The Dietary Culture Differences Between Taiwan and the UK
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台湾与英国的饮食文化差异
Tái wān yǔ yīng guó de yǐn shí wén huà chā yì
在英国生活将近3年，不难发现东西方的饮食文化差异确实颇大。
Zài yīng guó shēng huó jiāng jìn 3 nián, bù nán fā xiàn dōng xī fāng de yǐn shí wén huà chā yì què shí pǒ dà.
用餐方式是一个明显的对比，以最简单的「餐具」作为例子，大部分台湾人用餐时使用筷子，而几乎所有的英国人是用刀子和叉子的。再来就是煮饭的方式，英国人讲求食物的营养成分，多以水煮、生吃、烘培的方式进行烹调，台湾人因深受华人文化的影响则重视菜肴的色、香、味俱全，从水煮、炒炸到闷炖各式各样都有。
Yòng cān fāng shì shì yī gè míng xiǎn de duì bǐ, yǐ zuì jiǎn dān de `cān jù’ zuò wéi lì zi, dà bù fèn tái wān rén yòng cān shí shǐ yòng kuài zi, ér jī hū suǒ yǒu de yīng guó rén shì yòng dāo zi hé chā zi de. Zài lái jiù shì zhǔ fàn de fāng shì, yīng guó rén jiǎng qiú shí wù de yíng yǎng chéng fèn, duō yǐ shuǐ zhǔ, shēng chī, hōng péi de fāng shì jìn xíng pēng tiáo, tái wān rén yīn shēn shòu huá rén wén huà de yǐng xiǎng zé zhòng shì cài yáo de sè, xiāng, wèi jù quán, cóng shuǐ zhǔ, chǎo zhà dào mēn dùn gè shì gè yàng dōu yǒu.
初到英国时，为了尽快融入当地生活，选择住在寄宿家庭，当时每天的晚餐都有一大盘生菜，一开始非常的不适应，但现在却成为我生活中少不了的食物之一。
Chū dào yīng guó shí, wèi le jìn kuài róng rù dāng dì shēng huó, xuǎn zé zhù zài jì sù jiā tíng, dāng shí měi tiān de wǎn cān dōu yǒu yī dà pán shēng cài, yī kāi shǐ fēi cháng de bù shì yìng, dàn xiàn zài què chéng wéi wǒ shēng huó zhōng shào bù liǎo de shí wù zhī yī.
比较东西文化时，多数人认为西方是个人主义文化，东方是集体主义文化，不可否认的是，这确实也反应在饮食文化上。在台湾，无论是在学校吃午餐(国中和高中)或是在一般传统的家庭，都可以见到餐桌上每人有一碗白饭和一起共同享用的配菜;相反地，西方文化中，每一位用餐者都有自己的一份餐点，且有前菜、主菜、甜点的顺序之分。无论是用餐方式、饮食观念还是在烹调方式，两个地方都有属于自己的文化。
Bǐ jiào dōng xī wén huà shí, duō shù rén rèn wéi xī fāng shì gè rén zhǔ yì wén huà, dōng fāng shì jí tǐ zhǔ yì wén huà, bù kě fǒu rèn de shì, zhè què shí yě fǎn yìng zài yǐn shí wén huà shàng. Zài tái wān, wú lùn shì zài xué xiào chī wǔ cān (guó zhōng hé gāo zhōng) huò shì zài yī bān chuán tǒng de jiā tíng, dōu kě yǐ jiàn dào cān zhuō shàng měi rén yǒu yī wǎn bái fàn hé yī qǐ gòng tóng xiǎng yòng de pèi cài; xiāng fǎn de, xī fāng wén huà zhōng, měi yī wèi yòng cān zhě dōu yǒu zì jǐ de yī fèn cān diǎn, qiě yǒu qián cài, zhǔ cài, tián diǎn de shùn xù zhī fēn. Wú lùn shì yòng cān fāng shì, yǐn shí guān niàn hái shì zài pēng tiáo fāng shì, liǎng gè dì fāng dōu yǒu shǔ yú zì jǐ de wén huà.
作者介绍
Candice，在台湾出生、长大，16岁前往英国寄宿学校就读，目前就读英国雷丁大学商学院。
台灣與英國的飲食文化差異
Tái wān yǔ yīng guó de yǐn shí wén huà chā yì
在英國生活將近3年，不難發現東西方的飲食文化差異確實頗大。
Zài yīng guó shēng huó jiāng jìn 3 nián, bù nán fā xiàn dōng xī fāng de yǐn shí wén huà chā yì què shí pǒ dà.
用餐方式是一個明顯的對比，以最簡單的「餐具」作為例子，大部分台灣人用餐時使用筷子，而幾乎所有的英國人是用刀子和叉子的。再來就是煮飯的方式，英國人講求食物的營養成分，多以水煮、生吃、烘培的方式進行烹調，台灣人因深受華人文化的影響則重視菜餚的色、香、味俱全，從水煮、炒炸到悶燉各式各樣都有。
Yòng cān fāng shì shì yī gè míng xiǎn de duì bǐ, yǐ zuì jiǎn dān de `cān jù’ zuò wéi lì zi, dà bù fèn tái wān rén yòng cān shí shǐ yòng kuài zi, ér jī hū suǒ yǒu de yīng guó rén shì yòng dāo zi hé chā zi de. Zài lái jiù shì zhǔ fàn de fāng shì, yīng guó rén jiǎng qiú shí wù de yíng yǎng chéng fèn, duō yǐ shuǐ zhǔ, shēng chī, hōng péi de fāng shì jìn xíng pēng tiáo, tái wān rén yīn shēn shòu huá rén wén huà de yǐng xiǎng zé zhòng shì cài yáo de sè, xiāng, wèi jù quán, cóng shuǐ zhǔ, chǎo zhà dào mēn dùn gè shì gè yàng dōu yǒu.
初到英國時，為了盡快融入當地生活，選擇住在寄宿家庭，當時每天的晚餐都有一大盤生菜，一開始非常的不適應，但現在卻成為我生活中少不了的食物之一。
Chū dào yīng guó shí, wèi le jìn kuài róng rù dāng dì shēng huó, xuǎn zé zhù zài jì sù jiā tíng, dāng shí měi tiān de wǎn cān dōu yǒu yī dà pán shēng cài, yī kāi shǐ fēi cháng de bù shì yìng, dàn xiàn zài què chéng wéi wǒ shēng huó zhōng shào bù liǎo de shí wù zhī yī.
比較東西文化時，多數人認為西方是個人主義文化，東方是集體主義文化，不可否認的是，這確實也反應在飲食文化上。在台灣，無論是在學校吃午餐(國中和高中)或是在一般傳統的家庭，都可以見到餐桌上每人有一碗白飯和一起共同享用的配菜;相反地，西方文化中，每一位用餐者都有自己的一份餐點，且有前菜、主菜、甜點的順序之分。無論是用餐方式、飲食觀念還是在烹調方式，兩個地方都有屬於自己的文化。
Bǐ jiào dōng xī wén huà shí, duō shù rén rèn wéi xī fāng shì gè rén zhǔ yì wén huà, dōng fāng shì jí tǐ zhǔ yì wén huà, bù kě fǒu rèn de shì, zhè què shí yě fǎn yìng zài yǐn shí wén huà shàng. Zài tái wān, wú lùn shì zài xué xiào chī wǔ cān (guó zhōng hé gāo zhōng) huò shì zài yī bān chuán tǒng de jiā tíng, dōu kě yǐ jiàn dào cān zhuō shàng měi rén yǒu yī wǎn bái fàn hé yī qǐ gòng tóng xiǎng yòng de pèi cài; xiāng fǎn de, xī fāng wén huà zhōng, měi yī wèi yòng cān zhě dōu yǒu zì jǐ de yī fèn cān diǎn, qiě yǒu qián cài, zhǔ cài, tián diǎn de shùn xù zhī fēn. Wú lùn shì yòng cān fāng shì, yǐn shí guān niàn hái shì zài pēng tiáo fāng shì, liǎng gè dì fāng dōu yǒu shǔ yú zì jǐ de wén huà.
作者介紹
Candice，在台灣出生、長大，16歲前往英國寄宿學校就讀，目前就讀英國雷丁大學商學院。
The Dietary Culture Differences Between Taiwan and the UK
I have been living in the UK for nearly 3 years, and it is not difficult to realize that there is a huge difference in food culture between the East and the West.
The way that people have their meal is an obvious contrast. Take “tableware” as an example, when people have a meal, most Taiwanese use chopsticks while almost all the British use knives and forks.
How people cook is another point I would like to talk about. Based on my experience, I think British people put more emphasis on the nutrients of food, so they mostly boil or bake their food, or even eat it raw. However, due to the deep influence of Chinese culture, Taiwanese meals are more about colour, smell and taste, so the food is prepared in all kinds of ways, such as boiling, frying, and stewing.
When I first came to the UK, I chose to stay in a host family in order to accustom myself to the local lifestyle as soon as possible. In the beginning, the fact that we had salad every day made me feel uncomfortable, but now it is one of dishes that I cannot live without.
Comparing the Eastern and Western cultures, people generally think that the West celebrates individualism, while the East encourages collectivism, which is also reflected in the food culture. In Taiwan, whether you have lunch at school (junior and senior high school) or at home, each person has a bowl of rice, and all the other dishes on the table are shared together. Conversely, in the West, everyone has their own meal, served in the order of starter, main course and dessert.
It sure is interesting to observe diverse dietary cultures!
About the Author
Candice was born and raised in Taiwan. She went to boarding school in the UK when she was 16 years old. Currently, she studies at Henley Business School of the University of Reading.
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