美国食物文化.doc

Food, an very common word in our life. Human need to have foods throughout the life. But few of us have critical thinking about food. What is food? It seems like a simple question, but for further more, it is not. What is food? According to the definition from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, food is any substance, composed of carbohydrates, water, fats and/or proteins, that is either eaten or drunk by any animal, including humans, for nutrition or pleasure. Almost all foods are of plant or animal origin. Some popular types of ethnic foods include: Italian, French, Japanese, Chinese, American, Thai and Indian. American food is one of the popular types of ethnic foods. United States has long attracted immigrants from a wide variety of nations, so many different kinds food culture has mixed into American food, such as American Chinese cuisine, Italian-American cuisine, and Cuisine of the Mediterranean. And pizza, pasta, tacos and burritos are the most popular food in United Stated of America. Sometimes the food culture of American can response the basic view point of ethic. For instance, many American people would like to ask a question, do Chinese people eat dog(s)?As Chinese people know, the majority of American people have a dog as pet. And there is a saying that dog is the humble friend of human. So many American people can totally not understand Chinese people eat dog(s). In American food culture, they do not eat pet(s). They think that eating pet(s) is unethical. But some of the Chinese people would say that pet is a kind of animal, which is not the animal species on the blink of extinction. And also, animal can be used as food either directly, or indirectly by the products they produce. Meat is an example of a direct product taken from an animal, which comes from either muscle systems or from organs.1 So based on this, pet is a kind of food, why human can not eat?In American food culture or Western food culture, eating pet is a kind of pica or allotriophagy. But in Chinese food culture, its acceptable. What makes this different view point exist? The answer is the life quality.China has long history, but in the past hundred years, China as a developing country is still in a hard situation. America is totally different. The standard of living in America is much higher than China. So in long days, Chinese people have no choice, they have eat for living. As time goes by, the eating habit become parts of food culture. American is a developed country, so sometimes the food culture of American can response the basic view point of ethic.As the representative of Western food culture, American food culture represent that human start to do critical thinking about eating behaviour. The food culture of American can show that human are re-thinking about food this common word. Vegetarianism becoming fad is a good example to show that. Long before, Vegetarianism is not popular. But today, Vegetarianism is kind of life attitude and food culture. According to the information from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, Vegetarianism is the practice of following a plant-based diet including fruits, vegetables, cereal grains, nuts, and seeds, with or without dairy products and eggs. A vegetarian does not eat meat, including: red meat, game, poultry, fish, crustacea, shellfish, and products of animal slaughter such as animal-derived gelatin and rennet. In 1847, the first Vegetarian Society was founded in England, Germany, the Netherlands and other countries followed. Vegetarianism has influenced American food culture a lot. American food culture, as the representative of Western food culture, has further critical thinking on the other part of food, that is plant.For moral vegetarian, it is not just because of killing animals for more, but for the moral right to animals living. As Peter. Singhs animal liberation in the factory, farming deprived animals free life brings a series of power and with ease pain, rather than free, animal eating cant have free life. But most of the animal rights activists have agreed that these animals shall have the power to ease life before, its basic survival needs must be met, but the factory farming is unable to achieve this. Then based on animal rights, its basic vegetarianism is not eating the principle of basic survival needs were restricted by artificial animals, of course, because these must be related survey as the foundation, but often difficult to achieve. So conservative approach is similar to the vegetarian, but due to its principle of behavior, this kind of vegetarian for fish and other aquatic animals dont reject, because for aquatic animals, even for breeding, its basic survival needs and comfortable living power or can be guaranteed. 2Based on this, American food culture can represent the core American identity. That is rights and civilization. In Maslows Hierarchy of Needs theory, all the desire or needs of human being can be divided into five parts: Biological and Physiological needs,such as food, water, air Safety needs, such as social norms, laws, protection Belongingness and Love needs, family, affection, relationships, work group, Esteem needs, such as reputation,status, achievement, responsibility Self-actualization, such as personal fulfilment and growth. 3 After fulfill the basic needs for food and water, what should human being do critically? Unfortunately some of the developed country can not take the responsibility for human sustainable development. According to the news from Great British newspaper Guardian, every year on September, Japans southern village middle ground parking will hold named kill dolphin celebration. The dolphin bay water would almost blood dyed red. And this is only the beginning of the year, the number of Japanese hunting dolphins and whales as 2 million head of giant. Many