2.2 The Introduction of Western Diet Culture

In the west, the diet culture formation also has a certain connection with its geographical location, economical impact and religious impact. For its location which is more suitable for the herb rather than the growth of grains, people there tend to have more meat and milk. With the economical center transferring from ancient Greek to Italy, France, and then later England and America, the western diet culture varied a lot. For example, the Greek cooking is well-known for its simple cooking materials, the Italian cooking for its nobility and elegance, the French cooking for its luxury and romance, the English cooking for its all-embracing and the American cooking for its simplicity and convenience. Religious influence cannot be ignored. In the west, Jews are forbidden to eat animal’s blood, pork, fish without scale. Meat and milk can’t be taken together according to their religious belief. But Christians shouldn’t follow the former rules.  

III. The Differences between Chinese and Western Food Culture

In both ancient and modern society, either in the east or in the west, diet as a necessary prerequisite for human survival, plays an irreplaceable role during the human social development and civilization progress. However, the human diet, or eating habits are different. As the English proverb goes, “the delicacy of someone is another man’s poison”. The famous American anthropologist Karat Hole in his article “What Culture is” pointed out that “a person’s diet will, of course, is limited by its food types, but also restricted by culture” (Karat Hole ,235). Thus, there is a harmonious and close connection between diet and culture. They have a mutual influence. Dietary content and dietary habits have been shaped in a certain culture, and the people outside of it could not have a fully understanding on it. China and Britain and the United States and other western countries view and attitude towards diet, diet content and there exists a significant difference in such aspects as diet characteristics.

3.1 The Differences of Diet Concept

As the most basic human activities, the questions as why eat and how to eat should be mentioned because it embodies a kind of consciousness or idea. The Chinese diet culture has came into its own in the world, as the result of its long history and the perfect pursuit of the Chinese. The priority between shape and color, taste and decoration betrayed the difference between the cooking in China and that in the west.

In China, the diet appreciates beautiful appearance based on rational pursuit which features the traditional Chinese philosophy consistence. The Chinese diet should not only fulfill the function of appeasing hunger, but also satisfying their desire for tastes and bringing them spiritual pleasure. Food on the color bright, especially the green vegetables, this can let a person look more appetite, often put together a variety of raw materials to the Chinese cuisine, that they almost lost their essence, is to produce a new complete taste. From inside this dish could no longer eat the flavor of the food, not taste is a delicious food. That modulation of finished product, personality is buried, while overall glorious tyger, the derogation of personality with the Chinese, on average, neutralization of golden mean is mutually. Chinese diet of sentimental, make it full of imagination and creativity and tend to art, this is a kind of beyond the inevitability of the free state, the biggest characteristic of it is optional. The same dishes can be due to the difference of region, season, object, grades and handle different operation. On the materials, can be changed decayed for magical. On the production techniques, but also a hand is a tasty delicacy. Chinese diet of nutrition science is a kind of empirical fuzzy grasp. There is no rational analysis and logical judgment, just a kind of experience and a custom. In addition, each food also has its own unique fragrance, can stimulate people’s sense of smell and taste, cause people to eat. Taste is in after tasting the delicious food for evaluation, it is also the Chinese people to the pursuit of the highest realm of diet. Folk have a saying: “the food to taste first”. While people praise food, always love said “delicate flavor”, but that is because we feel the flavor of sensory organs “eyes, nose and mouth” up and down the order. People with the definition of “color, aroma and taste”, but “taste” is always occupy the important position. Therefore, Chinese people in pursuit of delicious constantly try new foods. But for the Chinese, the priority on diet is the smell, and spirit to enjoy it, the nutrition analysis and reasonable collocation of nutrition are often ignored which is regarded one-sided. And pay attention to scientific analysis and western diet nutrition. As a result, China’s food culture in its development, should draw on “scientific” concept of western diet, complement each other, making it more perfect.