Chinese Symbolic Food

Chinese Symbolic Food

Monday, 25 May 2015 / No Comments

Hello everyone… do you like Chinese food? Do you that Chinese food has several meaning or symbol that influence the demand of the food. This time I want to tell you about come Chinese food meaning or symbol. Here we go…

1. Noodle

Image taken from: foodnavigator-asia

For Chinese, noodle is the symbol of long life. When you eat noodle, it’s not good to cut off the noodle. The story said that cut the noodle will give you bad luck. So, if you eat noodle it will be good if you don’t cut the noodle.

2. Spring Rolls

Image taken from: myontherocks

Because the shape of spring rolls are similar with the golden bar, this food become the symbol of wealth.

3. Lettuce Wrap

Some Chinese food are wrapped with lettuce. Lettuce become the symbol of rising fortune because in Cantonese word for lettuce sounds like rising fortune, so it is very common to serve a lettuce wrap filled with other lucky food.

4. Fish

In Chinese language the word for fish is ‘Yu’. In chinese language ‘Yu’ also means wish and abundance. In the New Year most of Chinese people serve a full fish (with a head and tail), it’s the symbol of the abundance from the beginning until the ending of the new year.

Image taken from: 1zoom2

5. Steamed Cake

Image taken from: galleryhip

Cakes such as Sticky Rice Cake have symbolic significance on many levels. Their sweetness symbolizes a rich, sweet life, while the layers symbolize rising abundance for the coming year. Finally, the round shape signifies family reunion.

After we know about some food that become a symbol of wish, now the foods are not only something to full my body. But foods are something to express our hope. Because life is beautiful, and the food also.

See you next time…

The History of Mantou

The History of Mantou

Sunday, 3 May 2015 / No Comments

Good day guys… how was your day? I hope everything that you face can make your day.

My Chinese friend ever told me that he was really bored with the same bread for breakfast every day for a week, when I asked him what kind of bread is that, he said it was mantou. Actually that day I really want to eat mantou because in the same day my Chinese teacher told me about this food, and I thought this white and soft steamed buns is so much interesting. But for my friend as a Chinese mantou is a staple food that he eats every day.

image from: taiwantrade

When the first time I see this steamed buns name in Chinese character (馒头) i just wonder why there is character of head (头) in the name of the buns, and I think the shape of the buns are not similar with the head.

Well, in fact this buns are have such an interesting history. According to Ming Dynasty scholar Lang Yin, the original name for mantou was barbarian’s head. In the story, Chancellor Zhuge Liang went on the battle to suppress the Southern barbarians and won. On his way back, he and his army need to cross the Lu River. Lu River had a big stormy waves. The people told them that they need to throw 50 human heads to please the river god, so they would be allowed to cross the river.

Chancellor Zhuge Liang didn’t want to shed more blood, so instead he ordered his soldiers to kill some of their animal and put the meat into the flour dough in the shape of a head. Then they throw the head buns to the river as fake heads. So, they can cross the river safely.

I think it was a good story, because the buns were born from the good thoughts of Zhuge Lian. I think you really need to try this buns someday, and enjoy the feeling that the buns that you eat also eaten by the river god in the past.

Have a nice day…

See you next time…