Differences between Chinese and American Language Cultures from the Aspect of Fo

Introduction

Food　culture　is　the　sum　of　human　dietary　behavior，　conception，　technology　and　its　products.　It　shows　human　natural　choice　and　dietary　way　of　life　that　is　suited　to　special　geographical　environment　and　humane　environment　through　common　practice.　Cultural　differences　between　China　and　America　create　the　differences　of　food　culture，　which　come　from　the　different　cultural　values，　ways　of　thinking　and　philosophy.

Complexity　and　Simplicity

Chinese　regard　cooking　as　the　expression　of　personal　feelings　and　understanding　of　the　ways　of　life，　so　Chinese　cooking　is　complicated.　There　is　no　standard，　so　it　reflects　Chinese　people's　emotional　thinking.　People　would　rather　spend　time　and　energy　in　pursuit　of　the　authentic　taste　or　innovation　or　the　perfect　combination　of　color　and　smell.　Western　chef's　work　is　relatively　simple.　What　they　should　do　is　just　to　make　the　process　of　cooking　a　dish　standardized.　Standardization　and　mass　production　brought　about　fast　food.　Westerners　value　much　about　time　and　efficiency，　and　fast　food　are　just　to　meet　their　particular　idea　about　the　efficient　nutritional　diet，　which　save　time　for　both　chefs　and　consumers.　They　believe　that　food　is　mainly　supplements　to　human　nutrition，　and　more　efficient　time　to　consider　how　to　have　more　access　to　wealth.

Artistic　Conception　and　Straightforward

Chinese　food　poetic　effects　mainly　manifest　in　the　name　of　the　dish，　which　contains　a　lot　of　people's　imagination.　"Farewell　My　Concubine"　was　one　of　them，　whose　ingredient　is　the　chicken　and　turtle.　Because　"Ji"　sound　the　same　with　the　"chicken"　and　"Overlord"　sound　like　"bastard"　which　is　another　name　for　soft-shelled　turtle，　in　this　way　this　dish　is　named　that.　And　thus　the　name　take　people　back　to　the　memory　of　Xiang　Yu.　This　artistic　concept　is　the　conception　of　beauty　which　Chinese　people　pursue，　to　express　the　indirect　thinking　in　a　unique　way.Chinese　people　tend　to　find　their　own　weakness　in　response　to　other　people's　praise　to　show　his　humility，　which　is　the　reflection　of　an　indirect　expression.

Meal　together　and　Individual　Serving

Chinese　diet　implement　a　system　to　meal　together，　and　the　amount　of　food　is　more　than　that　can　be　eaten　up.　But　the　Western　practice　the　individual　serving，　thinking　that　it　is　healthier.　People　take　what　they　need，and　food　will　not　be　wasted.　From　this　point，　we　can　also　see　the　different　"individual"　concepts　reflected　by　different　eating　habits.　Chinese　care　about　the　collective　concept，　while　the　Western　emphasis　individuals.　The　Chinese　people　pay　more　attention　to　interpersonal　relationships，　and　this　is　one　of　the　reasons　why　people　dining　together.　Western　culture　has　always　been　human-centered.　From　their　angle，　it　is　a　person　his　inner　side　not　others　who　decide　what　a　person　he　would　be.　In　their　diet　what　they　first　consider　is　whether　the　food　is　healthy　or　not，　whether　people　choose　their　food　at　their　will.　So　people　get　used　to　dining　separately.

Different　Seating　Arrangements

Seating　arrangements　on　family　dinner　table　reflect　the　Chinese　people’s　value　about　family　ethics.　Inequality　of　Confucianism　is　manifested　in　the　obligation　of　the　elderly　and　young　people　in　the　opposite　direction.　Young　people　must　respect　elders，　while　the　elderly　will　have　to　establish　the　dignity.　On　the　contrary，　independence　is　the　mainstream　of　western　ideology.　Western　people　advocate　individualistic，　and　the　development　of　the　individual.　Individuals　do　not　need　to　change　in　order　to　achieve　consistence　with　their　society.　One　aspect　of　individualism　is　egalitarian，　and　this　is　the　pursuit　of　the　West　since　the　Renaissance.

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