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Food Culture
饮食文化

Apart from satisfying biological needs, food is also an expression of cultural identity and the choice or rejection of certain types of food, the ways in which specific types of food is consumed and the context in which it is consumed tells us a lot about  the culture.


bakkwaBakkwa 肉干 (BBQ meat)
How a traditional technique to preserve meat became a popular food item in the global foodscape. Bakkwa is very popular during Chinese new year.

pastry sign board in yangon chinatownChinese Pastry guide
A guide to popular Chinese pastries. Read about the symbolism, background and origins of many Chinese pasteries. This is a WIP project so expect more Chinese pastries to be included in the list.

chinese teaChinese Tea shop
Read about speciality Chinese tea shops offering premium tea leaves for appreciaiton. It is not the typical supermarket off the shelf buying experience.

mooncakeMoon cakes 月饼
A pastry consumed during the Mid Autumn Festival. Explore the range of moon cakes from the traditional bean paste to the contemporary ice cream moon cakes.

niao gaoNiao Gao 年糕 (New Year cake)
Sweet sticky Chinese pastries made from glutinous rice popular as gifts or private consumption during Chinese New Year. The Chinese pastry with the largest variation in its appearance.

sponge cakeSponge cake (baked) 鸡蛋糕
Simple but popular pastry that comes in many different shapes and sizes.

mascot moon cakesMascot moon cakes
Mascot moon cakes appear together with moon cakes during the mid autumn festival and comes in all shapes and sizes; mythical characters, animals even a piston!

ice cream moon cakesIce cream moon cakes
Ice cream moon cakes appear during the mid autumn festival and looks like the traditional moon cake except that it is made of ice cream.

yushengYu Sheng, 鱼生
A Chinese New Year Dish that was invented in Singapore about half a century ago. The dish reflects the social aspiration and hopes for the New Year.

zong ziZong Zi,  粽子 (Dumplings)
Traditional food item consumed during the Dragon Boat festival in memory of Qu Yuan.

longevity buns singapore chinatownLongevity peaches 寿桃
Did you know that the longevity peach is not a fruit but a Chinese pastry? This is a must have during brithday celebrations for both humans and deities.

vegetarianChinese Vegetarian Food 素食
Exploring Chinese vegetarian food culture. Why do you have Vegetarian fish and chip, Vegetarian mutton curry in a Chinese vegetarian restaurant?

chinese tea
Chinese Tea,
Find out about different types of tea, their social functions and meanings.


chinese pasteryChinese Pastries
What can Chinese pastries tell us about historical memories, social aspirations and collective values?


Chinese Banquets 宴会
A look and an attempt to understand Chinese banquets as well as the social function it serves.

bean paste pastryBean paste pastry 豆沙饼
How the popular red bean paste fulfills aesthetic, ceremonial, product information and/or branding functions with a simple chop.

baoBao and mantou 包与馒头
Bao and mantou are common food items in Chinesetowns around the world. Did you know that the humble bao and mantou is more than 2000 years old?

good chance popiah
Popiah
Hokkien food culture that is flexible and adaptable.
It has since spread to the rest of the world.


Chee Cheong Fan
A Cantonise dish popular that is simple, healthy, verstile and popular. Enjoyed by many diapect groups and found in most Chinatowns.

sharks fin soupShark Fin Soup
Shark fin soup is considered a luxury and status food. Its consumption is driving sharks to extinction. Lets do our part to protect our planet's bio diversity.

ang ku kuehAng Ku Kueh
The story of Ang Ku Kueh 红龟糕 and its modern counterpart the jelly Ang Ku Kueh.


Chinese pastry in London Chinatown
chinese pastry stall in yangon chinatown
Chinese pastry stall in Yangon Chinatown, Burma
food stall in cholon hcm vietnam
Directions to a food court in Cholon, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
niangao stall
Nian Gao stall in KL, Malaysia
chinese pastry shop
Eastern Bakery, the oldest Chinese pastery shop in SF, USA
bean paste biscuit
Bean paste pastery with Vietnamese characters
yangong chinatown mid autumn festival moon cake shop
Moon cakes on sale in Yangon Chinatown
bao and mantou in yokohama chinatown
Bao in Yokohama Chinatown decorated
to look like pigs and panda bears


You Tiao in Rotterdam Chinatown
mascot moon cake lion
A Chinese lion

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