Many cultures have contrasting ways of preparing meals and showing polite manners at the dinner table. The chinese culture is very diverse from most cultures. The short story Fish Cheeks by Amy Tan shows great examples of these two main topics.
Many of their traditional foods are massively influenced by their cultures diversity and geography. Meal time in the chinese culture is very unique in a numerous amount of ways. First, steamed fish is straightforward, but savory recipe commonly cooked in the chinese culture (The Spruce). There are an abounding total of unique styles to cook this meal. Furthermore, squid is also commonly cooked in the chinese household. It is low-cost, fresh and tastes amazing (Omnivore's Cookbook). There are plenty
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One manner one may see when dining in a chinese setting is the use of chopsticks. Chopsticks were introduced to the chinese culture from surrounding countries such as Vietnam, south korea and north korea (Travel china guide). When using chopsticks you never should stick them upright because it emphasizes the “Praying to the dead” death procedure (Elegant Woman). One may start eating there marvelous meal once everyone at the table is seated (Elegant Woman). In addition, inviting family members over for a homecooked meal is a genuine thing to do. When family and friends are invited to dinner usually people sit at a round table so the food is in the center and easy to reach. During the meal, it is not considered “rude” or “impolite” to stand and reach over people for your food. It is not unacceptable to ask another person to get you something that is near them (Elegant Woman). As one may notice, it is important to know what the chinese culture practices because it may differ from culture to …show more content…
First, It is polite to invite family and friends to eat dinner over once in awhile. In the short story, they ring the doorbell and bring gifts for each other and eat a big dinner on christmas (Amy Tan). Another manner is burping after finishing a meal. One may see that burping loudly after a meal is a way of saying thank you for a great meal (Amy Tan). One last manner is while eating, you lick you chopsticks to show you enjoy the meal just like burping. One example is the characters licked there chopsticks and wanted more after (Amy Tan). This short story may have thought one about multiple different ways to avoid being impolite in a different
...n a fork or had to get back up in the middle of your dinner a continuous number of times to go get a refill on your beverage. The service given to the guests most likely influences people’s choice whether to come back or not, but to many others who would eat Pei Wei regardless, they would care less about the service.
Fresh ingredients are a vital part of Cantonese cuisine. The dishes that are prepared are cooked in the absolute minimum time possible. Seafood such as fish goes from the tank to the table in a short amount of time that sometimes they are served while the fish is still alive (Huffington Post; 2014). It is called Ying Yang fish. It is a great delicacy in Cantonese cuisine.
This quote shows how Americans were cruel and discriminatory towards Chinese Americans. This quote shows how her favorite food, may seem disgusting to people who never grew up Chinese or around Chinese culture, and she is embarrassed by this. She is especially embarrassed by the way her dad says this nasty looking fish is her favorite food, even though she actually thoroughly enjoys eating it. Amy very much struggles with trying to please both the American, and Chinese side of herself because she wants to please everyone when in reality she just needs to accept herself for who she is.
Amy Tan’s “Fish Cheeks” describes Tan’s upbringing as a Chinese-American caught in between two cultures. In “Fish Cheeks” Tan’s crush Robert and his family were invited to Tan’s house for Christmas, Amy was embarrassed of Robert’s impression of her Chinese relatives, cuisine, and culture (Tan 110). Tan’s situation is not uncommon as millions of first generation Americans encounter similar situations while living within two cultures. Albeit the extreme embarrassment Tan endured throughout the encounter, she contends that her mother taught her a valuable lesson in appreciating her Chinese culture (111). Ultimately, Tan's purpose was to implore first generation Americans to embrace both of their cultures, in spite of its unique traditions (Tan
The world is always changing which forces people to modify their ways of life. Some people label changes in society, politics, economics, technology, and fashion as modernization. One might say it is only natural for cultures to also go through modernization. The Chinese culture is very resilient to change because of the values they hold for their traditions and customs (Li & Mengyan, 2013). According to Guan, LÜ, and Yu (2012), Chinese culture is deeply rooted in respect for elders, social relationships, and overall harmony and honor. I think what many people do not take into account is the pressures many adolescent immigrants or Chinese-American offspring endure. In a case study of essays, many adolescents felt the stress of “struggling with high parental expectations and intergenerational conflicts at home and suffered acculturative stresses and ethnic peer divides at school” (Li, J., 2009). These children are very adaptive as are their families. What many people do not realize is that there are many ways in which one could accidentally disrespect the Chinese culture. Baldwin explains the key rules of simple dinner etiquette: “do not r...
Amy Tan loved her Chinese culture. Her mom made her favorite meal every Christmas Eve dinner. She has grown up in America where it is considered a melting pot, the place of variety cultures. She liked the manners Americans had and the American look so much, that she had a crush on the Ministers’ son, Robert. Those would represent the positive vibes of multiculturalism. The negative part would be the feeling of being accepted by her peers or the shame she had of her culture during this special event. Amy was afraid of what the American’s would think of a Chinese Christmas Eve dinner. Also she wanted it to be more like an American Dinner because she thought that the Chinese food will be disappointing because the Minister’s family would be hoping for an American meal, like turkey and mashed potatoes. She knew her family’s manners were horrendous, so she was embarrassed about that as well. “Dinner threw me deeper into despair. My relatives licked the end of their chopsticks and reached across the table, dipping them into dozen or so plates of food” (Tan 185). This really shows a great struggling image of multiculturalism for Amy Tan had during her
In the story, "Fish Cheeks" it talks about how Amy Tan's Chinese family invites an American boy's family over for dinner. Amy Tan wants to impress him and thinks that he wont like the food her mother made even though it is her favorite food. She can tell that he doesn't like the food and she is embarased. So, Amy wants to fit in.
At large parties, you may introduce yourself. When dining, you should not sit until you are told where to sit and you should not eat until the hostess starts. It is polite to keep both of your hands visible while eating and to leave some food on your plate when finished. Only men are permitted to give toast.... ... middle of paper ...
There were people with faces that showed how that they were clueless on what to eat but when they saw people of the same culture through their dressing, they had the expression of happiness written all over them. It felt like they had found a sense of home just by discovering their culture food and those of the same culture. They immediately got their food and went to sit in the section where their culture was present. Women and Men in official clothing chose to dine at the Chinese and Italian section probably because the stand was of a more decorous setting than the other
Asians are one of the fastest growing groups in the United States and their culture is unique. A majority of the Asian culture is known for making big dinners to bring the family together to simply talk or celebrate together. There are three main categories of Asian dietary culture, which are the southwest, northwest and southeast. We will be focusing on the second largest dietary culture of Asia, which is in the northeast that contains China, Korea, and Japan. Food in this culture is not only a method of fueling ones body it is also used in certain types of medicines to heal ailments and also used in religious offerings.
On the contrary, Chinese parents will help their children to arrange everything, preparing a delicious meal and saying things like "You can't eat such good dinners any more. Eat more! If you aren't accustomed to the life there, just come back home."
I was born in one of the countries in Asia, and our staple food is rice. Rice is always at the center of the table, and the rest of the viand surrounds it. Here in the United States, my household still eat rice every day, accompanied by cooked vegetables and meat. My food choices are influenced by culture and family. Vegetables and fruits of my choice are abundant at the International Market and other Asian grocery stores. Vegetables are also available for a cheaper price at the farmers market. I myself buy these foods to ensure its freshness, prepare and cook them for my entire family. Inspired by Asian and American cuisine, our food is prepared with variety of cooking styles; such as dry like barbecues, baked and fried, with sauce
This little short story is about a fourteen years old Chinese girl named Amy. Who she had a crush on the minister son named Robert. After she found out that her parents invited the minister family on charismas eve diner, Amy was worried that Robert wouldn’t like her because of her family and tradition. Right from the start Robert seem that didn’t like how her parent acting. Amy family was licking chopsticks and reaching to the food instead of passing it. The main thing that Amy was embarrassed the most was the food. Her parents made chinses food instead of American food in charismas eve. Robert seemed that he didn’t like the food and the way her parent acted in diner. Once they left, Amy mother knew that Amy wasn’t happy. Her mom said “You
When thinking about food, Americans do not necessarily consider the origin of the country that food was made in or its ingredients. Often disregarded, the culture of Asian food goes amiss in American appropriation of Asian food. Asian cuisines can easily represent the power of its country, thus, are useful tools for education in Asian culture. In America, many people experience variety of food choices of Asian food such as Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.
Chinese New Year is the most widely celebrated tradition in Asia. The tradition is usually celebrated on the first day of the first month on the Chinese Lunar calendar. This tradition is rooted in centuries-old customs and is one of the most popular public holidays in China. Apart from China, this tradition is also celebrated in many Asian countries like Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, and Japan. There are many values and rituals tied with this tradition. For example, people would wear red clothing, decorate the house with red paper, and give children "lucky money" in red envelopes. According to legend, it is said that red can drive away bad luck, which is why the color red is highly emphasized. In myths, our ancestors would light bamboo stalks, believing that the crackling flames would scare off evil spirits. This is why fireworks and firecrackers are set off during this special tradition. Other values and traditions during Chinese New Year dinner such as eating specific dishes during the New Years Eve Dinner, exchanging red envelopes, and cleaning the house. These traditions all emphasize one value: the importance of family reunion during Chinese New Year. Family reunion is essential because it is a time to interact with family and friends who often times do not live nearby. Family and relatives will plan their schedules around Chinese New Year dinner, instead of taking family for granted. Adults also teach children important tradition and lessons during Chinese New Year so that when they grow older, they would continue this tradition with their families.