A Comparative Study of the Differences between Chinese and Western Dietary Cultures

黃偉

【Abstract】Different countries have different dietary cultures. There are huge differences between China and western countries on the dietary cultures， such as the different attitudes，the different tableware and the different eating manners. The author tries to analyze those differences to make people understand each other better.

【Key words】Attitudes； Tableware； Eating manners

With the development of economy， the global is just like a village. As villagers on the earth， people need to communicate with each other. But different countries have different dietary cultures. Only people know other peoples dietary cultures， can they understand and respect each other better.

1. Different attitudes on diet

There is an old saying in China. That is “民以食為天”， Which means that， as to the ordinary people， eating food is the most important thing. People have a serious attitude towards the food. People enjoy every dish and trade every dish as an art， pursuing the color， fragrance， taste， visual aesthetics and symbolic meanings. For example， there is a dish named “龍鳳湯”，the main element are snake and chicken. In order to pursuit the symbolic meaning， people compare snake to dragon and chicken to phoenix. In the traditional legend， they symbolize authority and wealth. It is a wonderful dish in peoples eyes.

In western countries， people pay much attention to the nutrition. The German even only eat a little meat each meal for they cant absorb the nutrition if they eat more. Their first priority is nutrition， second priority is saving time， and after that they consider the symbolic meanings and visual aesthetics of the dishes. KFC is very popular among western people. In fact， western people do not pay much attention to what they eat. Every day they eat beefsteak， hamburger， French fry， tomato juice. The feature of their food is monotony. They treat diets as one of their tasks which the need to finish it.

2. Different tableware

In China， people use chopsticks and spoons when we are eating， while the western people use knives and forks. In traditional Chinese culture， the harmony between human being and nature is emphasized by the governors and the scholars. Chopsticks are made from bamboo or wood， which embodies the harmony. Western people use knives and forks. They need cut the meat and stick the meat and eat them. Just imagine—when people have their dinner， two of them conflict with each other. Suddenly the battle breaks out. If they have knives on their hands， it will be more dangerous than having chopsticks. In fact， the western tableware embody that people want to conquer the nature. Although western people seems have already realized the importance of protecting the environment， they kept on using knives and forks.

3. Different table manners and eating habits

In China， people often share every dish on the table. People value collectivism. They live by groups and enjoy sharing food with other people. The will make the most of the opportunity to communicate with each other， exchange their information and even debate with each other. Because they think eating together can improve their relationship， they keep on chatting. But in the restaurant， it is really a mess and full of all kinds of noisy. The western people each have a plate and only eat the food in their own plate. Individualism is their god. They need privacy and dont want to share the food. They do not talk much when the have meals.

In China， the seats which face south are considered noble seats. It has a deep relationship with the traditional culture. In history， the emperors always face the south whatever their palace or seats. In modern society， people who have a higher status or the old people have those special seats. Woman and children cant eat on the table in ancient times. This unseeing rule still has some influence on modern people. In western countries， the most respectable guests will sit on the left hand of the host. It is said that the host can protect the guests better in this way. Woman first is still the most popular custom.

4. Conclusion

In order to have a harmonious world， people should know each others culture， understand the differences and respect the differences. The more people know the differences， the better they understand each other.

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