All About China
For our last week of the Olympic Food Series, we turn to China for the final lap. But first, we start this week off with some geographical, historical, and cultural facts. Like most Chinese people, the history and culture of their motherland (or perhaps ancestral land to be more precise in my case) is drilled into my mind since childhood. And perhaps even within the womb. Like, instead of listening to classical music in the womb, babies listen to Chinese music and grandparent’s tales of the old country. Jk.
China is the most populous and the 4th largest country in the world. When people think about China, people generally think of places like Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. It’s kind of sad though, because China is so diverse in both culture, ethnic diversity, terrain, and even weather.
It is also one of the oldest and continuous civilisations in the world, whose history is rich and vast. And sometimes (usually) not recognised by other Historians. The history stretches as far back as the Ancient Egyptian civilisation does, and perhaps even more – depending on which Historian you talk to. It was only in recent times did non-Chinese Historians believe that the Chinese civilisation extended as far as the Ancient Egyptians or beyond.
With such an ancient civilisation comes great inventions. And in fact, many major inventions that we still use today in modern times came from China. The greatest of the ancient Chinese inventions were actually highlighted in the Chinese Opening Ceremony in Beijing – paper, the compass, gunpowder, and printing. Some other important inventions and discoveries include toilet paper (wohoo!), suspension bridges, astronomy, and matches.
In terms of food, it’s the home of noodles, tofu, and using food as medicine. There are actually hundreds and possibly even thousands of different types of noodles and tofu, most of which is actually quite hard to find outside of China or even Asia.
There are 8 distinct food regions of China because back in the old days there were only 8 Chinese provinces. I bet you haven’t heard of half of them. You probably know Sichuan (also spelled Szechuan) and Guangdong/Cantonese. But I bet you haven’t heard of Hunan, Shandong (except of maybe the rice wine), Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Anhui. There are more different styles of Chinese cuisine now, as there are way more than 8 provinces in China. But even within a province there can be different distinct cuisines.
In Chinese cuisine, it is customary to plan a meal that consists of a variety of dishes that differ from one another in terms of both the ingredients and the method of preparation. For example, if one fish dish is steamed, the chicken should be fried, etc. A formal meal will of 8, 10, or 12 dishes – any number that is considered lucky depending upon the importance of the occasion and the budget.
Here are some basic things of what to do and not to do when dining with Chinese people.
1. When dining, the Host should be the first person to eat, unless the Host says that their guests should dig in first. If the Host insists that the guest eats first, it is customary to let the older people dig in first. Alternatively, you may assist in serving the older people before serving yourself.
2. If you are using chopsticks, please use it with your right hand. Using it with your left hand is considered impolite.
3. If you are sharing dishes, please use the chopsticks or spoon provided with the dish. Do not use your own chopsticks, as this is considered impolite in a formal setting. However, in an informal setting with family members it is perfectly acceptable to use your chopsticks to transfer food to their plate.
4. If you think a dish needs an additional ingredient (e.g. salt or soy sauce) do NOT go ahead and sprinkle it on the dish – even if the Host admits that his/her dish isn’t tasty for some reason. A classic example of this was in the Joy Luck Club movie, where the non-Chinese person on the table goes ahead and pours soy sauce on some dish. That is a total no-no. If you don’t like it, keep those thoughts to yourself!
5. If you are using chopsticks and eating rice from a bowl, do not stick your chopsticks into your rice. Instead, place it across the bowl or somewhere else. The reason why you do not stick your chopsticks into your rice is because it resembles incense sticks used when make an offering to a deceased friend or relative.
6. The Host (or at least the person sitting next to the tea pot) should ensure that everyone who wants to drink Chinese tea or hot water has their tea cups full with their chosen drink. Whatever you do, do not let the cups go empty. If the ages of the 2 people sitting between the tea pot are different, the younger person should be the one pouring the drink for their older friends. The recipient should thank the person for helping to pour the tea/water into their cup either verbally or by tapping 2-3 of their fingers on the table.
7. Don’t be fooled by our stereotype of nerdiness. Yes, we find education very important but Chinese people do have a strong drinking culture. In a Chinese business banquet, there can be a lot of drinking to be had. Once again, don’t be fooled as Chinese business people who participate in this practice can drink Westerners under the table.
A business banquet will start with a person doing to the toast and saying a few words (other than “Gan bei!/Cheers!”) and then people will go around doing more toasts. If you do not drink alcohol and would rather not participate in the event, you should politely refuse by stating you can’t drink because your Doctor won’t allow you to.
For those who have the opportunity to attend a Chinese wedding banquet, there will be a wedding toast – also known as “Yum Seng”. Yum Seng means “Bottoms up!” in Cantonese. I suspect that Mandarin speakers will probably do this too, except say “Gan bei!”
During the dinner, the newly-weds and their parents will go around to each table with a glass of champagne/wine/non-alcoholic beverage to make a toast. It is customary for the guests at the table where the wedding couple are to stand up and hold their (full) glass. The most important thing to know is that you should save your tonsils/voice for this exercise, as you will be saying cheers together. But our wedding toast isn’t an ordinary one. You will need to say “Yum Seng” as the toast – but the tables can get a bit competitive with one another to see who can say a louder and longer ‘yum seng’. The trick here is to hold the “yum” as long as you can in order to go “Yuuuuuuuuuummmmmmm SENG!”. If you need to breathe while saying “Yum”, take a quick one and keep going “uuuumm” until everyone else stops and says “SENG!”
8. Chinese people, especially of the older generation, will fight over who should pay the bill. To non-Chinese/Asians, they will probably be stunned when they witness a sometimes chaotic and noisy scene over who should pay the bill at the end of a Chinese restaurant meal. No punches will be landed in this affair, but it is considered good manners to try and wrestle the bill out of the hands of who ever has it. The gesture of being eager and willing to pay is always appreciated.
9. If you are going for dinner at someone’s house, please bring a gift for the Hosts like a bottle of wine or some fruits. For those who are invited to a potential or existing business partner’s house, please ensure that you have a gift as both parties will exchange gifts as a small token of friendship and good will.
10. At a birthday party, it is typical for the birthday person to pay for the bill. As per #8, a little game of fighting over the bill is definitely encouraged. In fact, Chinese people do find it strange that at Western (or at least Australian) birthday lunch/dinners, the guest is also expected to pay for their share and to give a present.
This week will be a really interesting week, since I rarely cook Chinese food. In fact, I can’t even remember the last time I cooked it. My ancestors will probably roll in their graves for ruining their food, but hey, at least I tried!
