I was born and raised in France. About 25 years ago, at the age of 25, I experienced a cultural shock after moving to Denmark! The first thing I noticed was the difference in food culture. Danes are used to drinking some sweet drinks with meals. They don't eat many kinds of vegetables, and most of their bread is tasteless to me. It is not surprising that some people simply eat a dish at night and then have a so-called dinner.
For them, eating seems to be something they can solve quickly, and food is rarely used as a topic of conversation. You don't need anything too complicated to make Danes feel good. Constant gravy, overcooked meat, onions and potatoes may be their favorite meals. When I returned to Denmark with some French products, my guests were not very interested. French sausage and cheese are undoubtedly a little disgusting in their eyes. They are interested in wine, and they will try any wine without reservation, just like the imported candy I brought back-they ate up what I thought was enough for several months in one night.
Instantly felt differences
It is difficult to analyze and describe the differences between different food cultures and the whole culture. Culture itself is a very complex system difference-intricate and interrelated, and members make various choices accordingly. If you come from a different cultural background, it is easy to be surprised by those strange options and differences. You may not realize everything, but as long as it is related to diet, embarrassment is almost inevitable: under different dietary standards, you still have to eat even if it makes you feel uncomfortable.
Dietary cultural elements
Among the basic similarities and differences used to shape food culture in various cultural backgrounds, there are some physiological taste experiences (sweet, sour, bitter, salty, cold, dry and wet, etc. ), some are related to cooking methods (raw food, boiling water, frying ...). Some basic attitudes (or folk customs) are related to the relationship between human beings and nature and the universe (purity, impure, sacred, universal, sincere, healthy, necessary ...), while others come from social connections (traditional, public, private, luxurious and festive. All these fields are integrated: no matter what we eat and how we eat, we are immediately affected by the various ties in this system.
Translator's Note: Basically, I didn't translate the original word for word, but reorganized the text according to the context-of course, I am still loyal to the author's original intention.