Travelling around the world might be
one of the best ways to experience foreign cultures. Food can be a channel which
facilitates better understanding of a local culture. Hence, being a food-lover, I enjoy tasting
local delicacies in each country. Consequently, I have also observed food
cultures which are unique for certain countries. By far, Hong Kong has one of
the most distinct food cultures.
About three years ago, my best
friend, Vivian and I went on our graduation trip to Hong Kong. I learnt their distinctive
food culture from several embarrassing events.
On the first day, I had my first
food cultural lesson through a visit to the small eatery near to my hotel.
After a four hours flight on Jetstar (which does not provide any
food or beverage on board) from Singapore to Hong Kong, Vivian and I were famished. Hence, after
checking into our hotel room, we rushed out to the nearest eatery in our
vicinity. We were welcomed by a friendly lady who ushered us to our table. Soon
after we have placed our order, she served us two cups of tea. Due to the
extreme thirst, I hastily finished my cup of tea. However, after I put down my
cup, I realized that my surrounding tables were staring at me. I was puzzled and
so I returned a blank stare. Vivian tapped me and discreetly pointed to the
table on our left. I turned and I saw cups loaded with utensils. I was embarrassed
as I drank the the tea which was meant for utensil-washing and not for
drinking. After the silly act, we quickly finish our supper and head back to
our hotel.
For the following day, Vivian and I had
decided to try their famous dim sum for breakfast. We walked into a famous dim
sum restaurant, and a lady led us to a nicely-set table. After we have placed
our order, the lady served two pots of drinks and a big metal bowl. Not knowing
their culture, I stared at the bowl and thought for awhile. After which, I have
decided observe the surrounding before I do anything silly again. I turned and
saw an old-lady pouring the hot water over the bowl filled with cups, bowls,
plates and utensils. We followed her action. At that point of time, I was
really amazed by their high hygiene standard for dining. This shows how
particular Hong Kong citizens can be with regards to food and hygiene.
After whole day of shopping on the
third day, we were famished again. This time round, we have decided to try the egg
tarts in KFC before our proper dinner. To our surprise, people are eating KFC’s
chicken drumstick with gloves on. I have never see anyone using gloves in KFC,
not even in those countries, like Malaysia or India, where people commonly use
their hands to eat. I was truly impressed by their food culture consistency in
all food places, which includes their fast food restaurants.
After my Hong Kong trip, there is no
doubt that Hong Kong has the highest demands for quality dining. These fine
qualities can only be observed in person and not publicized by media. In fact,
through dining experiences, I have gained a deeper understanding of a local culture.
Hence, in time to come, I will really like to travel to more places to explore culture
from more aspects.
Hi Phyllis
ReplyDeleteYou have presented a very interesting scenerio! I have personally been to Hong Kong, but I have never experienced any of these though. My experience in Hong Kong regarding the food aspect was similar to what we have here in Singapore. Having said that, it might be because I haven't stayed long enough in Hong Kong or visited enough eateries to witness that yet.
I do agree with you however that to truly understand a foreign culture is to have experience it yourself rather than to have someone relate it you to as your experiences might differ. Also, even if the media does pick up the difference in cultures of places, it is hard to understand the culture from a third person's point of view.
Regards
Hannah
HELLO hannah,
DeleteHong Kong is not only a food haven, but also a shopping haven. I bet you focus on shopping and sightseeing more than food. In fact, I only stayed there for five days, I think its just plain luck for spotting all these 'cultural differences'. In addition, if you are keen in knowing more about the interesting facts for hong kong's food culture, you can visit this food blog. If I am not wrong, this blog is owned by a hong kong girl so its a native point of view. Below is the link to the food blog, it really sums up the essence of hongkong food culture. Hope that you will like it :)
http://hkgirltalk.com/2011/06/20/food-culture-hong-kong/
Hi Phyllis,
ReplyDeleteWow that is really interesting! I didn't know that food cultures can be so vastly different in 2 cities which are always compared against each other.
I can really understand your embarrassment when you drank the tea. It must have seemed like the epitome of faux pas. You share an interesting lesson which is to observe and learn from the locals before doing anything. I think it's a really handy piece of advice which we can all use.
Thank you for sharing this interesting perspective of yours!
Kel Ley
Hi Kel Ley,
DeleteThanks for commenting. Actually there are other interesting facts about how particular about food hong kong people can be . Below is a link to a interesting food blog which sums up the essence of Hong Kong's fussy food culture.
http://hkgirltalk.com/2011/06/20/food-culture-hong-kong/
Phyllis
Thank you, Phyllis, for sharing these observations of/reflections on your eating experience in Hong Kong. Clearly, the norms are different in particular situations, even those that may seem similar to situations here in Singapore. When I encounter such differences, I have to ask myself how they might have evolved. For instance, you mention the fact that KFC diners use gloves while eating drumsticks. How did that come about? Typically, beliefs impact norms of behavior. What's the belief underpinning that? Do people in Hong Kong also use gloves when eating burgers, or donuts, or pizza? I'd be interested to hear your opinion.
ReplyDeleteIn any case, this is ineed a fascinating post. There are some verb tense problems, but those don't take away from appropriateness of your description.
Hello brad,
DeleteSorry for the late reply. According to my experience in Hong Kong, I think that the Hong Kong citizens are very particular about food quality. Consequently, they place a lot of emphasize on food hygiene, as high hygiene standard must complement high food quality.
For KFC diners, I think using gloves while eating drumsticks is more convenient and hygienic as compared to washing hands before and after meals. As Hong Kong citizens lead a fast-paced lifestyle,using disposable gloves may be the fastest way of being effortlessly clean. However, we don't see people in Hong Kong using gloves when eating burgers or donuts or pizza as they are not as oily as chicken drumsticks. Hence, it takes lesser effort to get rid of the crumps or traces of food off their hands.
Like Hong Kong citizens, Singaporean also lead a fast-paced like style. In contrast, we use another efficient way to stay clean and healthy, which is to use hand-sanitizer instead of gloves. Even though hand-sanitizer cannot prevent our hands from being greasy after an oily meal, it keeps our hand clean before and after touching our food. After the SARS outbreaks, you can find hand-sanitizers in almost all the fast food restaurants in Singapore. Not only fast food restaurants, but also hospitals and other public places. In addition to the hand-santizers, hawker centers and food courts have also installed more sinks to promote hand-washing.
In conclusion, different countries have different ways of developing their culture, and this made every culture special and unique. Brad, have you come across any interesting situations/differences in Singapore?