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Unit9ChineseFoodFewthingsinlifeareaspositiveasfood,oraretakenasintimatelyandcompletelybytheindividual.Onecanlistentomusic,butthesoundmayenterinoneearandgooutthroughtheother;onemaylistentoalectureor.conversation,andday-dreamaboutmanyotherthings;onemayattendtomattersofbusiness,andone'sheartorinterestmaybealtogetherelsewhere...Inthematteroffoodandeatinghoweveronecanhardlyremaincompletelyindifferenttowhatoneisdoingforlong.Howcanoneremainentirelyindifferenttosomethingwhichisgoingtoenterone'sbodyandbecomepartofoneself?Howcanoneremainindifferenttosomethingwhichwilldetermineone'sphysicalstrengthandultimatelyone'sspiritualandmoralfibreandwell-being?--KennethLoThisisaneasyquestionforaChinesetoask,butaWesternermightfinditdifficulttoanswer.ManypeopleintheWestaregourmetsandothersaregluttons,butscatteredamongthemalsoisalargenumberofpeoplewhoareapparentlyprettyindifferenttowhatgoesintotheirstomachs,anddonotregardfoodashavinganyultimatemoraleffectonthem.How,theymightask,couldeatingahamburgerordrinkingCocaColacontributeanythingtomakingyouasaintorasinner?Forthem,foodisquitesimplyafuel.KennethLo,however,expressesapointofviewthatisprofoundlydifferentandtypicallyChinese,derivingfromthousandsofyearsoftradition.TheLondonrestaurateurFuTong,forexample,quotesnolessanauthoritythanConfucius(theancientSageknowninChineseasK'ung-Fu-Tzu)withregardtotheprimalimportanceoffood.Food,saidthesage,isthefirsthappiness.FuTongadds:Foodtomycountrymenisoneoftheecstasiesoflife,tobethoughtaboutinadvance;tobesmotheredwithlovingcarethroughoutitspreparation;andtohavetimelavishedonitinthefinalpleasureofeating.LoobservesthatwhenWesternersgotoarestauranttheyaskforagoodtable,whichmeansagoodpositionfromwhichtoseeandbeseen.Theyareusuallytheretobeentertainedsocially--andalso,incidentally,toeat.WhentheChinesegotoarestaurant,however,theyaskforasmallroomwithplainwallswheretheycannotbeseenexceptbythemembersoftheirownparty,wherejacketscancomeoffandtheycanproceedwiththeseriousbusinesswhichbroughtthemthere.TheChineseintentionsarebothhonourableandwhole-hearted:toeatwithacapitalE.Despitesuchamarkeddifferenceinattitudestowardswhatoneconsumes,thereisnodoubtthatpeopleintheWesthavecometoregardthecuisineofChinaassomethingspecial.Infact,onecanassertwithsomejusticethatChinesefoodis,nowadays,theonlytrulyinternationalfood.Itisubiquitous.Restaurantsbedeckedwithdragonsanddelicatelandscapes--servingSuchexoticasDimSinGai(sweetandsourchicken),andShaoShingsoup,Chiao-TzuandKuo-Tioh(northernstyle),andGingAiKwar(steamedaubergines)--havesprungupeverywherefromHongKongtoHonolulutoHobokentoHuddersfield.Howdidthiscomeabout?Certainly,akindofChinesefoodwasexportedtoNorthAmericawhenmanythousandsofChinesewentthereinthe19thcenturytoworkonsuchthingsastheU.S.railways.Theysettledonornearthewestcoast,wherethefamousorinfamouschopsueyjointsgrewup,withtheirratherinferiorbrandofChinesecooking.ThestandardoftherestaurantsimprovedsteadilyintheUnitedStates,butLoconsidersthatthecrucialfactorinspreadingthiskindoffoodthroughouttheWesternworldwaspopulationpressureintheBritishcolonyofHongKong,especiallyafter1950,whichsentfamiliesoutallovertheworldtoseektheirfortunesintheopeningofrestaurants.Headds,,however,thatthiscouldnothavehappenediftheworldhadnotbeeninterestedinwhattheHongKongChinesehadtocookandsell.HedetectsanincreasedinterestinsensualityintheWesternworld:Colour,texture,movement,food,drink,androckmusicallthesehavebecomemuchmorepartandparceloftheaverageperson'slifethantheyhaveeverbeen.Itisthisincreasedsensualityandthedesireforgreaterfreedomfromage-boundhabitsintheWest,combinedwiththeinherentsensualconceptofChinesefood,alwaysquicktosatisfythetastebuds,thatisattherootofthesuddenandphenomenalspreadofChinesefoodthroughoutthelengthandbreadthoftheWesternWorld.Thereisnodoubtthatthetraditionalhigh-qualityChinesemealisaseriousmatter,fastidiouslypreparedandfastidiouslyenjoyed.Indeed,thebringingtogetherandinitialcuttingupandorganisingofthematerialsisabout90%oftheactualpreparation,thecookingitselfbeingonlyabout10%.This10%isnot,howeverasimplematter.Therearemanypossibilitiestochoosefrom;KennethLo,forexample,listsfortymethodsavailablefortheheatingoffood,fromchuortheartofboilingtosuchothersasts'ang,akindofstir-fryingandbraising,t'a,deep-fryinginbatter,andwei,buryingfoodinhotsolidssuchascharcoal,heatedstones,sand,saltandlime.Thepreparationisdetailed,andtheenjoymentmustthereforematchit.ThusaproperChinesemealcanlastforhoursandproceedalmostlikeareligiousceremony.Itisasharedexperiencefortheparticipants,notalonelychore,withitsprocessionofplannedandcarefullycontriveddishes,someelementsdesignedtoblend,otherstocontrast.Meatandfish,solidsandsoups,sweetandsoursauces,crispandsmoothtextures,freshanddriedvegetables--alltheseandmorechallengethepalatewiththeirappropriatecharms.InaChinesemealthathasnotbeenalteredtoconformtoWesternideasofeating,everythingispresentedasakindofbuffet,theguesteatingalittleofthis.alittleofthat.Individualportionsassucharenotprovided.Aproperlyplanneddinnerwillincludeatleastonefowl,onefishandonemeatdish,andtheirpresent