Out of the Bamboo Basket How dim sum gives us an inside look at Chinese culture
“All the chefs are from China, and a lot of Chinese people just go there to eat because that’s the one authentic Chinese restaurant down in South Florida,” Luo said.
28 | fall 2018
When Luo lived in Shenzhen, she would eat dim sum with her family for breakfast. During the Lunar New Year, in particular, it was common to go out for dim sum because it was a way to catch up with family.
Luo’s experience mirrors some of the insight that Dr. Schueller shared on the topic of culture and food.
An integral part of Chinese culture and encompassing so many different foods, Dim sum captured the interest of American consumers. With this interest came new manners of thinking of not only a single Chinese dish, but of the Chinese culture.
“Food becomes an easy way to say ‘I really understand the culture, and I am so accepting’,” Schueller said.
Luo has slowly realized that American social expectations and dining styles are very different to those of China. Americans typically eat in what Luo calls “family style” where each person at the table gets their own individual dish. For Chinese families, this is different. “When you eat in China, no one is going to do that. No one is going to wait
Malini Johar Schueller, director and professor of Asian American Studies at design/ashley somchanhmavong
Whenever Luo gets homesick, she finds that food acts as the bridge back to home. Working part time at an authentic Sichuan restaurant, Luo felt that her job connects her to her Chinese heritage.
the University of Florida, said mainstream culture can consume the exoticism of Asian cultures in both innocent and problematic ways.
photography/photo editing/sofia zheng
Luo, an 18 year-old, first-year engineering major at the University of Florida, moved to the United States when she was 10 years old. She and her mother made the journey from Shenzhen, a bustling city in southeast China.
Dim sum, a type of Chinese cuisine originating in Guangzhou, China, consists of many small dishes such as steamed dumplings, steamed pork buns and chicken feet. Each dish is typically served in woven bamboo baskets and shared with everyone at the table.
by emma ross
A
t 10 years old, Mini Luo’s small sneakers scratched the pavement, as she dragged her feet. People around her talked, but nothing made sense. The signs she saw on her way home were just as confusing. A whirlwind of nerves and loneliness plagued her since her move to the United States. She felt trapped, but the sudden smell of dim sum filled her with a sense of warmth and belonging. For a mere second, she was home.
no one is going to wait for all the food to be ready because sharing is a big part of chinese food culture —mini luo, 18