Food and Culture Around the World - China and Korea
Food and Culture share a fascinating and symbiotic relationship. I couldn’t resist the temptation to investigate this unique food-culture bond and to my excitement the discoveries I made were extreemely intriguing. Would you believe it, if I said that red beans can ward off evil or that a single line of noodle symbolizes longevity?
The influence food has on culture is unprecedented. In both Chinese and Korean culture, food plays an important role in all the major occasions of ones life.
Food and Culture in China
In case, you intend to have a romantic oriental wedding, it would be apt to incorporate dishes that include Chinese dates, peanuts and chestnuts in your menu. In Chinese culture these fruits and nuts are accompanied with the wish that the couple will soon be fruitful.
When a Chinese neighbor sends red boiled eggs, he is telling you that the fruits and nuts worked. This waning traditional practice, predominant in Central Chinese culture indicates the birth of a child. An odd number of eggs indicate the birth of a baby girl and an even number indicates the birth of a baby boy.
In North East China, a return to your home after a long absence is greeted with noodles while a farewell is marked with the offer of dumplings. If you are ever given a peach for your birthday by your Chinese friend, try not to scoff at it, because this person is actually wishing you immortality.
Food and Culture in Korea
In Korean culture, food plays an important role in every occasion and ritual. Rice cakes were prepared on the hundredth day after a baby was born and shared with hundred families. The families should in turn give rice or white cotton thread, both of which signify longevity and wealth. This occasion is called “Baekil”.
A unique ceremony called ‘Doljabi’ occurs on a baby's first birthday. An assortment of food items and fruits are placed in front of the child and the child is allowed to pick anything he prefers. The baby's destiny may be told based on the item that is picked up by the baby.
In Korean weddings, the bride’s family prepares a dish called Bongchaetteok using rice cake, red bean powder and seven jujubes. The glutinous rice symbolizes the fast and tenacious nature of the couple’s relationship and the red beans is meant to ward off misfortunes. The seven jujubes represent the seven sons that are yet to come.
Who would have thought that peaches or red beans could say so much? It looks like food is not only the way to a man’s heart but also to culture's soul. Hold on, I will be back with more interesting nuggets of information about food and culture from around the world. But for now, I need to go get some peaches for myself. Immortality, here I come!
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