Americanization of Chinese Cuisine in the Chinese-American Identity: Jesse Cheung

Through globalization and the spread of people, items, and ideas, cross-cultural patterns naturally occurred throughout the world. Chinese immigrants came to America in search for the American Dream, especially prosperity and success for not only themselves but also for the family and future generations achieved through hard work. Being a first-generation Chinese-American and from my family owning a Chinese restaurant, I have been able to experience and observe the differences within authentic Chinese food and the Americanized Chinese food. Chinese and American cuisines are distinctive with the key differences that have caused for this phenomenon including, but not limited to, the ingredients, style of cooking, flavors, social eating, definition of eating, and other social and cultural differences, causing the shift and creation of an Americanized Chinese cuisine. These differences have led to the significance to deeper cultural connections through the Americanization of Chinese food to the overall Chinese American identity.

Traditional and mainstream Chinese cuisine is complex with the multiple use of ingredients, flavors, and style of cooking as they pay great attention to it and will not settle for bland or identical taste every day because food is supposed to be valued as enjoyment. This leads to the constant change in variety and combination. Along with globalization, which is the transfer of ingredients and styles of cooking, this allows the integration of different regions in china with different styles and preparations. Chinese homemade dishes, especially dinner, are not easy to make. Chinese cooking is an integral part of life and is a source of health and energy by using the rawest and natural ingredients. Due to the prioritization of health and regional availabilities, the Chinese daily life consists of no excessive meat dishes and people prefer inexpensive vegetables. Meat dishes are divided into 4 categories- chicken, duck, fish, and meat- and unlike Westerners, they use all parts of animals and are often considered as delicacies (J. Liu, 41). Based on the diner’s preferences and time of year, a chef focuses on keeping the food healthy and emphasizes on balancing the 5 flavors in harmony: saltiness, sourness, pungency, bitterness, and sweetness and fresh essence (J. Liu, 67). Fresh essence is considered with importance and is also defined as umami, a taste derived from a natural state and juice . Dishes can be stir-fried, fried, stewed, steamed, braised, simmered, roasted, deep fried, and etc. to bring out different textures and tastes based on the food type and goal of the aesthetic and flavor (J. Liu, 41).

            The Chinese do not draw any distinction between food and medicine by viewing food as nourishment because they deeply value their health. “Only when food fails, then he prescribes medicine” (Lin, 250). Chinese culture attests to the fact well-being is reliant on whatever one consumes. There is a saying where one eats light in the morning, full in the afternoon, and nourishing at night. Unlike Western medicine, where people only go to the doctors when they are sick just to be provided with medicine, Chinese medicine consists of soups with multiple ingredients, such as different herbs or parts of animals in a stew to nourish and strengthen the body holistically and not to attack the disease solely. (Lin, 251) Westerns have recently discovered the multiple animals’ parts with greatest nourishing food value, such as kidneys, stomachs, intestines, blood, bone marrow and brains, while the Chinese have known for ages and never waste. The Chinese not only uses animal parts and food as medicine, but also for tastes and flavor. Bitterness is said to release heat in the body, improve vision, and detoxify the body, while pungency can regulate bodily fluids, blood and chi (Lin, 252). This emphasis of eating for preventative health has long term benefits, and ultimately leads to the ideals in living a long life.

Food in Chinese culture also allows for strengthening and developing social connections . A distinctive Chinese eating characteristic is the idea of shared dining where everyone sits around a round table and shares multiple dishes of food (J. Liu, 37). This social aspect may be related to the close attention the Chinese pay to blood relationships and kinship where they can see everyone’s faces and be able to communicate and interact with each other. “Chinese stress the aesthetics of food, the refinement of dining ware, and the elegance of the dining environment” (J. Liu, 32) in which there are social rules within eating such as obeying dining table rules when eating together, such as the noises produced or chopstick placements (J. Liu, 65). While the experience of eating is enjoyable in of itself, food is also an expression of love, content, and joy .

            On the other hand, American cuisine, eating culture, and lifestyle are deeply influenced and reflected by the history of the United States due to the mass migrations of foreign people and cultures, which is also now known as the melting pot of cultures. The early years were deeply reliant on the availability of resources based on the geographical resources, which was often meat, animals, agriculture. The early 1900’s, the basis of American diet consisted of the “three M’s”: meat (salt pork), corn, meal and molasses (Dyson, 4) It typically consists largely of meat and potatoes with some sauces and condiments, small portion of vegetables and fruits, and lots of heavy sweets. This heavy meat and potato diet even transfers over to even breakfast. Men and women consisted of “heavily padded figures” popularized by the upper class and believed that a weighty figure demonstrated good health, which therefore caused the lower class followed suit with fatty meats and bottles of beer (Dyson, 2). Even early nutritionists emphasized on high protein products such as meat and saw little value in fresh fruits and actively opposed greens because they require more bodily energy to digest (Dyson, 3). Western cuisine when compared to Chinese cuisine, according to Lin, is seen as pretty dull and insipid and extremely limited in variety, especially when preparing vegetables. Vegetables are extremely limited in variety and style of cooking as they are merely boiled in water and always over-cooked until they lose color and look mushy (Lin, 253). According to studies from 1914 to 1928, the working class workers averaged 2 pounds more food per day, ate more refined sugar, bread, and starch products which lead to obesity and health problems (Dyson,4).

Scientific and technological advancements with food production, processing, and transportation revolutionized food in America. This led to increased industrialized and highly processed food, such as canned and dried fruits, vegetables, grain products. Economic productivity and convenience in the United States became more of a priority than taste, which soon led to injections of vitamins, antibiotics, and growth hormones for mass productions, lower cost in food, and increased portions, whereas the Chinese emphasis on the natural. Working women were expected to be married and full-time homemakers, but as both parents became employed, the slow complexities of food became an inconvenience at home. This led to frozen meals, dubbed “TV dinners” consisting a portion of meat, starch, and vegetables with increase synesthetic chemical additives (Dyson, 5). With the increased popularity and demands of frozen food, it led to more opportunities for variety and innovations due to the introduction of microwaves as a household technology to “zap” frozen dinners after work (Dyson,7). Similarly, take-out restaurants also became popular alongside fast-food restaurants and drive-thrus. “Today, Americans eat and average of five meals away from home every week, expending more money on food prepared outside the home than on that made in their own kitchen” (Smith, 25). With the fast-pace of society and more individualization of food, families are no longer eating with each other and are replaced by TV screens for efficiency, leaving no time for conversation.

            The American cuisine has been impacted by ethnic influences, which has resulted in a melting pot of dishes, cooking styles, and fusion cuisines. Some dishes, such as burger and hotdogs that are typically considered All-American, actually originated in other countries or cultures like Germany, but it has become customized to American tastes through different cooking style. The newly developed categorization of New American cuisine consists of the Americanization of various foreign cuisines through mixing and matching flavors, ingredients, techniques, and other elements from other cultures but cannot be categorized into one specific region. It is based upon “reinterpretation, reinvention, eclectic, inventive, mashup” and taking risks and inspirations in order to create a new narrative and represents the melting pot of America (Armstrong, 2016).

The word “American” itself is associated with race, which also means white. “Globalization is equally capable of maintaining and creating cultural heterogeneity or diversity because it brings a defense of the local, the creative invention of tradition, blending old and new ideas, things, and proactive” (Crowther, Intro). This consist of negotiations between cultures, but in some case, assimilation is a more accurate term. Immigration was practically closed for many years, so when the Immigration Act of 1924 came about, people held on to the connection to the “old country American” food. People, such as teachers, school lunch planners, and advertisers pushed second and third generation immigrants to assimilate and “Americanize” their diets (Dyson, 4). People that assimilated and adapted to the “white” culture are the ones that are able to gain success the fastest, however, that does not come without racial and social prejudice. With the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882, the Chinese faced constant racial harassment and discrimination in their economic and social lives (H. Liu, 2). When other jobs were not available to them in the United States, most Chinese immigrants were driven into the restaurant trade. In order to expand outside of the populated Chinatown community filled with racial prejudice, there was the urge to Americanize their food to reach a wider audience. As the Chinese have adapted themselves to American society, some elements of their home cultures remained, others have completely disappeared, and others have changed.

            The abundance and popularity of Chinese restaurants throughout the US has integrate itself as an integral part of the American life. However, all this began in the mid-1890s and early 1900s with the dish called chop suey that spoke to non-Chinese patrons across racial boundaries and was the first purposefully synthesized cooking style presented to American eaters that amounted to a nationwide culinary craze (Mendelson, 100). What constituted chop suey’s culinary identity in America were a number of social expectations in which American clients desired Chinese dishes to be genuine and Chinese owners hoped to accommodate to American tastes. This led to chop suey’s authenticity as a locally constructed invention. The success and popularity of the Chinese American restaurants revolves around the food still feeling Chinese and foreign enough without actually delving into real Chinese food of taste and delicacies. The calculated equilibrium of flavors and textures is unlike anything that the new consumers have experienced which along with the fast preparation, service, and affordability became useful when competing with other fast food restaurants. This ultimately made Chinese food associated with comfort food because of the convenience, fattening, and umami flavor with the mix of sweet, salty, and spicy because society would not allow them to ascend to fine-dining. The term “chow” is similar to the idea of stir-fry which was foreign to the westerners and consists of short blast of powerful heat with pieces of food cut into right shapes and sizes and added in lightning-fast stirring and tossing of the ingredients as they hit the hot fat metal of a wok (Mendelson, 107). The Americanization of fried rice, chow mein, and lo mein soon followed suit after this cooking style from chop suey and also based on home-style village food. Some even regard these dishes as “a culinary joke at the expense of the foreigner” (Dyson, 6). Compared to Chinese dish counterparts, these have much more pork, meat, and is greasy. By focusing on quantity instead of quality, a large menu was created to cater to customer’s desire for options, with essentially all the same process, just slight variations in meat, base, or sauce.

            Chinese American cooks substituted ingredients for profitability, flavors, textures to parallel the flourishing trends in mainstream American cuisine, which the Chinese discovered through working as cooks in private homes. Cheap and readily available cornstarch gave: sauces a translucent gloss while thickening them to non-Chinese desired degree, the addition of food coloring or dye, and batter dipped and fried boneless nuggets of pork or chicken. In order to please America’s sweet tooth, the sweet-and-sour sauces was invented due to the notion that the higher the sugar content, the happier the audience (Mendelson, 117). To further tailor to the American standards, Chinese restaurateurs removed unpopular items as bean curd, whole fish, chicken feet, and most steamed dishes that are seen more as more daring, adventurous, and daunting to non-Chinese (Mendelson, 123). However, these items can still be found in Chinatowns, which are perfect the adventure-seeking tourist in search for authenticity. This reveals the clear disconnect between the authentic and the Americanized version with the Chinese food being inaccessible and out of touch with American tastes, culture, and identity.

            The Chinese American success in assimilation to the “American character” has transcended to them being called the “model minority” through educational success, achievements, occupational status, and incomes (Wang, 181). However, this has not come without racial discrimination and seclusion and being called the model minority is basically saying that the US culture is superior and that those who assimilate and let go of their own culture are the ones who will be praised. The identity, status, and destiny of the Chinese people abroad are not homogenous nor static. One of the first waves of Chinese immigrants were laborers to seek new opportunities and were seen as “useless, undesirable, and unassimilable immigrants” (Tow, 31). With the strong anti-Chinese sentiments and the feeling of detachment from their roots, these laborers only objectives were to advance their own economic wellbeing on the behalf of their families in order to eventually return to their ancestral villages for retirement due to their loyalty to traditions and culture (Wang,186). Through further exclusion and segregation, the birth of second generation Chinese Americans were forced to choose between being Chinese and American, but most chose to be Americanized and conform to values and behaviors in pursuit to be accepted by the white society. This includes aligning their loyalty to the dominant countries they are assimilating to as minorities. The Chinese are hardworking and aspired to improve their conditions to develop their communities and advance Americanism through learning the English language in their spare time and learning the American cultures from their children who attend schools. Chinese people in America are often seen as honest and low-abiding citizens as most Chinese Americans still adhere to their old teaching of modesty. Due to the nature and nurture in training of Chinese homes, the parents pass along the traits of politeness, respectfulness, and gratefulness from their culture to their children which may also be why Chinese Americans are also so easily vulnerable to being victimized through racial persecutions (Tow, 65). However, Chinese-Americans also gained status in their middle-class ranks through the American-born generations and the educated and affluent Chinese immigrants, while also being exemplary and “ideal pupils” (Tow, 77). Through the profitability of Chinese restaurants, work ethics, and low start-up costs, Chinese Americans were able to start building their success and achieve the American Dream of democratic and capitalistic ideals and transcend through the social and economic classes and difference. Today, the modern Chinese merchants, students, and white collar workers are no different than that of American counterparts in their methods of conducting businesses and way of living.

            Consequently, through the acts of globalization, migration, and overcoming racial discrimination, Chinese immigrants in the United States have wholly contributed to the Americanization of Chinese food that all started with chop suey. With hard work, creativity, and behaviors, Chinese immigrants and Chinese-Americans revolutionized what Americans know about Chinese food and has become a staple in the American culture and cuisine. The differences in Chinese and American cuisines are prominent through expectations and use of ingredients within eating behaviors and attitudes, cooking style, and flavors. America would not be where it is today without the existence of immigrants who provide a solid foundation with a backbone of strength and diversity, especially through food. Because of those such as Chinese immigrants and Chinese-Americans chasing the American dream, America is now largely powered on the product of one’s long history of hard work and grit. In essence, American’s are feeding America.

 

References:

Armstrong, Mindy. “The New American Cuisine.” Flavor & The Menu, 2 Nov. 2016,        www.getflavor.com/new-american-cuisine/.

“Chinese Take-Out.” Dubious Gastronomy: The Cultural Politics of Eating Asian in the USA, by   Robert Ji-Song Ku, University of Hawai’i Press, 2014, pp. 49–78. JSTOR,        www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt6wqw82.6.

Crowther, Gillian. Eating Culture: an Anthropological Guide to Food. University of Toronto         Press, 2013.

Dyson, Lowell. “American cuisine in the 20th century.” Food Review/National Food           Review 23.1482-2016-121404 (2000): 2-7.

Liu, H. (2009). Chop Suey as Imagined Authentic Chinese Food: The Culinary Identity of  Chinese Restaurants in the United States. Journal of Transnational American Studies,        1(1). Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2bc4k55r

Liu, Junru. Chinese Food. Cambridge University Press, 2011.

Lin, Yutang. The Importance of Living. Harper, 1998.

Smith, Andrew F. Eating history: 30 turning points in the making of American cuisine. Columbia  University Press, 2009.

“The Birth of Chinese American Cuisine.” Chow Chop Suey: Food and the Chinese American        Journey, by Anne Mendelson, Columbia University Press, New York, 2016, pp. 99     -137. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.7312/mend15860.11.

Tow, Julius S. The Real Chinese in America: Being an Attempt to Give the General American        Public a Fuller Knowledge and a Better Understanding of the Chinese People in United         States. New York City: Academy Press, 1923. Print.

Wang, L. Ling-chi. “Roots and Changing Identity of the Chinese in the United         States.” Daedalus, vol. 120, no. 2, 1991, pp. 181–206. JSTOR,            www.jstor.org/stable/20025379.

Immigrant Story from China to America

Part 1: Immigrant Story by Jesse Cheung

As the daughter of a first-generation Chinese Americans, I have directly and indirectly witnessed the struggles of the immigrants and the next generation. My grandparents and parents were originally from a small village in the Fuzhou province of China, which is on the southeast coast. My family first arrived in America in the early 1980s and originally settled in New York City and eventually to Key West, Florida by working hard, creating a family, and building and calling this new world, home.

Conditions in that village in Fuzhou was very poor when my family left. My parents are coincidentally from the same poor village in China, however, my dad’s family moved to Hong Kong at a very young age. In Hong Kong, my dad’s family still lived in poverty. Starting at age seven, he and his brother made and sold pencil sharpeners to make ends meet. My mom’s family, on the other hand, was one of the first families that had relatives that escaped to America that was able to send home money, so her family was able to buy a rice cooker and some cooking wares that she shared with her neighbors.

Our marquis story is the one that we are currently living right now. Like most immigrants, my family also left poverty for more poverty with the added exclusion and rejection from new culture and world. The escape to America was difficult and came with a lot of hardships and struggles. My grandpa was the first to come to America. He started by working as a chef at a Chinese-American restaurant for 5 years. He would send his hard-worked money back to China for his family who lived in a one-bedroom home with six people. After not seeing his family for five long years, with only the occasional phone calls, my father and his family finally made their way to America only to find themselves constantly working at Chinese restaurants working various jobs of being the host, waiter, or chef. My dad had to drop out of school when he was 16 when my grandpa was able to open up his own Chinese American restaurant in New York City. He dropped out so his younger brother was able to finish high school and hopefully go to college. The restaurant business was time-consuming, laborious, and exhausting, as it was opened every day for 12 hours with no breaks.

My family from my mother’s side of the family is similar where they also opened a Chinese restaurant, however, they settled in Key West, Florida. Because they were both in the restaurant business and from the same village, through the word of mouth and a mutual family friend, they met when my mom was in New York. They fell in love and my father moved to Key West and eventually took over this family restaurant. Soon after, my brother and I were born.

Today the Chinese are a part of the mainstream American culture. Most people in the village that my parents are from are now almost all in America, concentrating mostly in New York City or in California. The Chinese language is now the third most-spoken in the US and the populations of Chinese in the US is also growing. When I think of my family, I think of their stories, and I can imagine the dirt roads, the outdoor bartering markets, and my family working various jobs as a seamstress, farmers, and watch repairer.

All my parents want for their children and the future generation is for them to be successful and not have to go through the same hardship that they went through. They have done everything in their power to provide us with anything we need and everything to succeed. They emphasize education and working white-collar jobs. Today, it is because of my family’s hardship, I am able to succeed. Everything I have and able to achieve is due to the rights and privilege that they worked for and gained. I am the first in my family along with my brother to graduate high school and go to college. I am currently on the pre-med track and hope to go to medical school. But deep down, I know my roots and that I grew up also helping out at the family Chinese-American restaurants serving fried rice and lo-mien and I come from a small humble village in China.

My challenge now is to succeed with everything that my parents and grandparents have sacrificed and given me. I have learned to push myself, be curious, and not afraid to explore and experience things. I have learned to be able to find passion in the things that I do and I aspire to share and inspire others to do so too. Their dedication and hard-working values have passed down to me and I will carry that on to my future and everything that I do. They have taught me to persevere and not to give up easily. I always enjoy our big family reunions with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and extended family and listen to their stories from their past and the new experiences that they have and the memories that we create together in America.

 

 

Part 2: Analysis

The piece I chose to imitate was the Immigrant story by Christine Ristaino because I feel as if it really resonates with my family immigrating to America and my standing and life here. I feel as if I would not be able to be where I am today and my successes without them and for that, I am forever grateful. I have also witnessed the struggles that my family and relatives that came to America with their hard-working mentality and dedication to build a new and better life in this new world. This has motivated to work harder so that one day I can reciprocate my love and appreciation back to them, just as they did to me. In the Chinese culture, it is heavily based upon parents sacrificing for their kids, so that one day when the parents are old and unable to take care of themselves, the children takes care of their parents. This is exactly what I intend to do.

The cultural DNA embedded in both of our pieces is the quote “immigrants left poverty for more poverty with an added touch of exclusion and rejection.” This statement is spot on with my family as not only did they come to America poor with hope, but they also could not speak the language, knew not a single soul, and had no one that looked like them. However, now, the Chinese are all over America, and my family’s hardship has allowed me and all the other future generations to succeed. It has given me a different outlook, perspectives, understanding and privilege that my family didn’t have in China, nor when they came. I learned from Ristaino’s story that our family’s story is embedded in us and makes us who we are today and from that, we can continue creating our own story, while not forgetting the old. I also learned that because of her success, her teachings have led her to lead a healthy life and to instill a balanced mindset. Our ancestors have paved us a pathway, to allow the future generation to have a better life and all they want for us is to be happy and healthy. While writing about my culture, I start to remember all the stories that my parents told me of their lives in China before they immigrated and how lucky they are to be able to prosper. I also realized that this may be why my family values family so much. I am not only close to my immediate family, but I am also incredibly close to my cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and even up to my second cousins. We have at least two family reunions every year and we consistently keep in contact. My parents have told me how much better life is here, but their hard work and determination is not over as they cannot stop pushing themselves to be the best that they can be until they cannot anymore. As I imitate this memoir, I realized how similar our immigrant stories are in our families where they came from poverty in search of a better life, but our background and future are endless.

 

Identity, Evolution, and Definition of Noodles from Italy to China and Everywhere In Between

Jesse Cheung

There has been much debate about where noodles have originated from. Some state that it originated in the Han dynasty which was more 4,000 years ago with preserved millet noodle under a bowl from an archeological site in China. According to Truth about Pasta article, pasta dates back to Etruscan civilizations and the Italian version of noodles-spaghetti-has been produced in Sicily long before Marco Polo made his way back from China. Noodles have gradually transformed from traditional handicraft to machinery mass-produced noodles. The great thing about noodles is that they can be eaten at any time of the day- midmorning, lunch or mid-afternoon and as a snack or a meal. In China, the main compositions are wheat and rice, while in Italy, the past and present pasta are made from durum wheat. Noodles have also evolved from being freshly made to dry due to the increase of technology and machinery for convenience and ease of transportation. However, both forms of noodles are still very popular and are used for different purposes. The Chinese have also popularized instant noodles. While we typically consider pasta as a Mediterranean diet, it is in fact that globalization from Asia, America, Africa and Europe have played a major role in developing this characteristic of bringing corn, potatoes, tomatoes, and beans. Due to globalization, food from all over the world have transformed noodles and their sauces and flavors in that it has now created brilliant combinations of a balanced mix of western and eastern flavors. Globalization of pasta occurred as there were increasing trade, invasions, and migrations. For example, potatoes and tomatoes came from America and are incorporated into the tradition and the gnocchi that we know and love today. According to a survey conducted by Oxfam in Truth about Pasta article, pasta is the world’s favorite food due to being so versatile and adaptable to other cultural ingredients and sauces.

Noodles come in all shapes and sizes, where it is thick, thin, sheets, strips, etc. Noodles are also nontraditionally categorized, where things made of dough such as bread, pastries, dumplings, and pizzas are also considered as noodles. There are so many ways to cook it such as hot, cold, spicy, steamed, or fried. It is also made of so many different materials such as from plants, animals, flour, eggs, and etc. There are so many different sauces and seasoning, where they can be as simples as just having a couple ingredients to mixing in a variety of vegetables, meats, and sauces. Some noodles are time-consuming and have very specific procedures and steps in order to make them correctly, such as pressed noodles or pulled noodles.

In China, noodles essentially mean “human nature” and “worldly common sense”, with thousands of varieties of noodles and cooking styles. It is their main source of energy and the most economical energy food that maintains the Chinese healthy diet that is nutritious and avoids the “disadvantages of high energy, high fat, and low carbohydrate diet, and promote health” according to Noodles, traditionally and today. Noodles are also associated and linked with holidays and festivities such that moon cakes are eaten in Mid-Autumn Festival and dumplings in Spring Festivals. During birthdays, people eat longevity noodles. Many types of noodles are also associated with stories. People eat noodles for a variety of reason, such as when they are sick, for convenience, or for good luck and prosperity.

In Italy, pasta has a long history, especially with invasions. It is often made from durum wheat since it thrived in Italy’s climate. Different regions in Italy have different variety of pasta with different sauces, meats, fillings due to regional differences. As the growth of technology continues, machinery and dried pasta made it easier to make and transport. Pasta, according to the article about identity, is a metaphor for unity and the variety of Italian alimentary styles and is a way of expressing differences. It shows that people like pasta can be simple to complicated and that they can be all different types of shapes, sizes, and cooked in various ways, but in the end, they are unified in that they are identified and categorized as one: Pasta. It is very important to the Italians to cook pasta until it is al dente, which is firm to the teeth yet tender. According to the Life in Italy article, “serving pasta that is made fresh that day shows a great deal of care in preparation and a high level of pride in the household’s culinary skills”. The difference between fresh and dried pasta is that they are used in different situations. Simple pasta typically works best with simple sauces while complex-shaped pasta is ideal for thicker sauces. For authentic flavor, it is important to use and cook high-quality pasta properly.

Many noodles have local characteristics and reflect cultural traditions and customs. Noodles are not only a source of nutrition, but it also plays a role in religion, economy, festivals, and events. The noodles are often so integral in that many people reminisce about their childhood memories of food. Oftentimes, these memories are all we have, as we are consumed in this current fast-paced lifestyle, where we may not have the time, skills in making the noodles, or patience. The people that know the skills and make it original way are diminishing as the art is not being passed down from each generation as often. For both of these countries, noodles are for pleasure, healthy, and can be part of a balanced diet, through combinations with vegetables and meats and portion controls. According to the truth about pasta, noddles are a good source of energy and in some cases, it “help prevent and slow the progression of major chronic diseases”. This reminds me of Lin Yutang’s article of eating food as medicine to alleviate, prevent, and cure illnesses and diseases. The Chinese emphasize eating to prevent disease and not just taking medicine to cure it, which combines and intertwines the meaning of medicine and food. Both of these cultures emphasize the importance of connecting food with long-term health. The history these noodles are complex and is due to the differences and mixture of economics, culture, social and politics to form the taste and type.

The definition of noodle is multifarious and will vary between each culture and region, however, based on my knowledge and readings, this is how I would personally describe it. Noodles come in different varieties of shapes, sizes, ingredients, and cooked in multi-various ways that are healthy, a good source of energy, convenient, affordable, accessible, and most of all enjoyed by yourself or socially with others. Noodles can be fried, steamed, in broth, sauce, baked, stir-fried, boiled, and etc. They come in different shapes and sizes of being big, small, long, short, have ridges, and different complexity. Noodles are inclusive and versatile through any wheat and egg combinations whether handmade or machinery including dough to bread. Now, more than ever due to globalization, noodles may be combined with various meats, vegetables, sauces, spices not only locally, but also globally for an amalgamation of flavors that activates all of the tongue’s taste buds. Noodles have deeper meanings as they may be made from love or eaten with love, but most of all it connects us to one another and back to the long, rich history behind it.

This picture of instant noodle is a representation of the endless ways of how noodles can be defined. Instant noodles, began in China, however, we can see that this packaging is in English and is in America. In this one bowl, it contains various vegetables, spices, and most important of all noodles. It goes into the roots of how noodles are supposed to be affordable, convenient, and can be enjoyed by everyone with the fact that noodles can be as simple or complex as one makes it be. However, this dried instant noodle is a simplification of what the actual noodle can be, which is complex and soupier with all-natural and fresh ingredients.

From Trader Joe’s to Janice’s kitchen

I am a rising senior who is an Anthropology and Human Biology major at Emory. Growing up, my mom always home-cooked for the whole family and we hardly ate out because it was deemed unhealthy. Before going to college, I had no interest in cooking and never learned how, which I deeply regret. Janice is one of best friends at Emory and we have had different lifestyles and eating habits growing up as she often cooked for herself at home. I am conducting this study because I would like to explore how other college students eat in a typical day and how it compares with my own perspective and experiences as college students are often busy with school, extracurricular activities, social life, and work. Janice currently works full-time as a scribe at the Emory Hospital, working 12 hours shifts 4 times a week and during various hours. She does yoga at least five times a week and is also currently taking a summer online class.

During this study, I implemented some anthropological methods of participant observation, comparison, and informal interviewing. Through participant-observation, I am trying to live a day in her life to understand her perspective, while also applying my own experiences and perspectives to “draw a wider conclusion about how the culture and society work” in this eating culture. This was done through the everyday task of buying the food from the grocery store, Trader Joe’s, prepping, cooking, eating, and cleaning up together. Through sharing this entire experience together, I learned more about her everyday eating habits.

We bought a variety of frozen meals together as this was going to last for the week and she gave me many recommendations, such as the cauliflower stir-fry, mushroom risotto, samosa, and chicken burrito bowls. We bought many snacks such as white cheddar corn puffs, various cheese and crackers, guac, and the infamous cookie butter, which are all snacks that I have never tried before. We spent around 30 minutes in the grocery store, trying to find food as cheap, least messy, and as quickly as possible. We then went home and put everything away. Janice has a small dining room table that has four seats and is typically bare with no decorations that is used for the sole purpose of doing homework and eating. Before cooking the risotto, we both ate some corn puffs and cookie butter straight from the jar. The risotto has two options, we could either pour it in the saucepan or we could microwave it. Seeing that both are easy and fast, we decided to cook. She stated that she attempts to limit “zapping” her food too much and that it tastes better in a pan anyways. However, if she was just cooking for herself, she was more likely to microwave it in order to avoid the extra step of washing a pan. Cooking in the pan consisted of approximately 6 minutes on high with just 2 tablespoons of water and two packets of risotto and then split the portion onto two plates. We bring the plates to the table and chat and ate while we occasionally are on our phones. Sometimes, she will eat on her futon while eating on her couch as she watches a movie. After we finished our risotto, we left the dish in the sink, while we went to sit and watch a movie. After the movie, it was about time for me to go home. As a guest, I am uncomfortable to leave a mess and we wash the two plates together. As of right now, she does not run the dishwasher in order to save money on electricity and water as she is living alone.

Through informally interviewing and participant observation, I notice that Janice priorities fast, convenient, cheap, and flavorful food. She attempts to be conscious about her health by acknowledging the calories that she consumes in a day but does not prioritize it too much. She occasionally eats out with friends or during a spur of the moment cravings as long as it is cheap, such as taco bell. As a college student, the main priority for her is the cost, and getting the most bang for her buck. She also pointed out that she does not exactly know how to cook, except for eggs and pasta and just moving food around in a saucepan, which is why she buys so many snacks and instant meals. I asked if she has thought about cooking more homemade food, but she says that it involves too much meal-prepping, seasoning, cooking, and cleaning, which overall is just too much time and work and a higher chance of messing up.

I have learned that as a typical college student, our priority is simplicity and cost-efficiency. Comparing to my own experience, I would say mine is almost similar in that I have the same thought process, however, I grew up in a household with the mentality of eating very few to no instant meals because my mom looks down upon consuming too many preservatives. I eat a lot of pasta and sandwiches and I will go out to eat around once a week. I eat on my kitchen island or on my couch as I do not own a kitchen table.  According to eating culture, comparisons allows “broader patterns and associations to be highlighted.”

The kitchen table is different and varies with each person and household based on priorities. This is learned and the ideals are often passed down by our parents. However, our environment and daily schedule can deeply influence what and how we eat. According to Abraham,”students may have proficient knowledge regarding nutritional requirements; however, the transition to college life gives them more freedom to choose the type and the amount of food they eat.” As college students, the only person we are concerned about and cooking for is ourselves and that is reflected in our kitchen table. The kitchen table has no significant meaning to her, except for the sole purpose of doing the bare minimum at least while she is in college, but as we grow and our lives change, the significance of the kitchen table changes with us.

Image result for trader joe's mushroom risotto Image result for trader joe's mushroom risotto

Abraham S, Noriega Brooke R, Shin JY. College students eating habits and knowledge of nutritional requirements. J Nutr Hum Health. 2018;2(1):13-17

Journal #1- ban mian

Fujian Ban Mian

A dish that is important to me is the Fujian Ban Mian, which is essentially just sesame and peanut butter noodles. This a relatively unknown street food and it represents my cultural and personal background. My family is from a small village on the outskirt of the capital of Fuzhou, China that used to be mostly undeveloped until about a decade ago. When my parents grew up in the village, they did not have much financially and often had simple meals like this that are fast, filling, and only requires few ingredients. However, even when they have moved away from the village and to America, they have brought the recipe with them and made it at home. I remember eating this often as a child when my mom would make it for dinner or when I was at any family relatives house, especially at my grandmas. We would all sit together in a big table and quickly eat this as it is piping hot as we reminisce about the past and catch up on our lives. If the noodles sit too long, the sauce and noodles would become too sticky. As a child, I frequently visited China to visit my grandparents and other relatives and they would either make these noodles with their homemade peanut butter or they would take me to one of the many small shack-like restaurants a couple blocks away from each other. This peanut butter noodle was insanely cheap, in which the small, medium, and large bowls were 3, 4, and 5 yuan respectively, which are less than $1 in the US. They make everything homemade from the noodles to the peanut butter, which was more like a combination of peanut oil and paste. Because it was such a small village, almost knew each other or knew one of our relatives and they serve you and treat you like family. However, many of the restaurant owners have now immigrated to America and some of the best ban mian noodle restaurant has now closed down.

The Fujian immigrant wave to America started in 1980 to the present and consisted of poor Chinese immigrants often by illegal means. They have brought with themselves this dish to New York, which can be found in a couple shop tucked away in Chinatown New York for less than $3 on Eldridge Street and parts of East Broadway where the Fuzhou immigrants settled. In both China and in America are small, cozy, and hole-in-the wall restaurants with little décor and just open tables. Fujian cuisine often emphasizes the umami taste while being light, flavorful, soft and tender. This type of food is also known as xiao chi, which means small eats or otherwise known as snack. Ban mian translated means “tossed noodles” and is traditionally a lunch food, but it can also be eaten for breakfast, dinner, or late night snack. Peanuts are popular in China as there are peanut oil, paste, or sauce, however, peanut butter is typically an unusual ingredient in China and is not found in most dishes. Many people eat ban mian accompanied with Fujian wonton soup, called Bian Rou, which has thin skin in a light broth. This is a very popular fast food lunch option and is very light and convenient.

When I was about to leave for college, this was one of the first recipes that my mom taught me. It is so simple and takes maybe less than 5 minutes to make this, which is only a little bit longer than microwaving a frozen dish, but so much healthier. My mom prides herself in making home-cook meals as often as possible. I make this when I am crunched on time and as comfort food as this reminds me of my childhood, my grandparents, and of home. It reminds me of my family’s background of where they came from and the hardship of how they immigrated to the United States. This is so significant to me because it is my favorite and first Fujian dish that I ever learned.

 

Ingredients

1 pack of wonton noodles (contains 3 or 4 nests of noodles)
3 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter
Soy sauce, to taste (start with one tablespoon)
Sesame oil, to taste (start with one tablespoon)
1 scallion, for garnish

Cook one clumps of wonton noodles into boiling water. Cook for 1 minute (or 2 if frozen) or until the noodles are warm and pliant. Mix peanut butter, soy sauce, water, and sesame oil in a bowl, tasting until you find a good balance of flavors. Add more pasta water in to make the sauce soupier. When the noodles are done, scoop them up and plop them into the bowl. Throw chopped scallion on top of the noodles for taste and garnish. Mix it all in and Eat!

My mom’s side of the family

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Image of fujian ban mian from Radii China