Chinese Cuisine In Ancient China

Words: 762
Pages: 4
Open Document
1. Background
In China, in order to embody the Confucianism (儒家思想), not only the traditional customs, but also the Chinese table manners are used the social estate system and hierarchy as a principle.
Most of the ancient Chinese also had various specific requirements while having the meals. Those manners can determine a person’s status, culture deposit and family upbringing. Some manners are based on courtesy and status, as well as the ‘morals’ (品) in ancient Chinese. Moreover, there are also have some rules derived from traditional customs, which can reflect the Chinese traditional way of life and food culture.
In Japan, Japanese traditional cuisine can be divided into various types. Those types of Japanese Cuisine have their own origin and …show more content…
2. Seating arrangement and rules
In China, there are commonly used the round table and also rectangular table.
For the round table, ‘top seat’ (上座) is the place that back against the wall and in the middle. No matter what occasions, it also needs to take seats one after another from both sides and the status of left hand side is higher than the right’s. Elders and betters, elderlies, teachers and guests should sit on the top seat, vice versa.
For the rectangular table, the top seat is on the short side which near the house. The others have a seat which is according to the hierarchy.
In Japan, The most important guest sits on the top seat which is placed farthest from the entrance. If there is a tokonoma (壁龕) in the room, the guest should be seated in front of it. The host or the others should sit next to the entrance.
Moreover, the Japanese are used to sitting on the floor when having a tea ceremony and traditional meals. The traditional way of sitting is kneeling, but nowadays, many Japanese and tourists would use the causal way to sit. Men should sit cross-legged and women with both legs to a …show more content…
After those elderlies have a seat, the others can have a seat which is accorded the hierarchy and also need to be seated from left to right. For the traditional Korean meals, people are asked to cross-legged and sitting on the floor. If facing the elderly, they need to kneel on the floor.

3. Using of Tableware
There are the specific manners of using the tableware and have some taboos among these three countries. I would like to use chopsticks and bowl as the examples of China, Japan and South Korea. Chopsticks
In China, people cannot stick the chopsticks in the rice bowl vertically, because it seems like worship ancestors and this behavior is extremely impolite.
The Japanese would like to place their chopsticks horizontally. When they are not using the chopsticks, they cannot put it on the other cutlery. It should be placed in front of themselves.
In Korea, their chopsticks are made of stainless steel. Also, they need to exchange tablespoon and chopsticks from their hands while having the meals since their tablespoon and chopsticks are cannot use at the same time.
Show More

Related Documents: Chinese Cuisine In Ancient China

chinese culture essay

The essay is about Chinese culture. China is an extremely large country and the customs and traditions of its people vary by geography and ethnicity. Culture includes religion, food, style, language, marriage, music, morals and many other things that make up how a group acts and interacts. Here is a brief overview of some elements of the Chinese culture. Chinese culture is one of the world’s oldest cultures. The Chinese culture is a superior culture because delectable cuisine, rich art and special festival only found in China…

Words 455 - Pages 2

Chinese Culture (History, Beijing Opera Etc. And That Of My Country

A comparison between Chinese Culture (History, Beijing opera etc) with that of my country: What is culture? Culture is the characteristics of a particular group of people, defined by everything from language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts. Today, in the United States as in other countries populated largely by immigrants, the culture is influenced by the many groups of people that now make up the country. In China, The teachings of Confucius which stress obedience and deference…

Words 3098 - Pages 13

Essay on Chinese Culture

Nick Mizulski Communication between Cultures Mrs. M 8am-9:15am MW Paper 2 11/2/2014 Chinese Culture China has about five thousand years history which is an extremely long period of time. The Chinese civilization was growing with these periods of time and it will continues greater than ever. Many wars and unhappiness’s were happening during this period. Although, the time has passed, the histories and the civilizations have not passed. These family virtues, serious, working attitudes, sense of justice…

Words 1263 - Pages 6

Essay on Golden Arches East

advertised almost everywhere in the U.S., many people all over the world know about these famous golden arches. The McDonald’s franchising started in 1955 and in less than fifty years, McDonald’s was introduced all over the world in countries such as, China, Japan, Great Britain, Sweden, France etc. McDonald’s global expansion has intermingled with cultural traditions because these countries are becoming more westernized. Since East Asia is becoming more westernized it also means that there is a cultural…

Words 1161 - Pages 5

Essay on Oriental Pearl Restaurant Business Plan

offers a variety of special dumplings and other complementary foods. China has been perfecting the art of dumpling making since the Sung dynasty. Chinese dumplings may be round or crescent-shaped, boiled or pan-fried. The filling may be sweet or savory; vegetarian or filled with meat and vegetables. Dumpling is relatively low in calories and high in nutrition attract weight conscious persons from all walks of life since ancient times. ⅡBusiness description 1. Products and Services The Oriental…

Words 967 - Pages 4

Indonesian Cuisine Conclusion Essay

Indonesian cuisine is diverse, in part because Indonesia is composed of approximately 6,000 populated islands of the total 18,000 in the world's largest archipelago.[1] Many regional cuisines exist, often based upon cultural and foreign influences.[1] Indonesian cuisine varies greatly by region and has many different influences.[1][2][3] Throughout its history, Indonesia has been involved in trade due to its location and natural resources. Additionally, Indonesia’s indigenous techniques and ingredients…

Words 2920 - Pages 12

Korean Food Essay

religion and beliefs are just a few components that make up modern day Korean culture. Korean cuisine is one of the most unifying of all of these cultural factors. The food in Korea is one of the defining elements of Koreans culture because of its historical background, environmental affinities, long lasting creative techniques and recipes, and use in traditional ceremonies and festivals. Modern day cuisine in Korea is quite progressed from what it once started…

Words 3262 - Pages 14

Essay on Anthro Study Guide

1. anthropology- the study of humans, throughout time and cross-culturally 2. physical anthropology- the study of human evolution and physical diversity 3. archaeology- the study of human material culture (artifacts) and analysis of past human activity 4. linguistic anthropology- the study of language and non-verbal communication 5. cultural anthropology- the study of contemporary cultures 6. ethnocentrism- the perspective that one’s own culture is superior to others or the tendency to view…

Words 1682 - Pages 7

Research OB Essay examples

http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/china.htm ___ China, 中国 Destination China, a virtual travel guide to mainland China, the most populated country on earth, which in turn is also a controversial nation Background: For centuries China has stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences. But in the first half of the 20th century, China was beset by major famines, civil unrest, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the Communists…

Words 4987 - Pages 20

Art: Art And Culture

the ethnical society is riddled by the conflicts that involved religion, ethnicity, ethical beliefs, and essentially whatever else that makes up culture. There are many points as to what defines a culture for example: our language, our religion, cuisine, social habits, music and the arts. As pointed out by De Rossi, culture is no longer fixed, if it ever was. Culture now is fluid and always-in motion. And now that countries are always improving and always on the go to finding something new, the word…

Words 1707 - Pages 7