Transcript Food and Culture in China

Where in the world is
China?
 China is located in Southeastern Asia
Climate
 Because China is such a large country, there are five
different temperature zones (Cold, Mid, Warm,
Subtropical and Tropical)
 Monsoons also affect China, giving some cities as
much as 6,000 mm of rain in a single year
 Some areas, however, get very little rain and thus
have a very dry climate
Nutrition/Health Problems
 Being overweight or obese is a growing problem in
China. 22.7% of adults are overweight and 9.5% are
obese
 Hypertension, Dyslipidemia, Diabetes, IFG and
Metabolic Syndrome are also becoming more
prevalent
 Increased sedentary lifestyle and sedentary behavior
are the major contributors
 There is also macronutrient deficiency in many areas
of China
Major Industries
 Top Industries
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Oil and Gas (China Petroleum, Petro China)
Telecommunications (China Mobile, China Telecom)
Banking (Bank of China)
Metals (Baoshan Iron and Steel)
Construction (China Communications Construction)
Computers (Lenovo Group)
 Agriculture Products: rice, potatoe, peanuts, tea,
millet and barley
Who lives in China?
 Ethnicity
 Han (91.9%), remaining 8.1% are Zhuang, Manchu, Hui,
Miao, Uygur, Yi, Mongolian, Tibetan, Buyi and Korean
 Population: 1.251 billion, 70.0 years life expectancy,
officially atheist
 Because of population growth, families are limited
to one child unless they live in a rural area or are an
ethnic minority
 Average family size is 3.39 people
 Average income is $3,421
Health and Nutrition
 Top causes of death in China:
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Malignant neoplasms
Heart disease
Cerebrovasclar disease
Infectious diseases
Pneumonia and influenza
Obesity
Malnutrition
Cultural Events
 The main cultural events in China are festivals
 Spring Festival- all families get together. This includes the
Chinese New Year. All families eat dinner together and have
more extravagant meals.
 Lantern Festival- Consists of exchanging of gifts, firecrackers
and celebration. This marks the end of the new year. A
common food is tangyuan, which is a dumpling made of rice
rolled into balls and stuffed with different sweet fillings
 Pure Brightness Day- People offer sacrifices to their
ancestors and appreciate the beauty of spring
 Mid- Autumn Festival- offering to the Moon Goddess. It
came to symbolize “family reunion” Traditional Food at this
festival is “moon cakes” which are elaborate cakes given to
the Moon Goddess as a sacrfice.
Meal Traditions
 Respect is central to the meal, especially to the elderly
 The host begins the meal by offering words to greet the guests and
family members
 The best food is presented to the elderly, who are thought to have the
most wisdom
 The main dishes are placed in the middle of the table, in front of the
elderly or special guests. Side dishes are then places evenly on the
sides in a decorative manner, which signifies virtue
 Chopsticks are also important because they reflect wisdom and are
considered lucky gifts for those who get married or are celebrating
other special occasions
Typical Chinese Foods
 Starches: millet, rice, wheat, maize, buckwheat, yam, sweet potato
 Legumes: soybean, broad bean, peanut
 Vegetables: Chinese cabbage, mustard green, turnip, radish,
mushroom
 Fruits: peach, apricot, plum, apple, jujube date, pear, crab apple,
orange
 Meat: pork, dog, beef, mutton, venison, chicken, duck, goose,
pheasant and fish
 Spices: red pepper, ginger, garlic, spring onion, cinnamon
 Chinese cooking is mainly the manipulation of these staple foods
 Different areas of China use these ingredients differently
School Meals
 Many Chinese school lunches include their typical
foods listed on the previous slide
 These tend to be high in fat and sodium, similar to
many school lunches in the United States
 However, some public schools are implementing
school nutrition programs which are improving the
options available to students as well as decreasing
nutrient deficiencies
Celebratory Meals
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For younger children noodles are served before their birthday to celebrate the longevity of their life and China
through the long noodles
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Birthday cakes are served on a person’s actual birthday. Peaches are also commonly served to symbolize
immortality
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For weddings, common foods include: Chinese dates, peanuts, longan and chestnuts in hopes of helping the couple
to have a child
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If a person has been away for a long time, noodles are served and they are sent off with dumplings, especially in the
northeast
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During the Dragon Boat Festival, zongzi (a pyramid shaped dumpling wrapped in bamboo leaves) is commonly
served
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On the 8th day of the last month, porridge called “La Ba Zhou” is served.
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When a baby is born, the father sends red boiled eggs as an announcement. Black ends and an even number of
dots painted on indicate a boy and no black end and an odd number of points indicates a girl
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On new years, fish is generally served
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Foods that are more expensive and/or rare are reserved for special holidays as well as those that have special
significance and meaning to the people
The Chinese Food
“Pagoda”
 The food pagoda is the Chinese version of “MyPlate”
 There are five levels in the food pagoda and it is set up like a pyramid
 Grains, potatoes, beans and water create the bottom (250- 4oo grams
and 1,200 mL of water
 Vegetables and fruit are next, with 300- 500 grams of vegetables
recommended and 200-400 grams of fruits
 Meat, fish, shrimp and eggs are third with 50-75 grams of meat, 50- 100
grams of fish and shrimp and 25-50 grams of eggs every day
 Dairy is next with 300 grams and 40-50 grams of nuts and soybean
 Oil and salt are the top with 25-30 grams of oil and 6 garams of salt per
day
State Food and Drug
Administration
 The commissioner is Mr. Shao Mingli
 The purpose of the organization is similar to the
USDA in that they create policies for food safety,
medicines and supervise food hygiene
 There are many different departments including the
Department of Food Safety Supervision, Drug
Registration, and Drug and Safety & Inspection
 There is a website in English as well as Chinese
available for more information for the people of
China to find out about policies and public health
Resources
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Arora, R. (2007, August 28). China's top 100 companies. Retrieved from
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2007/09/03/100203550/index.htm
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Background notes: China. (2000, November). Retrieved from
http://www.state.gov/www/background_notes/china_0011_bgn.html
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Chang, K. C. (n.d.). Food in chinese culture. Retrieved from http://asiasociety.org/lifestyle/food-recipes/food/meats/foodchinese-culture
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China food pagoda. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.bch.cuhk.edu.hk/fns/fun-inseven/english/images/HealthyDietPyramid/secondary/p1.html
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China weather. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.travelchinaguide.com/climate/
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Chinese family shrinking in size. (2005, May 10). Retrieved from http://www.china.org.cn/english/Life/128241.htm
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He, J. (2005, September 15). Major causes of death among men and women in china. Retrieved from
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa050467
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Holidays and festivals. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.gac-china.com/China_Insight/China_Facts/Festivals/festivals.html
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Mulbrandon, C. (2008, January 27). Income of united states, japan, india, china, and indonesia since 1500. Retrieved from
http://visualizingeconomics.com/2008/01/27/income-of-united-states-japan-india-china-and-indonesia-since-1500/
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Shi-Chang, X. (2004). Creating health- promoting schools in china with a focus on nutrition. Health Promotion International
, 19(4), 409-418. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=2&hid=7&sid=ca6ba04f-0388-4431-8ac120b532ee93d2@sessionmgr13&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ==
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State food and drug administration , p.r. china. (2011).Retrieved from http://eng.sfda.gov.cn/WS03/CL0756/
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The chinese food pagoda. (2009, March 31). Retrieved from http://www.china.org.cn/health/2009-03/31/content_17528710.htm
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World atlas: China. (2011). Retrieved from
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/cnnewz.gif&imgrefurl=http://w
ww.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/cn.htm&h=333&w=795&sz=61&tbnid=78V7PBe74RVjVM:&tbnh=47&tbnw=113&z
oom=1&docid=iLARpesVohjRGM&sa=X&ei=oVLFToWnHO_J0AHXjP3GCg&ved=0CD0Q9QEwBA&dur=839