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Relationship between Chinese Food and American Food
Introduction
United States of America and China are two divergent nations from the religions, economies, cultures, origins, cuisines, people’s origins, and the lifestyles presented. Thus, when referring to differential circumstances in cuisines, food culture should be investigated. Some of the objectivities in ascertaining the Chinese and American cuisines include the types of dish, shapes, taste, color, and smells. Apart from the holistic approach concerning the relationships between the two cuisines, individual versus wholesome insight into the types of food consumed can offer a new dimension. In addition, the health concerns remain a top priority in both foods. Both cuisines have over the years borrowed concepts on generalized dishes from each other, albeit original maintenance of the traditional and authentic menus. Chinese food embodies diverse cuisine as compared to American food.
Discussion
The first installment in the differential basis between Chinese and American food is the dining experience associated with the two cuisines. Chinese food is availed in noisy environment as means of welcoming an individual into the joyful experience. The expectation of calling a waiter can be observed through shouting or waiving at the attendants since there is no expectation of a tip from the other party. In the American food and dining experience, official basis and courtesy is observed. The menus served per table and handling of the attendants is toned down as compared to the others. In the former, Chinese food is ordered depending on the picture representation while, in the latter, written descriptions are the underlying importance given by the individual. The Chinese experience requires hot water at the table despite the weather as cleaning solvent before and after the dining experience, and alcohol is rarely seen at the tables as compared to the American setting.
Chinese food pays more attention to authenticity in its use of ingredients. For example, bean products, vegetables, and wheaten food that are cooked reigns supreme in almost any meal prepared. The Chinese food is more conservative on meat availabilities for the cooking and consumption. In comparison, American food bases it ingredients varied protein measures like availing of steak, fried meat, pork and related seasonings. The different ingredients in Chinese food require wholesome preparation skills with time, due to their natural state and relative consumption once used with whole meals. In American food, the ingredients are mainly simplistic depending on the type of meal prepared and lesser emphasis is taken on the time usage. In American foods, the focus is mainly maintained on the salt and sugar quantities in the meals while in Chinese food, different spices especially those with fragrances and aromatic nature are widely used to increase the flavor, appearance, and general appeal.
The taste of the foods varies between the two cuisines. The popular Chinese foods are laced with more emphasis on the spice, authentic additives, and common ingredients used in a particular type of dish. For example, in a single dish, Chinese food can contain a little kind of each single ingredient in order to make it more salty or sweeter depending on the accompaniment. In comparison, American foods are basic in taste as they are either salty or sweet. Emphasis on the American foods is on the greasy nature and use of garnish in their composition. Different regions from which the foods of Chinese cuisines hail enhance the authentic taste. For example, from South China, they have spicy additions while those from the north the taste is based on the appearance. In American foods, the generalized meals taste the same depending on the choice of additives used. The common forms are the sauce, ketchup, and basic ingredients.
Cooking methods between the American food and Chinese food offer a stark contrast. Authentic Chinese foods have compounded cooking steps in their preparation owing to the various ingredients used and their nature. In comparison, American foods take relatively shorter time to prepare owing to the type of ingredients used and the nature of the meal choice. In Chinese food, the harmony of aroma, color, and taste is compulsory when in preparation. The synchrony of the three dimensions dictates the outcome of the food when served at the table. Frying is the common form of cooking method in American food while in Chinese, baking, braising, stewing, boiling, fermenting, and steaming are all typical methods used. Deep-frying and breeding is not common with Chinese food as it is with American owing to the health of the people. Instead, boiling of the natural nutrients is regularly used.
Conclusion
Chinese food embodies diverse cuisine as compared to American food. The three different parameters of taste, ingredients, cooking methods, and dining experience offer the divergent look between the two cuisines. Both cuisines have their respective authenticity and emphasis of the traditional setting when cooking, serving, or dining. In the American, official and lifestyle-based representation is common as compared to the Chinese, where traditional means are the overriding factors. With basis on health choices and natural state of the foods, Chinese represent a more formidable cuisine as compared to the American.