Although we are already the forth generation immigrants, our family is still practicing some traditional Chinese eating culture. Soup has been a major emphasis in the Chinese eating culture, especially for Southern Chinese. Since my ancestors originated from the South of China, soup is common in our menu.
What is so special about soup and Chinese eating culture? Of course like other eating cultures, Chinese also emphasize on tasty and delicious food.Yet what makes Chinese eating culture worth mentioning is Chinese also believe we could rejuvenate or revitalize our body and thus staying healthily by eating. What does this mean? Basically Chinese believe that the natural phenomena are classified by the five elements (Wu Xing, in Mandarin). This philosophy also forms the fundamental of Chinese medicine. And like all things in nature, food that are obtained in this world can be grouped into those five elements. Therefore Chinese apply the medicine theory in their eating culture.
Like many traditional Chinese family, our family also believes in Chinese medicine philosophy. My maternal grandmother, the chef of our family, has been taking great care of our well-being. She's been feeding us with soups regularly; soups containing the "cool" effect during hot days, potent ginseng soups when we are deprived of sleep, "warm" soup in winters, or soups that are considered "neutral" to buffer our system. Although I have not been picking up my grandmother's habit, it does have some influence on me. Once in a long while, I do make myself some Chinese soups. Recently I'm even hooked up with a show on authentic Chinese soups from various parts of China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. I so wanted to travel to those places and taste their local soups. I guess that would be a good motivator for me to write my thesis. Just when people around my age are engaging in some youthful modern activities, here I am talking about culture and tradition. It is either I think like an old lady or I'm a food lover. Hmmm...
♥ every page of my imagination
