1. Geographical location: Hangzhou is located in the southeastern coastal area of ??China. Its geographical location is far inland and relatively far away from fertile farmland and fishing grounds.

This has resulted in Hangzhou being relatively scarce in raw material resources, especially seafood.

In contrast, places like Shanghai and Fujian, due to their proximity to the sea and abundant seafood resources, have formed unique local food cultures.

2. Local characteristics: Hangzhou’s food culture is relatively elegant and light, focusing on the original taste and pursuing a natural and harmonious taste.

Some people believe that this traditional style that pursues original taste may be relatively conservative and lacks some bold and innovative food elements, resulting in a relatively single and relatively "conservative" taste.

3. Population structure: Hangzhou is a large city in China with a large population. However, due to historical reasons, Hangzhou’s population structure is relatively single and lacks a rich multi-ethnic and multi-cultural blend. This has affected the food culture of Hangzhou to a certain extent.

Diversity.

In contrast, international metropolises such as Beijing and Shanghai have attracted a large number of people from all over the country and the world, forming a rich and diverse food culture.

It should be noted that although Hangzhou is nicknamed a "food desert", in fact, Hangzhou's food culture is rich and diverse, especially in traditional Hangzhou cuisine and Southern Song court cuisine, which have unique characteristics and advantages.

At the same time, with the development of tourism and the integration of foreign cultures, Hangzhou is gradually enriching and innovating its food culture, attracting more and more food lovers and tourists.

Therefore, calling Hangzhou a "food desert" may be too one-sided. In fact, it also has rich connotations and potential in terms of food.

Overall, although Hangzhou is nicknamed a “food desert,” this statement does not fully sum up the city’s food culture.

Although due to factors such as geographical location, local characteristics and population structure, Hangzhou's food is relatively elegant, light and conservative in taste, this does not mean that Hangzhou lacks food.

In fact, Hangzhou has a rich food culture in terms of traditional Hangzhou cuisine and Southern Song court cuisine. At the same time, Hangzhou is constantly innovating and absorbing foreign culture, enriching its own food connotation.