Cultural differences between Chinese and Western diets. 1. Diet concept, taste and nutrition: Due to the differences between Chinese and Western philosophies, westerners attach importance to science in diet, which means nutrition. Therefore, western diets take nutrition as the highest criterion, and eating is like adding fuel to a living machine, especially paying attention to the nutritional components of food, whether the contents of protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and various inorganic elements are properly matched, whether the calorie supply is just right, and whether these nutritional components can be used by eaters. These questions are asked by the university in cooking, and the color, fragrance and taste of the dishes are second-class requirements. Even in France, the leading food country in the west, although its food culture is similar to ours in many aspects, when it comes to nutrition, the two sides have pulled away. China's cooking technique of "Five Flavors Harmony" aims at seeking delicacy. During the processing, hot frying and long-term slow fire attack will destroy the nutritional components of dishes. Although French cooking also pursues delicacy, at the same time, it never forgets the premise of "nutrition". They don't want to give up nutrition and seek delicacy. Especially in the 196s, the modern cooking trend of thought put special emphasis on health preservation and weight loss, thus pursuing lightness and less oil, emphasizing the use of fresh raw materials, and emphasizing the preservation of original nutrients and original flavor in the cooking process, so vegetables are basically eaten raw. Therefore, the emphasis on nutrition in western diet is universal. To be fair, talking about nutrition also touches the biggest weakness of China's diet. Although we pay attention to dietotherapy, food supplement, and food support, and attach importance to keeping healthy and strengthening the body through diet, our cooking takes the pursuit of delicacy as the primary requirement, resulting in many nutrients being lost in the processing. In recent years, Chinese chefs have participated in the world cooking competition, and the nutritional ingredients of a dish have been clearly listed, but we can't produce this material. After being asked questions, I was dumbfounded and confused, and I suffered a great loss! We have always regarded the pursuit of delicious food as the primary purpose of eating. There is a folk saying: "Food is the most important thing for the people, and taste is the first thing to eat". Although people always say "good color, smell and taste" when praising food, it is because our sensory organs "eyes, nose and mouth" are arranged in this order. People's inner feelings about "color, fragrance and taste" have always been "taste". Western cooking pays attention to nutrition and ignores taste, at least not to enjoy taste as the primary purpose. They eat with cold drinks, and ice cubes are added to the chilled wine. Once the taste nerves all over the surface of the tongue are chilled, they greatly lose their taste sensitivity and gradually become unable to distinguish taste. The bloody steak, great white fish, great white meat, raw vegetables, boiled beans and boiled potatoes, although they have a "taste" but do not enter the "Tao", all of which reflect Westerners' neglect of taste. Their refusal to use monosodium glutamate is more than enough to prove that this generation belongs to people who don't know the taste, and they are not guests who know the taste! Based on the emphasis on nutrition, westerners eat more vegetables raw, not only tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce, but also cabbage, onions and broccoli. Therefore, their "salad" is like a plate of rabbit feed, which makes it difficult for us to accept. Modern China people also talk about nutrition and health care, and know that once vegetables are heated, vitamins will be destroyed, so we advocate stir-frying with strong fire. Although this also reduces the content of vitamins, it will not be completely lost, but it tastes much better than rabbit feed. Therefore, China's modern cookery aims at the best balance between nutrition and taste, which of course belongs to the "golden mean". 2. Casuality and standardization of cooking: Westerners emphasize science and nutrition in diet, so the whole process of cooking is strictly in accordance with scientific norms. The taste of steak is the same from new york to San Francisco, and the side dishes of steak are only limited to tomatoes, potatoes and lettuce. Furthermore, standardized cooking requires that the amount of seasoning added be accurate to grams and the cooking time be accurate to seconds. In addition, the article "Eating in Holland" published in the first issue of Overseas Digest in 1995 also described that "Dutch kitchens are equipped with scales, liquid measuring cups, timers and graduated pots, and dozens of seasoning bottles of uniform size are arranged on the seasoning rack, just like a chemical laboratory." China's cooking is totally different, not only the major cuisines have their own flavors and characteristics, but also the matching of the side dishes and seasonings used by the same cuisine will be different according to the chef's personal characteristics. Even if the same chef cooks the same dish, although it has its own method, it will be adjusted according to different seasons, different occasions and different identities of diners. In addition, due to the change of the chef's own on-the-spot mood, he will make some impromptu play. Therefore, China's cooking not only does not emphasize the standardization of accuracy to seconds and grams, but also emphasizes randomness. The randomness of food processing first led to the repeated expansion of China's menu space: the diversity of raw materials, knives, spices and cooking methods, and then cross-combined, one raw material can be made into several or even a dozen or dozens of dishes. For example, the most commonly used raw chicken, in the hands of Cantonese chefs, can cook dozens or even hundreds of dishes. So are other raw materials. Therefore, in places rich in a certain raw material, tables of banquets can often be made with this raw material, such as "all-duck banquet" in Beijing, "all-dog banquet" in Yanbian, "all-fish banquet" and "all-oyster banquet" in Guangdong, "all-cow banquet" in Li Hesheng, Changsha, "all-sheep banquet" in some Muslim restaurants in Beijing and "all-pig banquet" in Beijing casserole house, which embodies China cooking everywhere. 3. Dining methods and tableware: In terms of dining methods. In China, no matter what kind of banquet, everyone sits around and enjoys a seat. Delicious food is placed in the middle of the table, which is not only the object enjoyed by a table, but also the medium for everyone to exchange feelings. At the dinner table, people in China like to toast each other, take food, and raise a glass, which is very harmonious and interesting. In the west, it is different. When they get together to eat or treat guests, they are not as enthusiastic as China people, and the guests and hosts are not so polite. Westerners pay more attention to individual independence, each eating his own food, and have no interest in chatting and having fun in China. The dishes served in Chinese food are rich and varied, usually 8 or 1 dishes and 12 dishes, with various varieties, from main course to soup, dessert to fruit, and the order is also exquisite. Westerners feast on cows, sheep, pork chops and so on. In terms of tableware, the difference is even more obvious. As we all know, China people, including some Asian countries with yellow race, use chopsticks, spoons and bowls for eating. Westerners, on the other hand, hold food on a plate and eat it immediately with a knife and fork, while drinking soup with a special spoon. Chopsticks and knives and forks are the two most representative tableware in the East and the West. Chopsticks and knives and forks have influenced the different lifestyles of the East and the West, representing two different kinds of wisdom. Chopsticks were called chopsticks in ancient times, and the origin of chopsticks can be traced back to the Zhou Dynasty. Chopsticks were all mentioned in The Book of Rites, Xunzi and Historical Records. In Han Feizi, Zhou Wang, who is famous for his extravagance, was especially mentioned, and he used "Xiangzhu" to eat. Professor You Xiuling of Zhejiang University believes that the difference between eating tools chopsticks and knives and forks in the East and the West has something to do with the environment, and chopsticks should originate in places with bamboo. The Eastern Han Dynasty and Xu Shen's "Shuowen Jiezi" said: "From the bamboo sound." It just verifies such a conclusion. Chopsticks are characterized by "changing with constancy". It is amazing to expect that the flat, long, short, hard and soft chopsticks can all be picked up in one clip. This has always made China people proud and regarded it as a symbol of progress. Knife and fork appeared much later than chopsticks. According to Professor You Xiuling's research, the original origin of knives and forks was related to the living habits of ancient European nomads. They immediately lived with knives and often cooked the meat and cut it to eat. After settling in the city, knives and forks enter the family kitchen, so you don't have to take them with you. But it wasn't until about the 18th century that there were four-pointed forks. So the use of knives and forks in the west is only four or five hundred years old. Compared with the simplicity of chopsticks, there are many kinds of knives and forks, which belong to special tools, but this kind of "specialty" is often ignored by Chinese people because it often shows "great ingenuity". Back to the dining table, perhaps we can handle the stewed soybean trotters with ease. Once we meet the steak, I'm afraid the chopsticks will feel ashamed. Knife and fork then show their professional expertise. Different people have different opinions. It is difficult to draw a conclusion about the relationship between chopsticks, knives and forks and the way of thinking. However, there is a scientific basis for saying that using chopsticks is more conducive to exercising thinking ability. Scientists have put forward a research result on chopsticks from the physiological point of view, and concluded that when eating with chopsticks, more than 3 joints and more than 5 muscles of the human body should be affected, thus stimulating the activities of the brain nervous system and making people move flexibly and think quickly. There is no doubt that scientific principles are hidden in chopsticks. When interviewed by a Japanese reporter, Dr. Li Zhengdao, a famous physicist and Nobel Prize winner in physics, also made a very incisive statement: "The Chinese nation is an excellent nation, and China people used chopsticks as early as the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. Such simple two things, however, use the lever principle in physics wonderfully. Chopsticks are an extension of human fingers. They can do almost everything that fingers can do, and they are not afraid of high temperature and cold. It's brilliant! " 4. Dining etiquette: In terms of etiquette, the Chinese and the Western are more different. In ancient China, in the process of dining, there was a set of red tape. The Book of Rites Quji states: "If you don't have enough food, don't choose your hands, don't put your rice, …… don't raise your rice, …… if you eat, the guest kneels from the front, and if you sprinkle your rice together, the host will leave the guest and then sit down." The main idea of this passage is: when you eat together, you can't just eat by yourself. If you eat with others, you must check your hands. Don't put the extra rice back into the pot, don't occupy the food exclusively, and don't fan the hot rice. After eating, the guests should get up and clean up the dishes on the table and give them to the host. The host will get up and ask the guests not to work, and then the guests will sit down. Some of these manners are also necessary in modern times. In western banquets, the host usually only gives the guests a dish once, and the rest is eaten by the guests themselves. If the guests don't want it, it's inconvenient to force others to eat it again, and don't give them a toast and a dish frequently according to the habits of China people. Don't make noise when eating, but guests should pay attention to appreciate the meals prepared by the host. If you talk to people, you can only talk to your neighbor, not to people who are far away. 5. Future prospect of Chinese and Western food: For China people, we began to taste Chinese food as soon as we were born, so we are more or less tired of Chinese food. At the same time, we are now in the form of economic globalization. The entry of western food makes us feel fresh, and we begin to get used to going in and out of western fast food restaurants and taste western food or western fast food different from Chinese food. However, after all, the dietary concepts and habits of China people are very different from those of the West, which determines the basic position of Chinese diet in the minds of Chinese people, and it will never change because of the intervention of western food. However, with the development of society and the gradual improvement of living standards, western food will become more and more popular in China, but it can only be a "seasoning" for most people's lives, and there will never be a day when China people will take western food as their staple food.