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Group 1 (Food) brainstorm - 101 views

Chinese food group 1 brainstorm

started by lili_teng_foti on 13 Sep 10
  • lili_teng_foti
    #1 lili_teng_foti on 13 Sep 10
     
    What do you know about food in Chinese culture? What are your ideas for the group presentation?
  • clara_susvilla
    #2 clara_susvilla on 14 Sep 10
     
    general tso never ate general tso's chicken.
    fortune cookies aren't chinese.
    bubble tea.
    we should make a chinese food pyramid.
    taylor said that in new jersey they were serving pigeon and calling it chicken so the restaurant got shut down. melania said the same but cats not pigeons and it was at a fair.
    chinese food that we eat here is very americanized.
    food that goes hand in hand with festivals like moon cakes for the moon festival.
    dim sum.
    chopsticks.
    p.f. chang's and cheesecake factory.
  • Cyndi Ko
    #3 Cyndi Ko on 14 Sep 10
     
    What do I know?

    Pigeon is pretty tasty actually. They taste like chicken but are much smaller and cute. And no, they aren't the same as the wild ones that hang out under your car in the cities.

    Chinese people [and I guess all other cultures] use the whole animal somehow in cooking.

    Lots of Chinese recipes date back pretty far into different dynasties with some minor changes.

    MSG isn't found in mainland Chinese cooking.

    Fish is more popular in China than pork or beef.

    Different regions in China have a certain style of cooking (Ex: Cantonese style dim sum, Sichuan style Kung Pao Chicken).

    For our presentation:

    I guess we could talk about different regions and their cuisines as a good way to ease us into our presentation. There's a lot we can work with such as history and pictures of food. And maybe even bring some food in. Like from cheesecake factory and get some cheesecake for ourselves.
  • Matthew Gallo
    #4 Matthew Gallo on 14 Sep 10
     
    Well I have never been to China and the closest to authentic chinese food that I can get is Panda Express, but I was in Vietnam this summer and it sounds as though the customs are very similar. I had frog legs and pig intestines. Never again. I think that just as interesting as the food choices were the customs at the dinner table. Eating on the floor, family style eating, having really no manners while eating. These are all things that I think that if we are gonna serve food during our presentation that we should incorporate into the presentation. It would be cool to just clear the desks out and make everyone sit on the floor. Maybe teach everyone how to use chopsticks.

    It sounds bad but I didn't know that sushi wasn't chinese, thats a bummer
  • lili_teng_foti
    #5 lili_teng_foti on 15 Sep 10
     
    I think the idea about different regions and their cuisines is very good. Are Matt and Clara interested in going toward this direction?
    Actually, Sushi is popular in big cities in China now...but no, it's definitely NOT Chinese.
  • Cyndi Ko
    #6 Cyndi Ko on 15 Sep 10
     
    So me and Clara were talking about Chinese desserts and it lead us to look at when the Mid-Autumn Festival would fall this year. Turns out it's 2 days after we present. You know what that means!? We need to bring in moon cakes for everyone! Perfect.
  • David Martinez
    #7 David Martinez on 15 Sep 10
     
    I actually got into sushi this past semester and was wondering if it had any roots in China (though it seems that's not the case according to Prof. Teng).
    Like Clara said, General Tso's chicken isn't really known over there which makes me wonder what exactly does the chicken over there taste like (probs. Better?)
    I like Matt's idea about bringing in food as a tasty example of what is and is NOT actually traditional Chinese food. If we could go in the direction of a hands on example that would be great. I found this and thought it was fun:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QhaoW8kl-8
  • clara_susvilla
    #8 clara_susvilla on 15 Sep 10
     
    I was just in Cynthia's room talking about that because last year I took a class called Contemporary Asia with Professor Leshkowich but she's on leave this year. She brought us moon cakes from somewhere in Worcester for Moon Festival. I'm going to try to find that place and then get my friend to take me there. We would be killing 2 birds with 1 stone - celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival and talking about food!
  • David Martinez
    #9 David Martinez on 15 Sep 10
     
    I found this just now and I wanted to know how much is true/ how much might be stretched truth:
    http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTE1MDUzMzY0.html
  • clara_susvilla
    #10 clara_susvilla on 15 Sep 10
     
    cynthia and i like the first video. it looks cool and interactive.
  • David Martinez
    #11 David Martinez on 15 Sep 10
     
    I also found these videos. They complete eachother- and they are, in my opinion, the most informative about modern day chinese food (as of 2008 I guess, according to the video's date posted):
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AEGRHMOdlg
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQFQkiDKTdk&feature=channel
    First one is part 1, second is part 2
  • clara_susvilla
    #12 clara_susvilla on 15 Sep 10
     
    We should watch Travel Channel specials.
  • David Martinez
    #13 David Martinez on 15 Sep 10
     
    This is a bit long but I remember watching this video either last year or Freshman year and I finally found it again. It wins in terms of information. The woman is very well spoken and has a nice clicky contraption:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6MhV5Rn63M
  • David Martinez
    #15 David Martinez on 15 Sep 10
     
    History Channel just scored some points: A brief history of chinese food. What whaaat.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoIMHaXEYaM
  • Matthew Gallo
    #17 Matthew Gallo on 15 Sep 10
     
    The moon cakes are a great idea. Let's definitely get after that. I think that it is important to talk about what actually is chinese food and what isn't because the difficulty with this topic is that people think that they have nothing to learn about it, and this would be a great opportunity to tear down that wall and establish a wall of facts.
  • lili_teng_foti
    #18 lili_teng_foti on 15 Sep 10
     
    Thank you for thinking of moon cakes. I think we can get a budget of about $50 from the department and I will ask the chair to reimburse you. A note on dessert: it is not as common in Chinese menu. The most common ones might be almond tofu or sweet soup, served cold or warm (made with beans, starch, sometimes dried fruit or white "wood ear"). Many Chinese have fruit after the meal instead of dessert.
  • lili_teng_foti
    #19 lili_teng_foti on 15 Sep 10
     
    I just requested a speaker for my computer in the office so that I will be able to hear the videos you posted.
  • David Martinez
    #20 David Martinez on 15 Sep 10
     
    So like we were saying at the end of class today- Matt, Clara, and Cynthia- when would you guys like to meet to work on the project again? I remember hearing something about the weekend. Let me know via Facebook/whatever you want to use to reach me.
  • clara_susvilla
    #21 clara_susvilla on 19 Sep 10
     
    When/where are we meeting?
  • clara_susvilla
    #22 clara_susvilla on 19 Sep 10
     
    Americans eating normal food in China http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiSaqH06LLc
    Americans eating not normal food in China http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrMEEk_fcCY
  • clara_susvilla
    #23 clara_susvilla on 19 Sep 10
     
    Survivor eating Chinese food http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zay6h2M-UhQ
  • clara_susvilla
    #24 clara_susvilla on 19 Sep 10
     
    http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes-and-cooking/chinese-food-and-symbolism/index.html Food and symbolism
    http://www.foodnetwork.com/regional-international/chinese-food-by-region/index.html 3 regions of China and their food

    Chinese New Year food
    "While each family has its own food traditions for the new year, most feasts include a whole fish. Because the sound "yue," or fish, is represented by the written character meaning "more than enough," the fish symbolizes togetherness and abundance. The fish is never fully eaten, signifying that the family will always have more than enough. To guarantee continuous good fortune, it's important not to break the fish during or after cooking.

    Many dishes for the new year include whole or unbroken ingredients. Chickens are presented with head and feet, and leafy greens, noodles and other ingredients are not chopped. In fact, using knives, cleavers or any sharp object during the holiday season is considered unlucky because it may cut off or divide good luck.

    On the last night of the New Year festivities, many families serve Fire Pot, a fondue-style meal where participants dip assorted meats, seafood, mushrooms, and noodles in a rich broth bubbling in a large pot on the table. Each simmering ingredient carries a special meaning. Long noodles represent long life. "Hao," or oysters, sounds like the word for "an auspicious occasion or event" and symbolize receptivity to good fortune. Lettuce, or "sang choi," symbolizes prosperity because its name sounds like the word meaning "to bring about wealth and riches."

    Dumplings, which represent wealth, are always a treat. People often get together before the new year to prepare dumplings - which becomes a party in itself - so no one has to work over the holidays. "Everyone works their head off all year long," laughs Leong, "and once a year, they take some time off just to enjoy and get together." '
  • lili_teng_foti
    #25 lili_teng_foti on 19 Sep 10
     
    I can see that you have found quite some information about Chinese food on the internet. It would be great if you can bookmark one or two of them, highlight the important message or make your notes/comments and share them with the class. I would also like to see group members exchange thoughts on the links you found and discuss how you are embedding them into your presentation.
    If the group work in Facebook or meet face to face for a discussion, please provide a brief note about your discussion and everyone's contribution made outside Diigo.
    Please also remember to send me the outline of your presentation and 3-5 discussion questions before the class.
    I look forward to your presentation.
  • Cyndi Ko
    #26 Cyndi Ko on 20 Sep 10
     
    During the weekend, our group got together on Sunday afternoon to figure out which food topic we would present. We decided to split it up by geography, food manners, Western Chinese food vs authentic, and festival foods. Clara invited her friend Jeff Tsai, a Taiwanese student, to talk about Asian culture dealing with food. Clara and myself went into Wocester to purchase moon cakes and David plans to buy everyone dumpling. We joined together later Sunday night to show off our research/powerpoints and discussed what we learned.
  • lili_teng_foti
    #27 lili_teng_foti on 20 Sep 10
     
    great!

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