What is the difference?

Written by Kieran Lambert

When asked if they have eaten Chinese food before, most Americans will tell you that they have. Perhaps one of their favorite places in their hometown is "Golden Iron Pot" or "China Gate", or some other equally ordinary Chinese fast food chain stores. To tell the truth, this is not Chinese food. In this regard, it is not American, but somewhere in between. In fact, authentic Chinese food is quite different from what most westerners think.

Most Chinese dishes use a lot of oil. When tasting authentic Chinese food for the first time, most westerners will be too heavy to finish it. Most Americans are used to eating pasta, salads or dry goods such as bread and cereals, which are very popular in European countries such as France and Italy. Due to constant health reminders in western diets, oil is rarely used. Therefore, dishes are often lighter for the stomach. However, in Taiwan Province, a meal without oil is like a sandwich without bacon.

Also, in Taiwan Province, culture and philosophy are often mixed with food. Even in a meal, there is a certain aspect of "yin" and "yang", the balance of power. Food is considered to have "hot" and "cold" properties, and these two types of food are often served together in a balanced proportion to keep your health. For example, a common dessert is a cake made of red beans (a "hot" food) and mung beans (a "cold" food). Combining these two foods, this dish is considered to be balanced.

Besides, rice is very important in Chinese food. However, most Americans will mix their food with rice, but this is not the traditional way of eating in China. Eat other foods first. If you like, you can use rice as a kind of "tablecloth". The sauce in the food falls on the rice, season the rice, and then the rice can be eaten.

It's hard to say what real "American" food is. Unlike oriental food, which has a unique culture and identity, American food is just food from other countries. Some people call America "the melting pot of the world" because there are many people from different backgrounds living there. They combine different cultures and create new and indescribable things. I think American food can say the same. It is very likely that the only thing that the United States has added to the food world is actually not a food at all, but a way to provide food; Fast food. As usual, Americans think that "if others do something, we can do it faster and make money from it." It seems that there are few countries without McDonald's, Burger King or KFC. Although this is not something I am particularly proud of, I think it is the only "food" that I can call pure American.

Which is better? China food, its culture, philosophy, clear identity, and heavy use of oil? Or a wide variety of nameless, stateless and disgusting "American" food?

You decide. There is a world of food outside. Have a good appetite!

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Differences between western and Asian cuisines

European and American dishes usually belong to the category of western food, although sometimes western food also includes dishes from other countries in Oceania, such as Australia. And what do food lovers think of when they hear western food? Steaks, hamburgers, large fries, sausages and ribs are just some of them.

Western food and other cuisines have some common characteristics. The first is the number of services. Compared with traditional Asian dishes, western food is much bigger. What is considered "giant" or oversized in Asian food is just an ordinary size in western cooking. Of course, generally speaking.

In western cooking, meat is also used in large quantities. If meat is only a part of food in Asian cooking, it is the main star in western cooking. Think steak. Thick slices of meat are the main course of this meal. There are other foods on the plate, such as mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables, but meat is the only reason why the plate is prepared in the first place.

The use of rice also distinguishes western cooking from eastern cooking. In western cooking, rice is rarely served as a side dish, usually oriental western food. Rice has the same treatment as steamed vegetables, steamed vegetables, mashed potatoes, French fries and corn cob. In contrast, an Asian meal without rice is incomplete. This is a staple food. Noodles can replace rice, although rice and noodles can appear at the same time in a meal.

But just like Asian cooking, western food also pays great attention to the use of condiments and seasonings. You can easily find ketchup, mustard, gravy and other sauces and condiments in restaurants specializing in western food.

In Singapore, unlike before, western food is everywhere now. It's easy to find fast food restaurants serving western food now. Western food can also be found in hawker centers or open-air squares with food stalls, so if you want to eat hamburgers or French fries, you can buy them.

The greatness of catering lies in the fusion of cultural orientation, which makes westerners feel that Asian cooking is satisfactory, while Asians feel that western food is a great enjoyment. This correlation between taste and preference gives more restaurants a good reason to offer these two kinds of food. Therefore, at the intersection of eastern and western cultures, you can definitely find delicious food.