Chinese coffee culture the earliest western restaurant in China is called vegetable Restaurant.

Chinese people begin to understand western culture by observing the living habits of westerners. The Chinese find that Westerners drink soup first, then eat; eat first, then drink. Unable to explain this abnormal living habit in China, they were puzzled and finally concluded that the fundamental reason for the difference between Westerners and Chinese living habits is that Westerners believe that the earth is round, Chinese head up, Westerners head down, so their living habits are different from those of Chinese people.

With the opening of ports and trade after the Opium War, a large number of Westerners poured into China, so the earliest western food appeared in China. First in Shanghai and then in Tianjin, Western food gradually expanded its influence in China until it became a fashion and gradually began to change the eating habits of Chinese people.

At first, the Chinese divided western food into three categories:

One is a big meal, one is a dish, and the other is a big dish.

The earliest written records of western food can be found in the book "Qing paspalum banknotes" compiled by Xu Ke in the late Qing Dynasty, which gives a detailed introduction to western food. First of all, the book makes a basic definition of western food. It is written in the book: "Chinese people eat western food, which is called western food." "the definition of western food here is very accurate. The theory of western food is established for Chinese food.

In the earliest days, the Chinese divided western food into three categories, one is a big meal, one is a dish, and the other is a large dish. The early Jieslin restaurant in Tianjin was very famous. The food in it was said to be a Russian dish by the people of Tianjin, which was aimed at snacks.

Snacks and snacks are called bird food in Japan. In the past, there were two places in Tianjin Chiselin, one served Russian dishes at the former site, and the other sold snacks opposite the side door of the persuasion market, with only one or two dishes, a side dish, a piece of bread and a cup of coffee. In the 1950s, the price was two yuan. If you want to eat hot food or large dishes, you have to go to the Caiseline Restaurant.

Cabbage, that is, western food, the earliest western restaurant in China is called the cabbage restaurant.

In the novel A Little History of Civilization in the late Qing Dynasty, several playboys gathered together to eat vegetables in Jiangnan Village. "the cabbage here is western dinner. In the early years, the Chinese regarded all foreigners as unripe, and gradually more westerners came to China and had more contacts with the Chinese. The word "pan" had a color of discrimination, and the word "pan" was replaced by the word "west".

In the impression of the Chinese, what matters is not what western food is eaten, but how to eat western food. here, there are detailed records in "paspalum banknotes": mat with knife, fork and ladle. In the Guangxu Dynasty, the metropolitan commercial port already existed. To Xuantong, it was particularly popular. In the furnishings of the table, the hostess and hostess must sit at both ends of the table, and the guests sit on both sides, with the nearest hostess's right hand as the top, the hostess's left hand as the most recent, the male host's right hand as the second, and the male host's left hand as the second place recently. Those in the middle on both sides are even less. If there is only one master, the nearest master's right hand is the chief, and the nearest master's left hand is two, coming out from the right, three, five, seven, nine, from the left, four, six, eight, ten, and the opposite to the master is the last seat.

Here is a record of the order of seats for westerners, which is exactly the opposite of that of the Chinese. Chinese people eat, the eight Immortals table, the host in the main seat, right for the top, left for the bottom, in an orderly manner. But one is round and the other is square. From the seating rules, we can see the difference between Chinese and Westerners' etiquette.

"Qing paspalum banknotes" records the etiquette of western food:

Do not touch utensils to make a sound, do not chew loudly, do not pick teeth

For dining etiquette, "clear paspalum banknotes" have more detailed records: advanced soup. And into the wine, the host holds the cup to stand up, the guest also holds the cup, gives way and drinks. Following the intake of food, three dishes, four dishes, five dishes and six dishes can be served. In the end, dim sum or rice, dim sum and rice can be used together.

The eating order of western food is recorded here. For Chinese food, the habit of eating soup after eating soup is compared with that of western food as an appetizer to see the science of western food. And the most important thing is the dining etiquette of western food. "when eating, press the basin with your left hand and pick up the spoon with your right hand. Those who use the knife should cut it with the right hand and hold the fork with the left hand and eat it. When done, the spoon is placed on the right side of the basin and the knife is placed on the right side. Fork on the right, bend to the right of the basin. "" when a product is finished, place it on a plate with a ladle or knife or fork. The servant knows that when the product is finished, it can be put into another product. When eating, do not make utensils touch each other, do not chew loudly, and do not pick your teeth. "

Through the earliest observation of western food by Chinese people, we can see the difference of catering concept between Chinese food and western food. In the concept of food and beverage in agricultural society, the people at the bottom, "food is the most important thing for the people," and the highest state of life is to have enough to eat; to enter the upper society, the highest realm of the concept of food and beverage is to have a full mouth, feast the eyes, and "never tire of food." regard food and beverage as spiritual enjoyment. Western food and beverage obeys the living habits of industrial society, and more importantly, it reflects the social hierarchy in food and beverage. The attribution of social hierarchy here is not only the attribution of production relations, but also the attribution of spiritual hierarchy.

The western food etiquette recorded in "Qing paspalum banknotes" is the dining etiquette of the western upper class, and the connotation of this etiquette is personal cultivation and gentlemanly demeanor. The acceptance of western food by the Chinese broke the traditional Confucian concept of hierarchy and broke the concept of respect and inferiority in the agricultural society.

The entry of western food into China has brought Chinese people from a good meal to a scientific diet. The acceptance of the Western concept of diet has changed the traditional concept of having a full stomach as a top priority. It should be said that western food has played a positive role in promoting the progress of Chinese people's life.

With the progress of life, Western food is also keeping pace with the times. The implementation of fast food and buffet has changed the strict dining etiquette of Westerners. The pace of life in the industrial society is fast, and it is impossible for people to regard diet only as spiritual enjoyment. The United States has never had such strict dining etiquette. The British look down on Americans and think that they are too rough. The reason is that the British do not understand the pace of American life. The emergence of McDonald's and KFC meets the needs of the pace of life in industrial society. Many Americans often have an apple and a banana for lunch and have time for a big meal in the evening. They count calories in terms of diet.

With the progress of the times, restaurant habits are also changing, and the traditional western food etiquette is gradually improving. Now no one regards McDonald's and KFC as western food, convenient fast food will become the most convenient way to eat in industrial society, while formal western food will play a role in social communication and commercial activities. In China, Western food can not replace Chinese food, but the market potential of Western food must not be underestimated. Exploring western food acceptable to Chinese people is an important issue in the catering industry. Lin Xi's "the Old Society you don't know"