Short Essay1
The Significance of Hot Pot in
My Life
When I was in
junior high school, I remember my Chinese teacher used to explain, “Life is a
dish.” Sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy, all of these flavors constitute the
appearance of life. I have always believed that this is a vivid metaphor about
life. However, more specifically, I would like to explain how my life looks
like a hot pot.
A pot of hot water is
tasteless and bland and you can decide whatever ingredients you like. Hot pot
can be complex and appetizing with fish, meats, and vegetables or it can also
be simple with the real taste of a cooking material. It just depends on what
you like. I used to look for hot pot sauce in every Asian supermarket when I
first came to United States. Afterwards, I invited my friends to come to my
home, regardless of nationalities. I prepared hot pot, asking all friends to
sit around the table with steam coming from it and to share the grand one-pot
meals. Some friends said they know Chinese love to eat hot pot, but I am the
one who loves to eat hot pot the most. Some friends said I make the hot pot
delicious and they asked me to prepare more ingredients next time.
However, they did not know how
much time and effort I spend in order to modulate the best soup of the hot pot.
How to stir up fresh shrimp with smooth egg sauce patiently; the best
proportion of tomatoes, jujubes, gingers, and garlics in the soup is 5:4:3:2.
The next step after vegetables is fish and tofu instead of meat and crab so as
to make sure the soup can be guaranteed delicious; cooking time can take from 20 seconds to 15 minutes, depending on the type
of food. You may not imagine that a simple hot pot needs to consider so many things.
However, I learnt all of these secrets about cooking from my mom. My mom always
asks me to select the ingredients, no matter what I choose to add in the soup,
she tells me I must take them seriously and passionately. Like my life, my
family always gives me the maximum freedom and support to do what I want. I put
different flavors in the hot pot as I choose to experience different events in my
life.
Back to 10 years ago, I always
yelled to eat out after school and when I was ordering, my mom always said she
could do the same dishes at home. She was most reluctant to eat hot pot in the
restaurant. My family has two types of people who love food. The first type is
my father and my aunt. They are able to evaluate the quality of food, but they
are not willing to cook in the kitchen. The second type is my mom and I. We not
only eat food but also are passionate about cooking. Every time my dad goes to
buy lamb to prepare hot pot, my mom can tell the level of fresh directly. If
the lamb were not very freshness, my mom would not cook and eat. Her stringent
requirements of food trained my nose and tongue. During this spring break, I
went to Flushing, New York City. In Flushing’s Chinatown, my nose smelt the
good sesame butter, chive flower paste, and
pickled tofu far away from the shelf. I bought three bottles and spent more
than 20 USD shipping fee to go back to Denver. To me, delicious hot pot
condiments can provide me the great energy to keep studying at night and to
relieve homesickness. To enjoy a cuisine is a good reward for my hard work.
I used to think my mom’s requirements about
food must associate with her profession. Even though she deals with work
strictly, she knows how to enjoy life during free time. I inherited her
strengths. I insist the pot must be made of ceramic just like I must use the
finest components to complete my professional project. I love different flavors
of hot pot, such as spicy soup, clear soup, and tomato’s soup flavor. Just like
I enjoy experiencing different culture shock. I learn French; I visit different
countries; I decide to study abroad in Hong Kong. However, I did not know that the
way my mom taught me to cook hot pot embodies her love for me. I even did not
realize the moment whenever we sat around and ate hot pot together was the great
happiness in my life until I had the first Spring Festival in the United States.
Indeed, a grand hot pot also
means friendship and acceptance. An important sign of Chinese people when they
want to get familiar with you is to share a chair for you at dinner. For
instance, if you look for a seat with a tray in a cafeteria but not a single Chinese
person greets you or if you see a photo of a group of people around the hot pot
on Facebook and find you have not been invited. It means, sorry, you are not in
this network. Last year in Spring Festival, I had to prepare for two midterm
exams and I did not know a lot of Chinese people in Denver. I felt lonely until
an acquaintance invited me to eat hot pot at his dorm. A meal of hot pot always
takes two hours or more, it means you have a lot time to chat with others at
the same table. Hot pot is different from other dishes, sharing a hot pot is
the best way to get familiar with other people. I became acquainted with my
best friend in Denver during the time we waited for our hot pot food.
To
conclude, many people believe that the hot pot is very simple and easy;
however, the choice of ingredients and the preparation of seasoning ask me to
maintain a positive and optimistic life attitude. The flavor of hot pot helps
me to reduce pressure and homesickness. More importantly, sharing hot pot help
me know more friends. The significance of hot pot is a microcosm to display the
significance that food has in my life. There are a lot of proverbs about food
in China. The most common one translated in English is that food is the
paramount necessity of people. I have always believed that one’s passion for
cuisine is the best way to display one’s positive attitude towards life.
Extend Essay1
The
Cultural Metaphors of Food
Food is the engine of
metaphorical meanings that spread throughout people’s lives regardless of
region and ethnicity. We associate tomatoes with sin; olives can draw an equal
sign with peace; and noodles implicitly refer to longevity. Indeed, food can be
seen as a metaphor of religion, gender, family, local and national identity,
and even social hierarchy (Lévi-Strauss, 489). We should not underestimate the
significance of cultural metaphors of food due to the reason that they not only
guide people’s food choices, but also change people’s diet experiences.
According to Lakoff and Johnson, “the essence of metaphor is understanding and
experiencing one kind of thing in terms of another” (125). It means that
metaphors are not only a form of language, but also a style of human’s
perception. The linguistic expressions of food and eating, and whether foods
are used for creating metaphors or becoming the target of metaphors, are
reflecting cultures (Lakoff &Johnson 126). In this essay, I will analyze
how food metaphors have influenced the way we eat today.
We first consider how belief influences
people’s food choices. Foods are inextricably linked to religion, even in the
context of a crisis of faith. The metaphors of food in different religions
often refer to purity, self-discipline, and sacrifice. For instance, Kashruth,
the diet rules of the Jewish people, strictly distinguishes between dairy
products and meats. It prohibits followers to eat pork, shellfish, reptiles,
and amphibians. Based on the study of Mary Douglass, changes in diet are a
prerequisite to observe and adapt the orders of the natural world to the Jews
(7). The food metaphors in the Jewish faith are obedience and order. The other
example of food as a metaphor for religion is that some Muslims do not eat pork
because the Holy Quran points out that pork is an unclean food, which is
contrary to mental purity. Moreover, food implicitly refers to physical,
mental, and spiritual balance in the Hindu belief system. From bean soup,
vegetarian dishes, meat, and fish, to golden flowers, there are more than 20
types of sauce that curry powder consists of. The religious metaphors of food
influences people’s food choices through indicating what kinds of ingredients
can be used and what kinds of foods should be neglected in people’s daily life.
Similarly, when we consider
food as a metaphor for gender, we see a great contrast between men and women
upon their food choices. For instance, Korthals mentions the words of the song
“Sugar, Sugar,” in his journal article, Food as a Source and Target of Metaphors:
Inclusion and Exclusion of Foodstuffs and Persons through Metaphors, to explain
the gender metaphor of food.
Sugar, ah honey honey
You are my candy girl
And you’ve got me
wanting you.
Korthals states that “sugar” is linked to girl whereas “beefy” is
associated with boy in the United States (81). There are also other sayings
like “real men don’t eat quiche,” “the man bring home the bacon,” and “the man
is meat and potato.” In contrast to women’s tendency to eat more sweets, men
become more likely to eat meats and reject quiche. The gender metaphors of food
influence people through building different taste preferences. In the choice of
some food, people will become careful due to the gender description in sayings
or lyrics.
When our eyes transfer away from the
trans-national religious belief and gender difference to a specific country or
region, it is interesting to notice food can be seen as a metaphor of a group
identity. According to O’Donnell’s article, The
Cultural Politics of Eating in Shenzhen, food can be used to differentiate
people within regions and generations in China. For instance, the southern and
the northern parts of China show very different eating habits. People in southern
areas like to eat rice, whereas people in northern areas prefer to eat noodles.
When the lens focuses on Shenzhen, the story of Zhang Tao and his mother is a
good example, indicating food as a metaphor of group identity. The old
Shenzhener, Zhang Tao’s mother, always liked to eat food she used to eat during
tough time, whereas Zhang Tao, the new Shenzhener choose to try different
cuisines from all over the world. To most old Shenzheners, food embodies the
meaning of nostalgia. Even though the elderly and the youth are living in the
same community, food becomes a sign to differentiate their generations, or the
time of growing up. Food is an obvious label to define different regions and
generations in China. Food, thus, becomes a metaphor to show cultural
resistance.
Just like the British
refer to themselves as “beef-eaters” whereas the Japanese call themselves as
“rice-eaters.” Americans use “the cream of the crop” to describe talented
people and “wake up and smell the coffee” to cheer people up. People use food
to define themselves and differentiate between others, proving that food is a
metaphor of group identity. In this case, food metaphors decide what we eat the
most. Indeed, the story of Zhang Tao and his mother causes me to recall my own
experience with hot pot. To me, the hot pot is the metaphor of family, love,
and friendship solidarity. A pot of hot water is tasteless and bland, thus you
can decide whatever ingredients you like to add. My mom used to ask me to
select the ingredients, to keep in mind that no matter what I choose, I must
take them seriously and passionately. It would be a pleasure to try different
flavors of hot pot, such as spicy soup, clear soup, mushroom soup, and tomato’s
soup. I firmly believe that to put different flavors in the hot pot is an
epitome, as I study abroad, experiencing cultural shock. I also insist the
grand pot must be made of ceramic, like one must use the finest components to
complete art projects.
However, I did not know
that the way my mom taught me to cook hot pot embodied her love for me. I even
did not realize that whenever we sat around and ate hot pot together was the
great happiness in my life until I had the first Spring Festival in the United
States. I had to prepare for two midterm exams and did not know a lot of
Chinese people in Denver. I felt lonely until an acquaintance invited me to eat
hot pot at his dorm. Indeed, a grand hot pot also means friendship and
acceptance. I became acquainted with one of my best friend in Denver during the
time we waited for our food. The metaphor of hot pot has enriched my life
experience and the pleasure of eating hot pot becomes a metaphor for family and
friendship in my mind. Once I wanted to eat my mom’s cuisine and buy all
materials I needed. She taught me how to cook step by step on Skype, but it was
still missing some flavors. I realize what I lost was the taste of home. We
always link homely dishes to homesickness and link chocolate to lovers. The
food metaphor can create an emotional bond towards family and friendship,
making us fall in love with a specific food taste.
However, it is hard to
expose that what you eat at home and what you eat with your friends symbolizes
your class and status. It is true that life is an entity of all sides of food.
Sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy flavors constitute the real taste of life and
even society. Eating foie gras and drinking champagne are luxury food associated
with the upper classes in America and Europe. However, the caste system in
India determines that pariahs cannot eat the same meal as the higher Hindu
caste (Guru 9). Freedman and Jurafsky make a more in-depth research on a
specific food in their journal article, “Authenticity in America: Class
Distinctions in Potato Chip Advertising.” They compare nine brands of potato
chips and reached the conclusion that food packing and food advertising reflect
different consumer insights in terms of education, health, user experience, and
consumption levels (5-10). For instance, they analyze the linguistic complexity
of inexpensive chips is about eighth grad level, whereas expensive chips is about
tenth to eleventh grade level. The analysis shows that expensive chips always
use more complex and longer words in their packaging than inexpensive chips.
Expensive chips always highlight health in their packaging, in contrast to the
less complex language used in inexpensive chip advertising (Freedman &
Jurafsky 4).
In comparison, chocolate
advertising, such as M&M’s, Ferrero Rocher, and Godiva, shows the same
methodology of metaphors towards social hierarchy. In M&M’s 2013 commercial
“Love Ballad,” the Red chocolate candy is frustrated to play the piano and tell
stories about his unrequited love. “He” would like to do all things for her but
“he” could not accept that she only sees him as a chocolate candy. In this
commercial, chocolate candy has been given an independent personality, such as
angry, sad, and happy. M&M’s is not only your snack, but also your
playmate. If everyone can buy M&M’s as a playmate, Ferrero Rocher is a good
choice for the middle class to entertain friends at party in order to celebrate
golden moment. The advertising of Ferrero Rocher tells people that they are the
best status symbol to entertain friends. In contrast, as a representative of
luxury chocolates, Godiva targets directly to the middle class and the upper
class population in their advertising. Their commercial, “Godiva Chocolatier
One Minute Commercial,” showed in 2010 New York Film Academy shows that luxury
chocolate is the best love-letter in more than middle class. To conclude, food
choices symbolize people’s social hierarchy and eating quality.
A Chinese Philosopher
Lao Tzu once said in Tao Te Ching, "Governing a great nation is much like
cooking a small fish"(para.60). It means that governing a country required
the right "seasonings" and adjustments for successful results. This
metaphor clearly illustrates the significance of food in Chinese culture. I
have been thinking about what role food has played in people’s life and in
different culture, whether important or casually. The essay focuses on the
cultural metaphors of food, in terms of religion, gender, family, local and
national identity, and social hierarchy. These terms help us to define what we
eat and what we should not eat, which tastes we prefer and that foods create
special emotional appeal, and they even determine people’s food habit and
quality. More importantly, a common point we should not ignore is that culture
guides people’s choice of food, and what we choose to eat defines who we are.
Work Cited
Douglas, Mary. Purity
and Danger: An Analysis of Concepts of Pollution and Taboo.
London: Routedge and
Kegan Paul, 1966. Print.
Freedman, Joshua, and Dan
Jurafsky. “ Authenticity in America: Class Distinctions in
Potato
Chip Advertising.” The Journal of Food and Culture, Vol. 11, No. 4
(Winter
2011), pp. 46-54. Print.
Guru, Gopal. Food
As a Metaphor for Cultural Hierarchies. Philadelphia: University
of Pennsylvania, summer
2009. Print.
Korthals, Michiel. Food as a
Source and Target of Metaphors: Inclusion and
Exclusion
of Foodstuffs and Persons through Metaphors. The
Johns Hopkins
University Press and Society for Literature
and Science, 2008:16:77-92. Print.
Lakoff, George, and Mark Johnson. Metaphors We Live
By. Chicago: University of
Chicago Press, 1980.
Print.
LaoTzu, and Stephen Mitchell. Tao Te Ching: A
New English Version. New York:
Harper & Row, 1988.
Print.
Lévi-Strauss, Claude. The Raw and the Cooked. New
York: Harper&Row, 1969.
Print.
O’donnell, Mary Ann. “The Cultural Politics of Eating in
Shenzhen.” The Journal of
Food and Culture, Vol.
10, No. 2 (Spring 2010), pp. 31-39.Print.
