Eating Culture in China

Eating is a dominant aspect of the Chinese culture. Family reunion， business talk， friends party， big day celebration are all in forms of a kind of eating in China. Chinese cuisine is also highly popular in other parts of the world— from Asia to the Americas， Australia， Western Europe and Southern Africa.

Traditional staples

Flour and rice are the two main food staples in China. In

general， rice (米飯 mǐ fàn) is the major food source for people

from rice farming areas in southern China. Rice is also used to produce beers， wines and vinegars. In wheat farming areas in Northern China， people largely rely on flour based foods such as noodles， breads， dumplings and steamed buns.

Noodles (面條 miàn tiáo) are symbolic of long life and

good health according to Chinese tradition. It is also a tradition to eat noodles at one’s birthday. They come dry or fresh in a variety of sizes， shapes and textures and are often served in soups and fried as toppings.

Tofu (豆腐 dòu fu) is another popular product often used

as a meat or cheese substitute. It is a soy-based product which is highly nutritious， inexpensive and versatile. It has a high protein/fat ratio.

A tradition of Chinese big banquet is called the Manchu

Han Imperial Feast (滿漢全席 mǎn hàn quán xí). It is a feast

that consisted of at least 108 unique dishes from the Manchu and Han cultures- is one of the most notable Chinese cuisines since the Qing Dynasty. Regional cuisines

A number of different styles contribute to Chinese cuisine， but the best known and most influential are Shandong

cuisine (魯菜 l? cài)， Sichuan cuisine (川菜 chuān cài)， Jiangsu cuisine (蘇菜 sū cài) and Guangdong (Cantonese) cuisine(粵菜 yuè cài)， which are called the Famous Four Cuisines in China (四大菜系 sì dà cài xì). These styles are distinctive

from one another due to factors such as available resources， climate， geography， history， cooking techniques and lifestyle. Sichuan style favours the use of lots of garlic and shallots over lots of chilli and spices， while Guangdong favors preparing seafood over other meats and fowl. Jiangsu cuisine favors cooking techniques such as braising and stewing， while Sichuan cuisine employs baking， scalding， and wrapping.

Hairy crab is a highly sought after local delicacy in Shanghai， as it can be found in lakes within the region. Beijing Roast Duck is another popular dish which is well known outside China. Based on the raw materials and ingredients used， the method of preparation， and cultural differences， a variety of foods with different flavors and textures are prepared in different regions of the country. Many traditional regional cuisines rely on basic methods of preservation such as drying， salting， pickling and fermentation.

Inviting guests

In China， eating out is one of the most accepted ways to treat guests. Similar to Westerners drinking in a bar with friends， eating together in China is a way to socialize and deepen friendship.

There are common rules for inviting guests over. When the guest of honor enters into the room， the hosts stand until the guest of honor is seated. The host then orders the dishes brought， and the guest should be silent. When the dishes arrive， the meal begins with a toast from the host， and the guests then make a toast in turn in the honor of the host. The guest of honor should be the first one to start the meal. The best food in a dish should be left for the guest of honor. When the hostess says her food is not good enough， the guest must be courteous and tell her it is the best food he has ever tasted. Guests should never “split the bill” with the host. A guest who “split(s) the bill” is very ungracious and embarrassing to the host. However， it is expected for the guest to offer to pay for the meal multiple times， but ultimately allow the host to pay.

Chopstick usage

In most dishes in Chinese cuisine， food is cooked in bitesized pieces and easy to grab and eat. Therefore， chopsticks

(筷子 kuài zi) are used at the table instead of forks and knives. Since chopsticks are often used in many dishes in Chinese cuisine， knowing the correct chopsticks usage is essential. The most common chopsticks usages are the following:

* It does not matter whether you grab the chopsticks in the middle or at the end， but you should make sure that the ends are even.

* Chopsticks are not used to move bowls or plates.

* Chopsticks are not used to toy with one’s food or with dishes in common.

* When not in use， chopsticks must always be placed neatly on the table with two sticks lying tidily next to each other at both ends.

* Treat chopsticks as extension of your fingers， and do not point at other people or wave chopsticks around.

* Do not suck the tips of chopsticks.

* Do not pierce food with chopsticks.

* Do not point the chopsticks at another person. This amounts to insulting that person.

* Do not bang your chopsticks like drums. It implies you are a child.

* Do not stick chopsticks vertically in a bowl of rice; it implies the food is for the dead.