Chinese Culture In Amy Tan's Fish Cheeks
Chinese culture has several different food types, and the main part of the meal is usually rice, noodles, or buns, and the meats are the side dish. Also most meals are not the stereotypical Chinese meal and have rice, some have none at all.
The Chinese culture is centered on food and also plays a significant role in Amy Tan’s short story, “Fish Cheeks.” Chinese food is rich in tradition. To begin, the chopsticks are a primary eating utensil for solid foods, while soups are enjoyed with wide, flat bottomed spoons made of ceramic (“The Cultural Heritage of China”). Wooden chopsticks are not primarily used as much as ones more environmental, such as bamboo or plastic. More expensive materials used in the past-included ivory and silver (“The
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Vegetarianism is not uncommon or unusual in China, though, as is the case in the West is still only practiced by a relatively small portion of the population (“The Cultural Heritage of China”). The Chinese vegetarian does not eat a lot of tofu, unlike the stereotypical impression in the West. Most Chinese vegetarians are Buddhists. Non-Chinese eating Chinese cuisine will note that a large number of vegetable dishes may actually contain meat, as meat chunks or bits have been traditionally used to flavor dishes. Chinese Buddhist cuisine has many true vegetarian dishes (no meat at all) (“The Cultural Heritage of China”). China has several odd traditions concerning food, such as how chopsticks are a primary utensil because forks and knives are seen as weapons at the table, also rice, breads and noodles are very common in almost every meal eaten, and meats are a side dish. Vegetarians are also not uncommon in china, as most Chinese vegetarians are Buddhists.
Works Cited
"The Cultural Heritage of China :: Food & Drink :: Cuisine :: Introduction." The Cultural Heritage of China :: Food & Drink :: Cuisine :: Introduction. Ibiblio, n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2015.
Tan, Amy. "Fish Cheeks." The Language of Literature. Arthur N. Applebee, et al. Evanston, IL: McDougall Littell,
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