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Everybody eats, but people eat many different things, and have different ways of preparing their food. There is infinite variability in the way people eat. The basic ingredients, the way food is preserved, the way it is cut and prepared, the amount that is served at a meal and the way the meal is served, and the tastes people enjoy vary depending on a person's background. Different utensils are used by different people. Cultural practices for food consumption and preparation are incredibly varied.
Chinese Food
Chinese food varies by region. In northern China, Mongolian influences are evident especially in the use of the fire pot. Rice is not grown in the north, so noodles, soybeans and breads are used more often. In the mountainous regions to the west, spicy foods are more prevalent. These forms are Szechuan and Hunan. In the south, Cantonese styles prevail. Fresh fruit and seafood are popular. Steamed rice is an important part of Chinese food.
The Chinese believe that food can affect one's health. Eating the proper food can help prevent disease as well as heal. In Cantonese cooking, it is important that yin and yang foods and cooking methods are used in balance. By taking into consideration factors such as the individual's age, digestive system, absorbing power, and metabolism, optimal health is achieved. Foods also symbolize different things. For example, clams represent wealth and prosperity.
New Year's Foods & Traditions
Even today, when I vist my parents at Chinese New Year's I awake on new Year's morning to find two tangerines, two oranges, and a pair of lucky money envelopes, lysee, by my pillow---all auspicious symbols of good luck. As a child, I could anticipate finding these as dependably as I could a gift from the tooth fairy when I lost a tooth. Lysee are beautiful small red envelopes with money tucked inside, given to children and family members by elders. The amount of money varies, depending on the generosity of the giver, but most Chinese place a dollare in each envelope. The envelopes are ancient expressions of of long life, gratitude, peace, and blessings. The color red is a symbol of happiness and good luck. Lysee are also traditionally given on birthdays and weddings.
The New Year's Eve meal is called tuan neen, or the uniting of family for thanksgiving. It is the most important meal of the two-week New Year's celebration and by custom the immediate family gathers for dinner at home. Every family's meal is slightly different but shares the tradition of being designed around meaning-ladened foods. Traditionally, eight or nine courses are served because both are lucky numbers; eight sounds like the word for prosperity in Cantonese, and nine means long lasting.
In China, a fish must be served with its head and tail intact to properly signify a favorable beginning and end for the New Year. From the Chinese perspective, to be a whole person one must have a good start and a happy ending in all aspects of life, and eating a whole fish is the epitome of this sentiment. A whole chicken also symbolizes a proper beginning and end to the year and the wholeness of life on earth. Clams or scallops, which have a shape similar to that of coins, represent wealth and prosperity. Roast pig signifies purification and peace, and oysters and lettuce represent good fortune and prosperity. Some families favor a sweet-and-sour pork dish because the Cantonese word for sour sounds like the word for grandchild. A fancy soup like shark's fin or bird's nest is said to be esteemed for its rarity and delicacy. Lobster represents the life and energy of the dragon.
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