great Dictionary Press, 1997. [7] Phillips J. Foreign Language Standards: Linking Research, Theories and Practice [M].Lincolnwood: National Textbook Company, 1999. [8] .[M]. 2007. [9] .---[M].2005. [10] .[M]. 1999(3). [11] . [M] 2000(1). [12]. [M] 2002(1). [13] ,.[M].2005. [14] .[M]. 2000.

11