Unit9ChineseFood"Fewthingsinlifeareaspositiveasfood,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.TheChineseintentions"arebothhonourableandwhole-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,wherethefamousorinfamous"chopsueyjoints"grewup,withtheirratherinferiorbrandofChinesecooking.ThestandardoftherestaurantsimprovedsteadilyintheUnitedStates,butLoconsidersthatthecrucialfactorinspreadingthiskindoffoodthroughouttheWesternworldwaspopulationpressureintheBritishcolonyofHongKong,especiallyafter1950,whichsentfamiliesoutallovertheworldtoseektheirfortunesintheopeningofrestaurants.Headds,,however,thatthiscouldnothavehappenediftheworldhadnotbeeninterestedinwhattheHongKongChinesehadtocookandsell.HedetectsanincreasedinterestinsensualityintheWesternworld:"Colour,t...