ABSTRACT
Chinese food is known to people around the world and Chinese restaurants can be found in almost every city on the globe. Nevertheless, we also see great variation in Chinese food from different regions of China, including some that are more ‘traditional’ and some that are newly ‘invented’. What, though, is Chinese food? Some people might argue that Chinese-style food prepared by non-Chinese chefs is not really Chinese food. The definition of Chinese food is fraught with controversy. The ethnic background of the one who cooks the food might show the persistence of cultural tradition. At the same time, the contents and meanings of Chinese food extensively and thoroughly reflect people’s social lifestyles and expectations. By looking at different kinds of Chinese food in different periods within one society, we would like to question whether there are any similarities or commonalities to the patterns of change that cross the regionally distinct varieties of Chinese food and variation in social development.
