Comments on: Chinese Food VS Western-style Food

By: Carl H

Carl H — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 02:49:44 +0000

I love Chinese food, but I think Western chefs (especially French) outdo the Chinese tremendously when it comes to pastry, baking and deserts. Sorry, Italian ice cream is so much better than sweet red-bean-paste. And the chinese don’t know jack about bread and cheese (which is something of the best you can eat!) Cooking in a western pastry kitchen can be very demanding. Makeing soufflés, different kinds of meringue, jellies, sabayon and perfect Ice cream, it means precision and knownledge about cooking temperatures and how your decision ulitmatley gets the texture you want. Plus great technique skills (there’s even much skill to whipping cream!) Also making complicated pastries like mille-feuille, choux, macaron pastry etc can be very complicated, and you have to be exact.

By: xtaaxtw

xtaaxtw — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 08:29:23 +0000

I agree with your very much ， Chinese food is complicated, and also attaches great importance to the taste of food, therefore, there is no doubt that China’s food is delicious. After the long and the meticulous cooking by the chef ,the food is the best I think .It is not only meet the customer’s stomach, but also make people happy. ________________________________________________________
http://world-culture-research.org/c.asp?d=13886 Beijing Duck–My favorite one of the Chinese food.Do you like it？
:mrgreen:

By: Jenny

Jenny — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:50:11 +0000

http://inventors.about.com/od/foodrelatedinventions/a/pizza.htm

By: Jenny

Jenny — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:50:07 +0000

PK I lived in China 5 years: there are no ovens in Chinese kitchens- only stove tops! I have lived in 5 different apartments and visited over 30 other apartments.

Of course restaurants have ovens- that is natural. But the community does not use it.

Pizza comes from Italy not China. Duh- cheese does not come from China.

By: PK

PK — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:35:06 +0000

Chinese do make use of an oven… Beijing Duck for example. Or before Marco Polo brought “chinese pizza” to italy, where do you think did they bake it?

By: john

john — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 09:01:09 +0000

(correction: I didn’t mean to suggest cheese was made in an oven :?)

By: john

john — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:59:20 +0000

I am a great fan of Chinese food and have eaten in many places around China.
I don’t believe Western food is easier. There are more kinds of techniques besides frying on a gas plate. Our kitchens make use of ovens which you don’t see in Chinese kitchens. Baking is much more of a science and is not always easy. Making cheese, for instance, requires very precise timing and temperatures otherwise there will be failure. This technique has been perfected by skilled cheese-makers. The ingredients in a Chinese dish are often more simple. For instance there will only be one vegetable on one dish. We may make a casserole or medley of many vegetables while the Chinese palate prefers one or two vegetables per plate. Many dishes also have a similar soya sauce and msg flavout too. If you always depend on a cookbooks to make dishes you risk losing spontaneity and flexibilty. Western chefs frequently don’t use measurements, like the great Chinese chefs.
I think that both the food and atmosphere is important, I think most western diners agree. It is not just about “eating scenery”. The atmosphere and scenery are important because having a dinner is not only about filling ones stomach, it is also about socializing and enjoying oneself in pleasant surroundings with friends and family. Eating is social. I think both taste and scenery are thus important to westerners.
Food in China is more culturally representative/ symbolic of friendship than is western cultures. Perhaps we have different ways of establishing rapport and heart connection. Occidentals often like to express personal views, preferences and idiosyncrasies because they are the innermost of our beings- therefore promoting intimacy and feelings of familiarity and friendship. It expresses trust. We are also a culture of debate and we feel it is interesting to take opposing views and have vigorous discussion. In the Chinese context this is often seen as a source of conflict and threat to the social harmony. So Chinese will change the subject or pick topic where people can be in agreement. Chinese and westerners will thus have different socializing styles. So, on the one hand, the Chinese will want to keep the conversation light which may feel like social distance to some western cultures. On the other hand, when the occidental airs his views, the Chinese may feel he is disturbing the peace and is opinionated.
I think all cultures will miss the food from their home country, not just westerners. In my country my Chinese friends miss Chinese food, in China many westerners may miss western food. I don’t think only homemade cooking is especially praised in the West. America maybe? I have never been there. Not all homes can produce gourmet dishes.
The Italian pasta is prepared differently from China although it may have come from China. Pizza had it’s origin in Italy. When women had leftover bread dough they would place it is the oven and put leftover toppings on top of it. This was the beginning of the concept of pizza.
Sometimes I think Westerners have an incorrect idea of Chinese cuisine (in China). I have also noticed that some Chinese misunderstand Western food. They think that all Westerners eat is hamburgers, steak, pizza and desert. I am often disappointed that American cuisine is representative of all Western cuisine. While I love some American dishes, I am a great fan of Mediterranean and French cuisine, which is very sophisticated and healthy. The tastes are so delicate and well balanced. I also see the cooking skills as an art.

There are many great cuisines in the world. Taste and enjoyment is very personal so I don’t think any one cuisine stand up above the rest. Lets enjoy each others cuisines! We can learn so much from each other.

By: Jenny

Jenny — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 07:51:54 +0000

I prefer the European food styles to American. I hope American food is not representative of Western cuisine! I think this would be an error.

By: Mysterious China Blogger

Mysterious China Blogger — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 23:05:23 +0000

Maybe I will write it in the future…

By: cheff lowe

cheff lowe — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:58:00 +0000

i really need a descriptive essay about western food… would u write it for
me.. because i know you do know best about food.. then plssss.. forward to see the essay…