Italy and China food

When every Chinese international student arrives in a foreign land, one of the first things they do is open a map to find Chinese supermarkets and restaurants. The craving for food from home seems to be ingrained in their DNA. Consequently, Chinatowns around the world are always crowded with homesick Chinese people and curious locals.

Chinese cuisine

Chinese cuisine has a long history and encompasses a wide variety of regional cuisines, making it impossible to generalize it based on a few characteristics. 

The saying “local conditions nurture local people” holds true, as most people tend to prefer foreign foods that are close to their native tastes. 

When a cuisine migrates to a new region, it adapts to local preferences, and Chinese food is no exception. Chinese restaurants abroad often modify their dishes to suit local palates. 

Chinese food

Most people’s impressions of Chinese food abroad are limited to various fried rice, noodles, dumplings, and pastries, typically featuring sweet and sour or sweet and spicy flavors, which are quite different from authentic Chinese cuisine. Moreover, Chinese dining establishments overseas are predominantly budget-friendly eateries, street stalls, and fast-food chains, with few high-end restaurants.

Italy and China culinary traditions

Both Italy and China boast millennia-old culinary traditions and a rich diversity of cuisine. When it comes to a love of food, Italians and Chinese share a lot in common. 

Both cultures believe that quick meals and pre-prepared semi-finished products lack soul. Italians are willing to spend a lot of time cooking, slowly simmering tomato meat sauce on the lowest heat, just as it is common in China to spend hours making soup. 

Perception of Italian food 

The Chinese perception of Italian food largely revolves around pizza and pasta. 

Similarly to adapted Chinese restaurants, Italian restaurants in China also innovate to suit local tastes. For example, fruit pizza is extremely popular in China, so much so that many Chinese students in Italy are baffled, wondering “Why isn’t there fruit pizza in Italy?” 

This sentiment is akin to the shock and disbelief a Chinese person might feel seeing a restaurant in Milan’s Chinatown recommend chocolate-filled BAOZI.

Authentic Italian flavors

With the mindset that “food is the paramount necessity of the people,” Chinese individuals have established Chinese restaurants all over the world. Similarly, food-loving Italians are eager to introduce authentic Italian flavors to the global palate. 

According to data released by the Italian Embassy in China, since 2016, Italian embassies and consulates, Italian cultural centers, and the Italian Trade Agency offices worldwide have organized over 9,200 culinary events in more than 100 countries. 

UNESCO

These events aim to promote the value of ingredients used in Italian cuisine and the benefits of the Mediterranean diet—a diet known to support a healthy, balanced, and sustainable lifestyle. The “Mediterranean diet” is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage, with Italy being a prime example. People in Italy generally enjoy longer lifespans and higher quality of life.

Methods and ingredient choices

Despite differences in cooking methods and ingredient choices, Italian and Chinese cuisines share common ground in their pursuit of flavor and fresh ingredients. 

Italian culinary culture emphasizes freshness and natural qualities of ingredients, as does Chinese cuisine. Both cuisines favor the use of fresh vegetables and meats in their dishes. 

Pasta types

Italy boasts a variety of pasta types, each with different shapes and textures, requiring specific sauces. Similarly, China offers a wide range of noodles, such as knife-cut noodles and hand-pulled noodles, which are staple foods in daily life, and great attention is paid to their texture and elasticity during preparation. Italian cuisine features a rich variety of sauces, from traditional tomato sauce to various flavored sauces, which are essential to Italian dishes. 

In Chinese cuisine, sauces like soy sauce, vinegar, and chili sauce have a long history and are available in diverse types, playing a crucial role in cooking by adding layers of flavor to dishes.

Metaphor

In both Italian and Chinese cultures, references to “eating” or using food as a metaphor are abundant. For instance, in Alessandro Manzoni’s “The Betrothed,” bread symbolizes suffering, while in Primo Levi’s “The Drowned and the Saved,” bread reflects conflicts between groups and regions. In Wang Zengqi’s “The Taste of Life,” food serves as a medium to reminisce about old friends, and in Liang Shiqius “Essays on Eating,” local delicacies are used to express homesickness. Italian films vividly depict the Italians’ passion for food. 

Gelato

For example, “Roman Holiday” made Italian gelato world-famous, and “Eat Pray Love” highlights the rich aspects of Italian pasta. Similarly, Chinese food programs are widely popular, such as “A Bite of China,” which centers around the Chinese people’s love for food and life. This series weaves stories of individual characters to narrate the diverse culinary landscapes across China.

Celebrating

In both Italian and Chinese households, communal meals are an essential cultural tradition. Whether celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, or simply having a weekend gathering, family members come together to enjoy food. 

This emphasis on family meals shapes the cuisines of both Italy and China, highlighting the importance of home-style flavors and emotional bonds. 

Dining is closely linked to social interaction, providing not only a culinary experience but also fostering intimacy and harmony among people. 

Foundation of cultural continuity

Over the centuries, food has become inseparable from culture. 

Through food, people perceive and understand the world around them. 

Food forms the foundation of cultural continuity and facilitates communication between individuals in a way that is more powerful than language.