16 Jun 23
1 edit
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2023/jun/15/lunch-of-suffering-plain-white-people-food-goes-viral-in-china
Lunch of suffering’: plain ‘white people food’ goes viral in China
Social media platforms inundated with users amused and bemused by raw vegetables and cold sandwiches
Under a photo of processed cheese, ham and crackers packed neatly in plastic, a Weibo user writes that to eat this for lunch is to “learn what it feels like to be dead”.
The post is part of a trend among Chinese social media users who are recreating “báirén fàn” or “white people food” to better understand – or poke fun at – western packed lunches made up of plain ingredients such as raw vegetables and sliced meats.
The social media platforms Weibo and Xiaohongshu have been inundated with photos and reviews of cold sandwiches, raw carrots and canned tuna. Many are from Chinese international students surprised by the simple lunches eaten by their peers overseas.
The trend has also been pushed along by a viral video of a woman in Switzerland on a train eating a bag of lettuce with ham and a packet of mustard.
“When I first came to Australia, I saw a woman who bought … raw sliced mushrooms in the supermarket and sat down to eat it,” one writes. “I was dumbfounded.”
The TikTok user @li2dog breaks down “white people food” into three parts. First, it has no spices (“zero feeling to your food&rdquo😉 because it does not prioritise enjoyment.
Marcelo Wang explains that the fascination with these meals comes from that fact that many Chinese people are used to cooking with a lot of different ingredients.
But to some Chinese netizens, this kind of food is the “lunch of suffering”, as put by blogger Shanyoule, who bought a pack of string beans and a tomato to see what it was like to eat them raw: “It’s so lawless and outrageous.”
16 Jun 23
@athousandyoung saidLike Arrakis, it was "all about the spice".
It’s no secret that Chinese food is better than Anglo food. Asian food in general is usually better than white people food. Those spices are why our ancestors wanted access to Asia!
But at least we don’t eat diseased bats!
16 Jun 23
@vivify saidWhen a [3rd world] tourist goes to any 'white-people country', its not for the food, and in fact they suffer throughout their vacation eating mostly rubbish. When a 'white man' goes to a 3rd world country one of the attractions is the cuisine, the street food, and all the aromas of food being prep'd. Advanced countries have abandoned their gastronomic heritage. Maybe they more interested in whether or not there is more than 2 sexes.
[youtube]MGVfr5A2Hmk[/youtube]
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2023/jun/15/lunch-of-suffering-plain-white-people-food-goes-viral-in-china
Lunch of suffering’: plain ‘white people food’ goes viral in China
Social media platforms inundated with users amused and bemused by raw vegetables and cold sandwiches
Under a photo of processed cheese, ham ...[text shortened]... eans and a tomato to see what it was like to eat them raw: “It’s so lawless and outrageous.”
16 Jun 23
2 edits
@rajk999 saidEngland never had much of a gastronomic heritage they are kind of famous for it
When a [3rd world] tourist goes to any 'white-people country', its not for the food, and in fact they suffer throughout their vacation eating mostly rubbish. When a 'white man' goes to a 3rd world country one of the attractions is the cuisine, the street food, and all the aromas of food being prep'd. Advanced countries have abandoned their gastronomic heritage. Maybe they more interested in whether or not there is more than 2 sexes.
IMO Spanish food is not appealing either though the French, Germans, Greeks and Italians have good stuff
Are you suggesting China is 3rd world and not advanced?
16 Jun 23
@athousandyoung saideat mo chicken
Black people make fun of white peoples food too
[youtube Gary Owen Black food]cfBvXnwQjcA[/youtube]
[youtube Chapelle foods]SB8AozV1TD0[/youtube]
I’ve seen better clips about this but I can’t find them at the moment. Usually Blacks say the same thing as Chinese - white people food is bland and insufficiently seasoned
@athousandyoung saidYes, yes and yes/no. Although in theory China is 3rd world, they are an advanced economy. I think 1st world refers to Europe, 2nd to the countries trading with Europe ie mostly North America, and 3rd was everyone else who were not part of the great trading bloc. Now of course I dont think those classifications are important.
England never had much of a gastronomic heritage they are kind of famous for it
IMO Spanish food is not appealing either though the French, Germans, Greeks and Italians have good stuff
Are you suggesting China is 3rd world and not advanced?
16 Jun 23
@mott-the-hoople saidThats the other thing about food in poor countries. its almost all non GMO and almost all organic. Especially down iin these islands. Lots of fish and other seafood, meat without hormones, vegetables with very little chemicals etc and best of all almost no temptation from big fast food chains that produce all that rubbish food that killing Americans
eat mo chicken
16 Jun 23
@rajk999 saidjust have to contend with starvation
Thats the other thing about food in poor countries. its almost all non GMO and almost all organic. Especially down iin these islands. Lots of fish and other seafood, meat without hormones, vegetables with very little chemicals etc and best of all almost no temptation from big fast food chains that produce all that rubbish food that killing Americans
16 Jun 23
I'll try to keep my ranting focused on one thing: American "workplace meeting" food. It afflicts many other social functions outside the workplace, but the workplace scene is harder to avoid. Some salient features:
1) Disgusting iceberg lettuce "salads" with gross cherry tomatoes that are like biting into an eyeball. Available dressings are always some gloppy opaque crap what would make me gag if forced to consume it.
2) Sandwiches. Always with some whitish glop in it that has a stink. I despise the whole sandwich concept, really. Even the word is gross.
3) Other vile crap like potato salad, some slimy pasta dish, and the like. All dressings and sauces must be opaque and viscous. Any tangy, clear vinaigrette or subtle seasonings need not apply. If there's macaroni and cheese, it will be almost raw and smothered in some salty smegma that I can only assume is melted Velveeta "cheese."
The Chinese have a point.
16 Jun 23
@rajk999 saidI believe 1st World was the West, 2nd World was the Communists and 3rd World were the neutrals.
Yes, yes and yes/no. Although in theory China is 3rd world, they are an advanced economy. I think 1st world refers to Europe, 2nd to the countries trading with Europe ie mostly North America, and 3rd was everyone else who were not part of the great trading bloc. Now of course I dont think those classifications are important.
16 Jun 23
@athousandyoung said
Black people make fun of white peoples food too
[youtube Gary Owen Black food]cfBvXnwQjcA[/youtube]
[youtube Chapelle foods]SB8AozV1TD0[/youtube]
I’ve seen better clips about this but I can’t find them at the moment. Usually Blacks say the same thing as Chinese - white people food is bland and insufficiently seasoned