Chinese food culture
China's food culture has a long history and is an important part of the treasure house of Chinese culture. Together with French cuisine and Turkish cuisine, it is also known as the world's three major cooking systems, and it is also a place that our Chinese sons and daughters are proud of. China's food culture has rich and colorful cultural connotations and a solid technical foundation. It is the crystallization of culture, science and art, with taste as the core and cultivation as the purpose. Different geographical locations, different nationalities and different styles, but it is also an unparalleled catering culture. There are many kinds of local cuisines with unique flavor and fragrance, which are popular all over the world and deeply attract countless overseas lovers. It can also be said that diet kung fu is also a kind of knowledge, a prominent feature and a way of communication.
Connotation culture
China's food culture has always paid attention to color, fragrance and taste, and the form of food, which can be summarized by "essence", "beauty" and "emotion". These words reflect the unique cultural background of food quality, aesthetic experience, emotional activities and social functions in the process of food activities, and also reflect the close relationship between food culture and Chinese excellent traditional culture.
The essence is a summary of the inherent quality of China's food culture. As a cultural spirit, this exquisite consciousness permeates and implements the whole process of gourmet activities. The choice of ingredients, cooking, compatibility, and even the eating environment all reflect the word "essence".
Beauty embodies the aesthetic characteristics of food culture. One of the important reasons why Chinese food can conquer the world lies in its beauty. This kind of beauty refers to the perfect unity of the form and content of China's diet activities, and refers to the aesthetic pleasure and spiritual enjoyment it brings to people. The beauty of Chinese food is not only reflected in the taste, but also in the form, color, utensils and even the clothes of the service staff, which makes people feel the impact and enjoyment of beauty all the time. It can be seen that beauty, as a basic connotation of food culture, is the charm of China's food, which runs through every link of food activities.
Love, China culture has always been linked by love. Similarly, Chinese food "love" is an important function. In China, eating is actually a medium of emotional communication between people and a unique social activity. Chat, talk about business, exchange information and interview while eating. Throughout the ages, China people used to express their farewell or welcome at the dining table, and people often used the dining table to calm their mood swings. With the accelerated pace of social life, people pay more and more attention to the social adjustment function and psychological massage function of diet activities.
Essence, beauty, affection and propriety respectively summarize the basic connotation of China's food culture from different angles. In other words, these four aspects organically constitute the overall concept of China's food culture. Essence and beauty focus on the image and quality of diet, while affection and courtesy focus on the mentality, customs and social functions of diet. However, they do not exist in isolation, but are interdependent and mutually causal. Only its "essence" can have a complete "beauty"; Only its beauty can inspire "love"; Only "emotion" can conform to the "ceremony" of the times. They are closely linked and perfectly unified, which constitutes the highest realm of China's food culture. Only by accurately grasping "essence, beauty, affection and courtesy" can we deeply understand China's food culture and better inherit and carry forward China's food culture.
Formal culture
Chinese food often pays attention to fine and exquisite ingredients and ever-changing skills. From the point of view of knife technique, it needs the consistent cooperation of eye, knife and heart to reach a certain level. In the cooking process, we should grasp the temperature and taste, which shows the profoundness of China culture. A dish is a dish, which is harmonious, and it can also show that China people are naturally angry. They are round-oriented, gentle and elegant, and are often enjoyed by people. They eat with chopsticks and are smart and good at thinking. The rational and intellectual image of China people is vividly displayed in their diet. Catering culture
Chinese catering generally takes the form of round table meal, which is an important embodiment of China catering culture and can often create a harmonious atmosphere. Catering culture is a living habit and cultural tradition formed and preserved by a country or a nation under long-term historical conditions (the dining form of China embodies some characteristics of the dining culture tradition of China), and China people have long been accustomed to this dining way.
Western food culture
The western food culture is quite different from that of China. Western food culture is formed on the basis of western traditional culture and through the continuous improvement of modern industrial culture, which invisibly permeates some aspects of western cultural tradition, such as equality, freedom, hygiene and privacy.
Leisure culture
Fast food restaurants are the most popular in the United States, and American fast food culture embodies leisure culture. French fries, fried chicken, drinks and so on are the most common things in western recipes. It is these ordinary things that can't be seen on the big table in Chinese food that have become big enterprises in the world, such as McDonald's and KFC. This may be related to Americans' concept of time and lifestyle. The United States pays attention to efficiency and is the most informal. The rapid development of fast food culture in America is probably related to their nature. Hygiene, efficiency, time-saving and leisure romance are the cultural basis for the development of western-style fast food.
A culture of equality and freedom
In Chinese food, the placement of seats, the placement of tableware, the rules of eating, and the behavior at the table are all restricted by the rules established by traditional culture, not to mention the identity of guests, elders, hobbies and other factors that limit the form of eating. In western food, diet is always the embodiment of everyone's equality and freedom. Everyone decides the type and weight of food independently, which is suitable for different meals and is rich and frugal for himself. On most occasions, the "AA" system is implemented. Eating is your own business, and everyone can sit together and enjoy the food equally and freely.
Catering culture
Western-style dining habits are carried out on long tables, and the system of separate meals is implemented, that is, each person orders a meal and holds one. The most common serving service is to put the food on each plate in the kitchen, which is served by the kitchen waiter and then delivered to each guest quickly and politely. On the surface, the form of western food looks less lively and more polite and independent, but in essence, the most important thing is to reflect hygiene. The dining system can also embody the concept of moderate frugality and reasonable diet, and overcome the shortcomings of Chinese food, such as ostentation and extravagance. The dishes and staple food of the separate meal system are all quantified by people, which can reduce waste. Whether it is a pre-meal snack or a dinner, the ingredients are linked to the diners' food intake, and the dishes are as few as possible, but every meal is guaranteed to be finished. The separate dining system enables each guest to have a clear quantitative concept of the number of personal meals, which is beneficial to health while reducing waste. Our current buffets and cold meals also reflect this purpose.