Every culture in our world can be recognized based on their national cuisine. Food originated from a particular country is a reflection of this state’s history, climate, geography, culture, and habits. Food is one of the most significant cultural elements for every nation. This paper presents a discussion of the meaning of food as a part of culture in China based on a chosen episode from “A Bite of China” series.
The film called “A Bite of China” is focused on the Chinese national cuisine, its authenticity and diversity. The chosen episode explores the meaning and role of tofu for the Chinese people. The episode follows various ways of preparing tofu, numerous meals based on tofu and a huge variety of its transformations. The narrator of the film explains that the Chinese cuisine has always been recognized for its incredible versatility and a variety of ingredients composing diets of the Chinese people. Yet, the main focus of the episode is tofu. The film demonstrates different shapes and states of tofu which is eaten as an independent meal, or added as an ingredient to other dishes.
The Chinese cooks have amazing understanding of tofu and their ability to transform it (ChinaHDTV001, 2014). It is mesmerizing to watch tofu coagulate, be dried, boiled, fried and served in all kinds of shapes. Milk is the ingredient that is explored next. In the Chinese and the Mongolian cultures milk is one of the most popular parts of a diet. Just like tofu it is transformed in multiple ways. The film shows how in the Chinese and the Mongolian cultures cooks use the potential of this substance to the fullest. It is impressive how many ways of preparing tofu the people of China have invented. Basically, the cooks there are familiar with every chemical reaction and response of tofu, all of its properties and capacities. Clearly, this ingredient is of great importance to the Chinese since it is a source of calories and proteins able to replace meat which has always been scarce in China.
Culture is can be defined as a composition of typical behaviors, traditions, beliefs and objects employed by the representatives of a particular social group. This way, religion, spirituality, art and creations of a certain society compile its culture. Culture also is seen as a collection of manners, habits and rules. Culture is not a fixed concept, it undergoes changes over time, and it also fall under the influences of other cultures assimilating with them or adopting particular new aspects as a result of interaction between two cultures. Even though culture is unstable, it can bind individual very tightly. People who belong to the same culture share similar habits and beliefs, their identities are alike, so they can relate to each other. Various aspects of culture serve to link people together, the bond may happen on an ethnic, religious, racial, or even gender level.
In sociology society is a group of people sharing a culture (Culture and Society Defined, 2014). This way, the society and culture are very close. Growing up as a part of certain society one automatically becomes a part of a culture of this society, so their identity starts to shape according to the beliefs, traditions and manners typical for their cultural surroundings. One person can be a part of more than one culture. The United States of America is filled with examples of this. There groups of immigrants and their descendants view themselves as Americans, yet they still carefully preserve their original cultures and identities.
Food is a significant part of one’s culture. Centuries ago when all of the nations lived in isolation from one another each of them developed its own authentic lifestyle. The original cuisine of each nation was dictated by the geographic location of their homelands and the main features of the climate and resources of the area. For example, most island cultures have diets consisting of seafood as fishing was one of the easiest ways to get food. In cultures originated in deserts people have heavy and sugary diets since they need calories to survive and work in extreme heat. Besides, traditional cuisine is often a reflection of religious beliefs dominant on a certain territory.
This way, many Buddhists and Hindus have vegetarian diets or tend to avoid beef, Muslim people do not consume pork, in the countries of South East Asia people eat insects as they are a source of protein required for harmonious growth and physical development. Today, due to the process of globalization many cultures clashed, mixed together, assimilated and transformed. Chinese food is very popular in the United States, while the American KFC is loved in China. At the same time, preserving old recipes and making traditional meals is a way to reconnect with one’s roots, honor one’s legacy. Traditionally, in every culture food is a major part of national celebrations, family gatherings. Each nation has its own holidays and customs which are always associated with certain meals. This way, in the US turkey is a main dish for Thanksgiving, and in Germany a goose is cooked for Christmas. Even the way of eating food is different from a culture to a culture – someone uses chopsticks, someone prefers fork and knife, someone just employs their own fingers and hands (Marquit, 2012).
China is a rather multinational country. It has one dominant ethnic group called Han. The representatives of this ethnic group compose over 90 per cent of the population of China. The rest of population consists of 55 other ethnicities. Even though all of these 55 ethnicities are considered minorities, they may include millions of representatives. Among them there are Mongols, Kazakhs, Uyghurs, and Tibetans. In the episode of “A Bite of China” it is demonstrated that culture in this country is divided not only between various ethnicities but also between different areas known for their dominant industries – some produce wine, some make soy sauce, some prepare and sell tofu. The level to which the Chinese professional brewers and cooks have developed their skills is an excellent demonstration of the innovative and inventive nature of the Chinese people, their adaptability and capacity to use each available resource to the fullest and take everything from their environment.
It is said that when life provides lemons one is to make lemonade, but it seems like the Chinese hard workers would not only make lemonade, but also save the peels to produce zest and then collect the seeds of these lemons and plant them to get more lemons. The practicality of this nation is amazing, and their traditional cuisine reflects the history of the society and its stoic and intelligent nature.
Reference List
ChinaHDTV001. (2014). A Bite of China English S1E3 Inspiration for Change. Web.
Culture and Society Defined. (2014). CliffsNotes. Web.
Marquit, M. (2012). Food: An important part of most cultures. Web.