Chinese and Western dietary taboos

They are all social consensuses under the combined influence of cultural narratives, religious traditions, and survival experiences in a specific region. There is no distinction between right and wrong. The essence of the differences is just different projections of the underlying logic of their respective cultures. There is no criterion for judging "who is more civilized."

A few years ago, when I was working as a receptionist for foreign-related cultural tourism, I stepped into a trap that left a deep impression on me: I was hosting a German farmer who came to Shandong to inspect agricultural projects, and I specially ordered a table of signature Shandong cuisine. The bright red nine-turn large intestine had just arrived. I was about to introduce how complicated the craftsmanship of this dish was. The old man opposite put down his knife and fork, and his face suddenly darkened. Later, the accompanying translator secretly told me that in the mainstream German food perception, pig intestines are "unprocessed and dirty ingredients" and are only used in niche local dishes in extremely remote areas. Its presence at a formal banquet is equivalent to openly embarrassing the guests. The meal ended neither salty nor bland, and for the first time, I truly realized that what we regard as delicacies at banquets may be real taboos in other people's dietary frameworks.

As for why the West generally rejects the sources of animal heads, hooves, internal organs, and blood products, the academic community has yet to reach a unified conclusion. Some scholars in the field of public health believe that this is the result of the popularization of modern hygiene concepts: During the cholera pandemic in Europe in the 19th century, unprocessed offal was one of the main sources of pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, governments of various countries spent decades guiding the public to avoid such ingredients, and gradually a collective consensus was formed. However, some folklorists have put forward a completely different view: as early as the Middle Ages, offal ingredients had never appeared in the recipes of European aristocrats. At that time, the aristocracy defaulted to such food as "low-class food used by lower-class serfs to fill their stomachs" and deliberately avoided the means of essentially class distinction. The remnants of this concept can still be seen today. Both theories are supported by historical data, and so far there is no standard answer.

Interestingly, the core of many dietary taboos is actually cross-cultural. For example, we will never serve pears to the elderly at banquets here. "Pear" means "li", which implies a bad omen of separation. It is almost the same logic as Western formal dinners where 13 people will not be arranged at the same table and 13 dishes will not be served. The former is a homophonic avoidance, and the latter comes from religious allusions in which Judas is the thirteenth disciple. In essence, it is a psychological projection of seeking good luck and avoiding evil. When I was working part-time at an Italian restaurant, the boss repeatedly told me not to stick the fork upright in the pasta and pass it to the guests, saying that this was a ritual that only occurred at local funerals. I laughed when I heard this. Isn’t this what we often say in China: “You can’t stick chopsticks in rice.” In the end, it’s all about a common sense of daily ritual.

There is another type of taboo that comes from a completely different health cognitive system, which has always been controversial. The year before last, I had a severe cold with a fever of over 38 degrees Celsius. The Australian exchange student in my roommate handed me a glass of orange juice with ice without saying a word, and also stuffed an ice cream into it and said, "Ice can relieve a sore throat." I stared at the ice drink and was completely confused - after all, my elders have been saying since I was a child that colds should be avoided, and drinking ice will only aggravate the condition. This cognitive difference has not been conclusive until now. Supporters of traditional Chinese medicine believe that "avoiding raw, cold and spicy foods" is a summary of clinical experience for thousands of years. Raw and cold foods will stimulate the spleen and stomach and affect the efficacy of medicines. Modern medical researchers believe that as long as there is no discomfort in the stomach and intestines, there is no evidence that raw and cold foods will aggravate cold symptoms. Both views have their own audiences. In fact, there is no need to distinguish between them. Just follow your own habits.

Of course, the most controversial aspect is the dietary taboos related to companion animals. Most countries in the West have legislated to ban the consumption of dog meat. The core logic is that dogs have changed from tool animals to companion animals. Eating companion animals is not in line with the consensus of modern civilization. ； There is still a tradition of eating dog meat in Yulin and some Korean-inhabited areas in China. This is essentially a legacy of the food properties of dogs as one of the "six livestock" in the farming era. It has also triggered many conflicts of public opinion in the past few years. However, the consensus between the two sides is actually slowly getting closer: more and more people in China recognize the nature of dogs as companion animals, and many places have introduced laws prohibiting the consumption of dog meat. Many Western scholars have also begun to call for respecting the historical customs of different regions and not to make arbitrary accusations from the moral high ground.

I went to Barcelona a while ago and ate at a local Chinese restaurant that has been open for more than 20 years. When I saw the boss recommending braised duck heads to foreign customers, he took out his mobile phone and pulled out a photo of the finished product. He carefully explained that it was the head of a duck. It had been braised for four hours and there was no smell. If you want to try it, you can order it. If you don’t want to, just order something else. The guests were all happy, and no one was offended at all. Seriously, with so many people moving around the world now, how can there be any dietary taboos that are completely untouchable? Instead of clinging to stereotypes about "what can't be eaten in China and the West", asking "Do you have any taboos" before a dinner party is more useful than reading ten cultural manuals.