Food Culture Between Vietnam and America free essay sample

When we discuss about the differences between Vietnamese and America culture, we can think of many things such as History, Style of Music, Arts, Religion, Language, etc. And, I will tell you some differences and similarities in eating culture of the two countries. Even though they both have things in common such as family’s dinner, tea and coffee for morning, three meals a day or small snacks between main meals. But, the food cultures of two countries are different in many ways including kinds of farmland, living style, cooking style and eating style. First of all, Vietnam and America both have farmlands and seas to raise animals and sea creatures. When in fact, most Vietnamese are boat people, they make their living by shrimping and fishing. So their meals would most have of fish and rice every day. I noticed some Americans dont even like fish. In Vietnam, there are not that many cows or pigs because there are not that many farmlands. We will write a custom essay sample on Food Culture Between Vietnam and America or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Vietnam is almost like a big island; it is almost surrounded by water at all sides except the north, which is connected to China. Vietnams land is not so good; most of them are rocky or dry. It is mostly in the south where the land is good and where the farmlands are at, but mostly Vietnam has many rice paddies. It is too obvious that seafood in America is so expensive but in Vietnam it is so cheap and same for meat. Secondly, people sometimes go out for dinner with romantic partner in both Vietnam and America. I noticed that there are many fast food restaurants in America, something that are not very popular in Vietnam. This clearly shows that life in America is very fast and people are working so hard trying to get rich and successful. As a matter of fact, americans are always busy that they do not even have time to prepare and cook their own food. They will have to get foods that are prepared quickly so they can also eat quickly and go back to their work. This is totally different in Vietnam. The members of the family usually spend time to cook their food. Afterwards, they will also eat the food together as a whole family. This helps to maintain the closeness and unity of the families in Vietnam which is not being valued in America that much. Thirdly, as same as Vietnamese, in America they have three meals a day with some snacking on fruits and soups. The basic food in Vietnam is dry; the meals usually come with rice, vegetables, eggs, and small amounts of meat and fish. Although similar to Chinese cooking, Vietnamese cooking uses little fat or oil for frying. Fish sauce is a main spice in almost every Vietnamese dish. In addition, they drink a large amount of hot green tea and coffee without adding sugar, milk, or lemon. As same as Vietnamese, in America they have three meals a day with some snacking on fruits and soups. The cuisine is very diverse in the United States by the rich and influential people from the large population and a variety of immigrants. Like western countries, wheat and corn are the primary grains. Traditional American cuisine uses ingredients such as chicken, potatoes, sweet potatoes. Meats barbecue, apple pies, potato chips, cotton candy and chocolate chip cookies are the foods that define American styles. Lastly, besides differences in food style, Vietnam and America are also very much different in eating style. Vietnamese use spoons, chopsticks and a bowl. In contract, Americans use knife, spoons, fork and plates. The food in Vietnam is put on the table and each people take piece by piece. The parents get food for their kids using their chopsticks, not by passing the whole plate like Americans do. Moreover, Americans say â€Å"grace† before eating and everybody starts eating after that. Vietnamese children ask parents or elderly of the family to eat first, and they follow. In conclusion, the two patterns indicated above can show that they both have a few things in common but most of them are different. However, it doesnt matter what kind of food people decide to choose. Instead, both countries have their own interesting characteristics of the foods, as well as eating habits.