www.ijemr.net ISSN (ONLINE): 2250-0758, ISSN (PRINT): 2394-6962 Volume-8, Issue-5, October 2018 International Journal of Engineering and Management Research Page Number: 120-130 DOI: doi.org/10.31033/ijemr.8.5.13 Food Culture of Wenzhou/Zhejiang and South India - A Comparative Study Xu Hui1, A. Dhanalakshmi2 and Mao Jiguang3 1Assistant Professor, School of Foreign Studies, Wenzhou University, CHINA 2Professor, School of Foreign Studies, Wenzhou University, CHINA 3Professor, School of Foreign Studies, Wenzhou University, CHINA 2Corresponding Author: [email protected] ABSTRACT condition, geography, religion, beliefs, available resources Food culture is diverse around the world based on and to an extent economic conditions too. Food culture is climate, beliefs and attitudes as well as the method of diversified not only based on above factors but also cultivation, processes, distribution, and consumption pattern. methods of cultivation, processes, ingredients, method of Food culture of India and China differ a lot however, there cooking, distribution, consumption patterns and so on. are some similarities between Chinese cuisines and north Chinese cuisine consists of two general components, main eastern part of India's cuisine. This study is an attempt to understand the food culture of Wenzhou/Zhejiang,China and food which contains carbohydrate source, rice, noodles or South India using two different questionnaires containing a buns. The second one is side dishes which has vegetables, list of 50 popular cuisines of the two countries and collected fruits, fish, nuts, meat and drinks. (Fruit juice, coconut data from 200 respondents from Wenzhou/Zhejiang and milk, local alcohols to imported ones. There are eight main South India. Apart from this, data was collected from 50 cuisine styles in Chinese food culture such as Anhui, Indian students of Wenzhou Medical University to Cantonese, Fujian, Hunan, Jiangsu, Shandong, Sichuan understand their Chinese cuisine preferences. The scale had a and Zhejiang. Chinese cooking method is very unique high level of internal consistency, as determined by a when it comes to preparation. Cronbach's alpha of 0.717. This paper presents ten most Indian food is different from rest of the world not preferred Chinese food of Chinese in Wenzhou/Zhejiang, ten most preferred Indian food of south Indians and ten most only in taste but also in cooking methods. It reflects a preferred Chinese cuisine of Indians living in Wenzhou. The perfect mixture of various cultures. Just like Indian culture, impact of globalisation is witnessed through the changes in food in India has also been influenced by various the food culture of Indians in general and the youngsters in civilizations. Foods of India are better known for its particular. Food is medicine and verse versa that is evident spiciness. Throughout India, be it North India, East and from the traditional food habits of Chinese and Indians. It is South India, spices are used generously in food. Hinduism a unique attempt made in discussing the similarities and and Islamism are the two main religions that contributes to differences between the food culture of Wenzhou/Zhejiang the diversity in food culture of India. The Hindus are and South India. There is a scope for future research in traditionally vegetarian but chicken, mutton, pork, fish was understanding the Indian food preferences of Chinese living in India. later added into Indian cuisine except beef. Dinning etiquettes as concerned Chinese give Keywords-- Food culture, Chinese cuisine, Indian cuisine, priority to the aged, children, guests hierarchical order and preferences of Chinese and Indian food social status respectively. Before starting to eat dinner, the host may offer some words of greeting. Guests should not start to eat until the host says, 'Please enjoy yourself' or I. INTRODUCTION something like that, otherwise it suggests disrespect and causes displeasure. On arrival one should first introduce oneself, or let the master of the banquet do the introduction Food plays an important role in people's culture. if unknown to others, and then take a seat in accordance It is unique based on number of reasons, climatic with the master of the banquet’s arrangement. 120 Copyright © 2018. IJEMR. All Rights Reserved. www.ijemr.net ISSN (ONLINE): 2250-0758, ISSN (PRINT): 2394-6962 Indian etiquette is quite formal, a mix of both incidents in the Indian sample were classified as passive Western and Asian culture. India was part of the British sharing. Empire for many years and as a result of that connection a 'Food is medicine' and ' Medicine is food' it is considerable volume of the Indian population have been seen in the food cultures of both China and India. Food has influenced by the British style of etiquette. Etiquette and to be consumed appropriately and excessive consumption eating habits as concerned using left hand is not used for of food could be harmful to our health. So, it is suggested eating since it is considered unhygienic. Whenever invited to eat food as medicine with limited quantity. A research by an Indian family for dinner, it is a customary practice to paper of Kishore, et al. (2016) states that the Andrographis carry gifts, such as sweets, fruits and flowers, for children paniculata Nees is an important medicinal plant found in toys or a book. Drinking alcohol is culturally not accepted the tropical regions of the world, which has been in most parts of India. Many Indian families do not keep traditionally used in Indian and Chinese medicinal alcohol at home. systems, it is also used as medicinal. Leonti, M; Casu, L. (2014) discussed in their article that in Hindu and II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE Ayurvedic medicine, and among human cultures of the Indian subcontinent in general, the perception of the food- Previous research findings indicates that food medicine continuum is especially established. The culture is diverse around the world based on climate, preparation of the exhilarating gold-coloured Soma, beliefs and attitudes as well as the method of cultivation, Amrita or Ambrosia, the elixir and food of the 'immortals' processes, distribution, and consumption pattern. - the Hindu, pantheon-by the ancient Indo-Aryans, is Montalvo, Kristin V. (2008) article features the cuisine of described in the Rigveda in poetic hymns. In Sanskrit on Chile and Peru and states that every country has different birch bark leaves, probably Buddhist monks, and characteristics including the climate, people, culture, and unearthed towards the end of the 19th century in Chinese food signifying its uniqueness from other counties. Turkestan. According to Tiejun, Wen (2008) availability of resource Few other researchers have proved that both of a county that matters when it comes to the food culture China and India are pioneer in traditional medicine and of people 2008). K.C. Chang (1977) examines Chinese therapy. William G, Gutheil et. al. states that saffron, a food culture and states that people who have the same spice and a food colorant present in the dry stigmas of the culture share the same food habits and peoples of different plant Crocus Sativus L., has been used as an herbal remedy cultures share different assemblages of food variables for various ailments including cancer by the ancient based on their choices. The article of Esperanza J. et. al. Arabian, Indian and Chinese cultures. Duy Phu Le et. al. (2016) states that nutrition is directly correlated to health; (2014) discusses that ginger is considered by many people hence, having good dietary habits will highly contribute to to be the outstanding member among 1400 other species in good health. However, there are different factors that the family Zingiberaceae. Chinese and Indian cultures use influence good dietary patterns including socioeconomic ginger for treating common human ailments such as colds status, income, and culture. and headaches and antifungal properties. Another research Food culture of India and China differ a lot findings supports that there is similarities between Chinese however, there are some similarities between Chinese and Indians food sharing behaviour. In the study of Liang, cuisines and north eastern part of India's cuisine. Anja C. Pei, et al. (2016) research findings shows that similar as Niewind et. al.(1986) studied similarities and differences the Chinese group, the circular shapes and semantic in the food combinations of Chinese, European and West familiar words enhance sweetness sensitivities of the Indian women using a taxonomic grid and the results Indian volunteers as well, although their average sweetness showed that differences in food combinations threshold is higher than that of the Chinese group. Further outnumbered similarities. West Indian women combined states that practical applications these variant impacts may many more foods with the central foods than the other two be explained by the hypothesis that the role of culture is groups. Chicken was the central food that was associated with the previous experiences that breeds discriminated most among the three groups, while familiarity of the stimulus in the subjects. It might be due vegetables contributed most to the cultural variance in to a combination of higher degrees of the hedonics and food compatibility. This study offers an explanation for familiarity of the visual stimulus, that manifest in the part of the variation in human food selection and confirms subjects of both cultures, as enhanced sweetness the important role of culture in the development of sensitivities. This work contributes to the consumer different concepts of food compatibility. Rao, Nirmala et. behaviour literature. al. (1999) reported that young Asian children were more Food culture differs from one country with others likely to share spontaneously and less likely to elicit based on the method of preservation of foodstuffs too. sharing. Chinese children showed more spontaneous Chinese foodstuff preservation technique is different from sharing than did Indian children; the majority of sharing that of other countries. The study of Leistner, L (2000) discusses on hurdle technology, its basic aspects, and to 121 Copyright © 2018.