Văn hoá ẩm thực của người hoa quảng đông ở thành phố hồ chí minh hiện nay tt tiếng anh

VIETNAM ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
----*----

TRAN THI KIM OANH

CANTONESE CUISINE IN HO CHI MINH CITY NOWADAYS

Major : Culture
Code : 9 22 90 40

SUMMARY OF CULTURE THESIS

HANOI, 2019


The work was completed at
GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

Scientific Supervisor: Assoc. Prof., Ph.D. Vo Quang Trong

Reviewer 1: Prof., Ph.D. Bui Quang Thanh
Reviewer 2: Assos. Prof., Ph.D. Đang Hoai Thu

Reviewer 3: Assos. Prof., Ph.D. Tran Thi An

The dissertation will be defended before the thesis review
council of the Academy at the Graduate Academy of Social Sciences
at

hour

minute, day month year.

The thesis can be found at:
- National Library of Vietnam
- Library of Graduate Academy of Social Sciences


THE PUBLISHED WORKS OF THE AUTHOR
RELATED TO THE THESIS

1. Tran Thi Kim Oanh (2016), Traditionl Lunch in Everyday Lives of
Cantonese in Ho Chi Minh City, Folk cul ture review, No. 3 (165)
2. Tran Thi Kim Oanh (2017), The Cantonese’s tea cuisine, Cul ture and
arts Magazine – Organ of Ministry of Culture sports and tourism, No. 392.


INTRODUCTION
1. The urgency of the subject
Cuisine does not stop at serving material needs for human but also
expressing spiritual values, cultural values, reflecting both life and traditional
values and towards the reflection element of contemporary living. Cuisine
transports several messages in life, such as individual tastes, identifying the
position of individuals and families in society through the positions and
objects practicing cuisine together. Identifying cuisine in these aspects is a
quite different approach to the majority of previous culinary culture studies.
Ho Chi Minh City is now the highest concentration of Chinese people
living in Vietnam with 50.3%, of which the Cantonese language for the
highest proportion (40%) and carries the residence-focused characteristics
living areas. Therefore, it brings a clear community mark. Cantonese cuisine

has several typical dishes, which is the basis for understanding the Chinese
culture in Ho Chi Minh City today. In the life processes, natural, economic
and social conditions and the viewpoint of human life contribute to
influencing the tastes and ways of practicing the cuisine of Cantonese people.
Therefore, studying this thesis in the above aspects desires to contribute to
understanding in the broader aspect of cuisine in the ethnic culture.
2. Purpose and mission research of the thesis
2.1. Purpose
Identifying the Cantonese cuisine in terms of family cuisine, ritual
cuisine and community cuisine in order to see the role of cuisine in terms of
expressing the outlook on life, gender, arranging the social order and current
changing trends in the context of ethnic culture and the context of
contemporary society.
2.2. Mission
+ Overview of research projects related to cuisine, Chinese cuisine, and
Cantonese cuisine.
1


+ Identifying family cuisine, ritual cuisine, and culinary cuisine outside
the family.
+ Pointing out the transformation process of the culinary culture of
Cantonese people in Ho Chi Minh City, the factors that impact and the
purpose of that change.
+ Discussing some of the issues posed from the practice and
transformation of cuisine practices of Cantonese people in Ho Chi Minh City
today.
3. Object and scope of the research
3.1. Object of the research
The main research object of the thesis is the various cuisine practices in

daily life and rituals of the Cantonese community in the cultural, economic
and social context in Ho Chi Minh City today.
3.2. Scope of the research
In terms of research space: We choose the Chinese community currently
living in Ho Chi Minh City for about 3-4 years. The living area is mainly
concentrated in district 5, 6 and 11.
In terms of research time: The thesis studies cuisine practices of the
Cantonese community in the family and the life rituals practiced over the past
10 years.
In terms of research issues: the thesis focuses on learning about the
culinary culture of the Cantonese community currently living in Ho Chi Minh
City in some aspects, such as: raw materials, processing ways, the role of
cuisine in daily life, in family and social relationships with the way that
Chinese people use cuisine to affirm and link their ethnic and social values,
the relationship between gastronomic culture with the world outlook and
outlook on life through daily culinary practices as well as on holidays.
4. Approach and research methodology of the thesis
2


Determining the research method for this thesis is qualitative research, so
we use the following main methods:
- Methods of in-depth interviews, retrospective interviews
- Text analysis method
- Observation attended method
- The secondary data analysis method
5. New contribution to the science of the thesis
- The thesis is the first study to contribute to the collection of materials
on the culinary culture of Cantonese people today, contributing to the broader
array of cuisine in human life.

- Considering the cuisine in a new aspect is the expression of the
cosmological perspective, the concept of gender in the division of cuisinerelated practices, expressing the social status of individuals and families.
- The cuisine is not only a dish, a way of eating but also a view of cuisine
as a mirror of a cultural reflection in view of the role of cuisine in modern
life.
6. Theoretical and practical significances
Theoretical significance: Firstly, the thesis provides a new approach
when studying Cantonese culinary culture including considering cuisine as an
autonomous cultural school, reflecting the current social order and
participating in cultural production in the Cantonese cuisine framework in Ho
Chi Minh City.
Secondly, through a systematic study of the Cantonese cuisine culture on
the basis of considering the practice of home meals and community rituals in
order to clarify the role of cuisine involved in the creating ethnic culture of
Cantonese language group in Ho Chi Minh City today.
Practical significance: The thesis provides more insights into the unique
culinary culture of Cantonese people as well as ethnic cultural life with
cultural, economic and political messages expressed through cuisine.
3


Accordingly, understanding about the cuisine is not only normal eating but
also a culture, expressing many cultural and social messages. This resource
does not help only researchers and educators but also policymakers about
ethnic culture in terms of understanding the culture of each ethnic group to
get the right behaviors and feasible policies in promoting the strengths of
cultural resources in social development.
7. Structure of the thesis
In addition to the introduction, conclusions and references, the thesis
consists of 4 chapters:

Chapter 1: Overview of the research situation, theoretical basis and
study area
Chapter 2: Daily Cantonese cuisine
Chapter 3: Cantonese cuisine in calendar and life cycle
Chapter 4: Cantonese cuisine and discussion issues
Chapter 1
OVERVIEW OF THE RESEARCH SITUATION, THEORETICAL
BASIS AND STUDY AREA
1.1. Overview of the research situation
1.1.1. Studies on domestic culinary culture
We divided into the following groups:
The group of researching the dish structure and how to process food
under the influence of natural conditions and living environment:
The research group of considering dish to be a message of social issues:
In general, studies of Vietnamese cuisine have so far attracted the
attention of many authors with many published works, there are descriptive
studies and comparative analysis studies of detailed elements surrounding
cuisine. In the overview picture of Vietnamese cuisine research to see the
diversity in cuisine research, and it is an important opening for us in the study
of the culinary culture of Cantonese people.
4


1.1.2. Studies of Cantonese cuisine
Based on the function of cuisine, we divided the research works of
Cantonese cuisine into the following groups:
The group of researching dish associated with the living environment
The group of research projects on dish in terms of nutrition and
treatment
The group of researching the role of cuisine in rituals

In general, the works we mentioned above show a multidimensional
view of cuisine and culinary practices in aspects of nature, nutrition and
social reflection that are practiced in each specific meals or family meals and
ceremonial dishes.
1.1.3. General assessment of research situation
All of the works including Vietnamese culinary research in general or
the above mentioned Chinese cuisine have provided us with a rich source of
data on many different aspects of cuisine. At the same time, the subjects of
research on cuisine in the above mentioned projects are Vietnamese, Chinese
and Chinese people living in Ho Chi Minh City in general, not a group of
individual Chinese language communities. Although there is no condition for
further analysis of Vietnamese and Chinese culinary issues, but this is the
basis for us to have a reference and develop in a broader research approach,
such as: cuisine contributes to reflecting gender relations, the culinary role in
humanity or cuisine that reflects the social stratification of the Chinese
community in Ho Chi Minh City today.
1.2. Theoretical basis
1.2.1. Concepts
Cuisine (food culture)
After explaining the concepts of cuisine in many respects as the views
of previous researchers like Professor Tran Van Khue, Professor Tran Quoc
Vuong, Dr. Phan Van Hoan. We see that the researchers identify cuisine
(culinary culture, food culture) not just about eating and dishing. Therefore,
5


in this thesis, we understand that cuisine is the way of eating, organizing food
and its impact on social behaviors. It can be said that seeing cuisine in the
research framework of the thesis will see people's views on cuisine not
merely food but also the view of worldview and social stratification, about

the important role of the scope of culinary practice, which affects the
identification of modern society.
Worldview (world outlook)
It is a category used to refer to people's views and beliefs about their
relationship with family, society and the natural environment. It is possible to
divide the universe from the perspective of approach, such as personal and
community universe. Considering the research perspective of the thesis, the
worldview of Cantonese people through cuisine is associated with the
perspective of human value, good dish, harmony of yin and yang that bring
health and luck in life. This is often associated with a daily meal or a
fortunate, rich meal through ritual offerings.
1.2.2. Theoritical approaches
Firstly, the thesis applies the theoretical perspective of many
anthropological and cultural researchers that Nir Avieli summarized in the
study of "Rice talks - food & Community in a Vietnamese Town". However,
it can be summarized that there are three approaches:
- Considering the cuisine field that reflects the existing social order and
the existing cultural arrangement.
- Considering cuisine as an autonomous cultural field in which there are
intrinsic principles and internal mechanisms to explore.
- Cuisine is not only a mirror of cultural production.
Based on that theory, Nir Avieli applied culture to its case study cusine
as an autonomous culture, reflecting the existing social order. In view
of Nir, we also use the research pathway of anthropological and
anthropological researchers to study the case of Cantonese cuisine:
- Considering

cuisine

reflecting

the

cosmopolitan

understand the worldview reflected in life.
6

viewpoint

to


- Considering culture as a mirror of social culture and reflecting an
existing social order. Cuisine practices involved in the production of
culture are applied to understand the cultural messages expressed in
Cantonese cuisine practices, looking at social orders, settlements,
gender, class, status as well as the process by which cuisine is
involved in the production of ethnic culture.
Besides, the thesis is also interested in Pirre Bourdieu's theory when he
mentions the way cuisine affects culture, identity, and social changes.
Through the process of cultural production by the consumption of food
partly reflects the role of cuisine for social culture. Through this
theoretical point of view, we compare how cuisine practices, such as:
food quality, cuisine positon inside and outside family, cuisine
participation in life cycle rituals and schedules are expressing the
expressive meaning of food culture.
1.4. Study area
1.4.1. Descriptions of the Chinese community in Ho Chi Minh City, the
process of settlement and distribution

In Ho Chi Minh City, the Chinese population is now decreasing due to
reasons, such as: relocation to other provinces, exportation and reduction of
births. Chinese people lives mainly in District 5, District 6, District 8, District
10 and District 11..
Through many different immigrants, the Chinese community living in
Ho Chi Minh City is not homogeneous about the period residence.
In particular, the group who migrated to Vietnam for the longest time
much later until the People's Republic of China was established in 1949. The
next migration was concentrated mainly in the Western provinces and Ho Chi
Minh City area (Saigon - Cholon). In general, the Chinese community here is
quite concentrated and separated according to the "states". During the process
of integration, Chinese people have many reasons but the main reason is that
7


the Chinese community tried to find ways itself to stabilize and develop in
the land of South Vietnam. That integration brings favorable conditions for
business, production, as well as political and social interests.
Population and population distribution
In Ho Chi Minh City, the distribution of the Chinese people’s residence
is in two forms, one is an alternate residence between Chinese people and
other resident communities, two is concentrated in each small area. Even the
most concentrated areas of Chinese people in District 5 or District 11 ... in
the neighborhoods, the apartments, it has an alternation between Chinese and
Vietnamese and other ethnic groups.
1.4.3. Overview of Cantonese people in the study area.
Like other Chinese communities in Ho Chi Minh City, the Cantonese
community settled here through various stages. Currently, along with the
trend of expanding exchanges in the process of living, doing business, mixed
marriaged with especially Vietnamese people. Therefore, in general,

Cantonese people are also scattered throughout the districts. However, Cho
Lon is still the oldest and most crowded area of Cantonese people.
1.4.4. Some common characteristics of the Chinese cuisine
- Chinese people places much value on eating.
- Chinese cooking techniques are booming with a lot of materials and
ways of processing that creating diversity.
- Culinary taste has a difference between regions
- The standard in Chinese culinary arts is to converge both colors, flavor,
taste, etc. to make the dish more charming, creating different tastes of salty,
sweet, sour, and spicy combining decoration. Therefore, Chinese dish really
becomes the culinary art.
- The viewpoint of dish is a dose, with the belief that eating and drinking
can be effective in preventing and treating diseases and nutrition so many of
these beneficial plants become familiar dishes in their cuisine. With the
8


viewpoint of enjoying food "neutral and beautiful ", it also plays a role in
regulating functions and health care for people, which is also an idea towards
harmony and unified balances between human with nature, human with
society.
Through out some basic characteristics of Chinese food culture will
generally give us the basis to better understand the culinary practices of
Chinese people, especially Cantonese people in Ho Chi Minh City nowadays.
It is to see which elements of the community identity are retained, which one
has changed to suit the life in the new land.
1.4.4.5. Descriptions of the current Chinese cuisine in the study area
The culinary culture of the Chinese people in the resident area is
considered in the following aspects: How to prepare a family dish, a
restaurant network outside the family, a symbolic image of offerings in

ceremonies . It also gives us an overview of the development and role of
Chinese cuisine in the study area. Each category meets the needs of
customers as well as towards different service objects. It's not just about
enjoying food, it's a very reflective social image.
Conclusion
Culinary culture is generally an attractive subject for many domestic
and foreign researchers. The system of published documents on the culinary
culture has helped us to have a basis to inherit and develop our culinary
research direction on the culinary culture of the Cantonese people in Ho Chi
Minh City nowadays. Learning Cantonese culinary culture, we want to
associate the culinary value with the current life in the family, social
relationships and spiritual connections through rituals and ceremonies of the
Cantonese community currently lives in Ho Chi Minh City on the basic
characteristics of practicing meals inside and outside the family, including
community meals through rituals as research objects. The study of
gastronomic culture associated with the Cantonese community is approached
9


from many theories of cultural anthropologists in the twentieth century,
further discussing the issues we mentioned above in the role with the subject
is the Cantonese culinary culture nowadays.
Chapter 2
DAILY CANTONESE CUISINE
2.1. Decoding the family meal
2.1.1. Dish structure
Through observing the preparation of meals in the family, such as:
Ms.Luy's family, Van's family, Uncle Hung's family, Nguyet's family, etc. we
can produce the structure of the dish that is being practiced daily in a Chinese
family meal. It can be said that each different family chooses different dishes,

but they all have the same point: the structure is quite similar, in which: rice
belonging to a starch group which plays an unchanged fundamental role, the
accompanying dishes are flexible, varying according to different tastes and
conditions that are served with rice and soya, fish sauces or chili according to
user preferences’s tastes. With this structure, it creates a dish with balance of
yin and yang, harmony which is beneficial for health as well as beautiful.
2.1.2. Meal preparation
Back to families like Ms. Luy, Van, uncle Hung, etc. we found that the
process of preparing meals is basically flexible for family members, who has
more time will prepared food ingredients or meals. However, from a certain
point of view, such as the case of Luy's family, Van's family, the preparation
of meals in the family is still mainly women. Besides, preparing a fussy or
simple meal depends much on the circumstances and nature of the work of
each individual in the family. Accordingly, the lunch in current many
Cantonese families in the family scope is quite simple and convenient.
Dinner usually takes place full of members and many traditional dishes are
prepared, this is also how family members take care of their spirit and health.
10


2.1.3. Cultural practice through meals
Cooking techniques can not describe all the deliciousness and
characteristics of the culinary culture, we have to mention the stage of
decorating for meals which creates the perfectness for the "delicious". All
exhibits do not create the opposite, they bring characteristic in a regular meal
of Cantonese people.
Meals in the Cantonese’s family is a time period when family members
connect together so it is quite noisy and fun, which carries characteristic of
the Chinese people in general in practicing meals with many participants. The
sitting position in the meal is not too delimited by rank, but mostly due to

habits. The gender division, age division in the scope of meal practice
including the sitting position is not too strict, but it is still basically expressed
by the nature that individuals in the family also understand.
2.2. Public cuisine in modern life
Expanding the dining space for different purposes, culinary practice
outside the family or the public dining environment is a very popular choice
for many Cantonese families. Restaurant restaurants appear more and more
meet these needs. This leads to access to daily cuisine in the habits, interests,
contributing to enriching personal or family life. Through food, the selected
position of customers to see the motivation as well as social stratification.
Depending on the interests, habits, elegance of the meeting or more
economically, this is not only in the description of gastronomic culture
outside of our family but also the expression aspect cultural and social
sophistication that we will discuss in the final chapter. In particular, we focus
on describing two types of frequently selected areas within the dining out,
including:
2.2.1. Dimsum - excellent choice for meals outside the home
As a dish selected by many Cantonese families apart from family
meals, Cantonese people preferred to choose outside the family. Including in
11


the normal breakfast at a popular restaurant or as a light meal in family
reunion meals, treat guests at big restaurants. This shows the cultural
meaning of the food when choosing to eat out as well as the role of this dish
in the process of formation and development associated with eating habits,
containing many different aspects of ideas commemorating the ethnic
identity of the Chinese people in Ho Chi Minh City nowadays.. In a certain
context, the image of dimsum as a distinct feature in cuisine is related to the
aspect of living space and local ethnicity, as well as the social conditions and

economic conditions that combine to create the "cultural" value.
People with tight economic conditions can choose affordable
restaurants, towards a cheap and delicious factor. People with good economic
conditions prefer to choose luxury restaurants. This shows the social
stratification by selecting restaurants outside the family. Each place is
associated with location, quality, price and different service will be suitable
for families with different economic conditions very clearly.
2.2.2. Practice cuisine outside the restaurant on the menu - an alternative
to family meals.
We approach in a number of out-of-home food practices with different
customers, different catering purposes, accordingly, each person with
different purposes will have different restaurant choices. Practicing food
outside the family with the thought of releasing the labor for the relatives
during the preparation of meals, that means not only the share of housework
but also facilitating family connection. Or connect friends and partners
through meetings. It also shows flexible behavior towards the modern life of
modern Cantonese people.
In general, with many classifications of restaurants serving dishes outside the
family, it helps meet the culinary needs of many diners from different
families, economies, and social positions.
12


Conclusion
Approaching the daily Cantonese cuisine inside and outside the home
gives us a multidimensional perspective on the daily culinary practice of the
Cantonese community. Accordingly, the cuisine in the family towards the
factor of connecting friendship, promoting the problem of yin and yang in the
food to ensure elements of good, beautiful but nutritious. The process of
eating meals within the family shows us the flexibility in gender assignment,

ensuring both practices of family meals and daily life.
Considering out-of-home culinary practice gives us a more flexible
view of the role of cuisine, which different needs will have different choices
of meals. Along with it is a complete response to this need. The process of
selecting food and eating places contributes to reflecting society in aspects
such as social stratification, showing the value of individuals and families in
society.

Chapter 3
CANTONESE CUISINE IN CALENDAR AND CYCLE LIFE
3.1. Cuisine and aspirations in rituals
In every ritual practice within the calendar and life cycle, cuisine
participates in the role of strengthening ritual values, reflecting the nature of
the ritual. It is associated with the name, color, the conception of food or
worship in rituals they use towards the element of the good desire of life.
Repeated appearances in most of the Cantonese rituals are offerings such
as boiled chicken and black moss with bunches of cilantro, boiled and roasted
pork, cakes, fruits in Kitchen's God, Chinese new year, full moon, weddings,
longevity, funerals that we mentioned. Each dish is associated with the name,
the color symbolizes the good meaning in life. Besides, depending on the

13


nature of the various rituals, the Cantonese people use different offerings
toward good expectations for individuals and families. Specifically:
The Kitchen's God has pictures of sugarcane and alum sugar in order for
the Kitchen's God reports good things to the family.
Chinese New Year's has many types of cakes used to make offerings and
to eat with the meaning of good luck, good peace or prosperity such as nest

cakes, orange cakes, radish cakes, sponge cakes, etc.
Characteristics of the wedding are dishes and kinds of feasts that have
many meanings to wish long-term and happy bond for the couple like
dragon-phoenix cake, sponge cake, roasted pork dish, etc.
The symbol of the longevity wishing ceremony is stacked dumplings that
represent the age of that person and the fried noodles used as a wish to
prolong the long life for the owner of the ceremony.
The image of pig turning in funeral shows the sincerity of the son to his
parents, especially the son-in-law with his parents-in-law. Each roast pig is
offered to represent a son-in-law, and more pigs, the bigger families and
children.
3.2. The community in culinary practice through rituals.
Associated with the calendar and life cycle of Cantonese people is the
process of preparing offerings, attentive food, whether at home or in the
community scope, this partly reflects the role in the family as well as the size
of the ceremony.
Accordingly, in the scope of the calendar is to prepare worship dishes as
well as dishes serving the party only within the family or close family, so
even without the gender division but most women in the family is still the
buyer and preparation, men often play a supporting role. However, depending
on the different circumstances, there is adequate mutual support. In the cycle
of life cycle rituals, often larger in size with the acceptance and participation
14


of many components including family scope and social scope, preparation is
often assigned to both men and women in the family.
Considering the extent of food preparation for the calendar and life-cycle
rituals, it has now been commercialized quite a lot, the food, the decoration
has made service, this just shows the progress society has just contributed to

freeing employees. However, in terms of full moon, weddings, longevity
wishing ceremony related to food needs, the people who do the services still
mostly women.
Besides, the position of organizing a community party like full moon,
marriage, longevity and scope of inviting guests; The quantity and quality of
the food reflect the economic value, the social role of the community meal,
contributing to reflecting the diversity of social stratification in which cuisine
contributes to reflect the society is quite unique. Through community meals
in food rituals contribute to creating a culture of behavior outside the family.
Conclusion
Each of the various rituals reflects the culinary culture practice in
different meanings but all point to a common point, all of which brings a
message of hope for good and good things to the people about physically and
mentally. Practicing culinary culture in rituals is represented at two levels:
Meaning of food images used in worship and the process of preparing food as
well as culinary culture practices associated with rituals. People who hold
ceremonies do not have a distinction between men and women, but it is still
common for women to do it. Gifts in rituals such as full moon, weddings,
longevity wishing ceremony express the intention of connecting society with
families and clans and neighbors. Besides, the organization size, quality and
quantity of food used, the banquet location, arranging guests in the
community meals contribute to expressing homeowners image in society.

15


Chapter 4
CANTONESE CUISINE AND DISCUSSION ISSUES
4.1. The worldview is expressed through food culture
Balance the yin and yang of the Five Elements

From a family meal perspective, with the structure and composition of
the dish mentioned in the meal, the value of balancing connecting the yin and
yang and the Five Elements theory, bringing the element to taste, spectacular
and delicious which is especially good for health but still ensures flexibility
through dish coordination during culinary practice. The balance of yin and
yang expressed during the preparation of a meal presentation before being
enjoyed is quite evident in Cantonese families that we have the opportunity to
interact with or interview in depth. The color and texture of the dish
combined to ensure the "offset" contrast create the attractiveness of the dish
expressed through culinary practice discussed in the area of Luy's house,
Van's house, or Uncle Hung's house., etc. The deliciousness is reflected both
through cooking and mixing ingredients skills.
At the range of family meals or community meals in rituals, the balance
of yin and yang is clearly expressed through the display of a beautiful table.
The dishes presented in the meal that is also presented in the yin and yang
system through opposing colors such as the green of vegetables, opposition
red shrimp, black of fish, dark of beef, gold of fried noodles. The diversity in
the method of processing and decorating dishes on the dining table not only
for people to enjoy an interesting experience but also create a voyeuristic,
balanced visual effect. It is the balance in the new dishes that are important to
create the yin and yang combination by the light dishes corresponding to the
darker dishes.
Icons through dishes are worshiped and enjoyed
This valuable study in the Cantonese culinary framework we also look
at such aspects is used in the calendar and life cycle at the family and
16


community level. These elements also symbolize the desire for yourself and
family to live a peaceful, happy prosperous life and stay together, through:

About color: each normal dish or worshiping dish used with different
colors will bring different symbol values. In general, they believe that red
brings good luck, so all kinds of cakes and roasted pork are present in almost
all the ceremonies associated with their lives as well as a representative
image bearing the symbol for reproduction, development and prosperity.
In terms of quantity: In each different event, the number of different
dishes or worshiping items also brings faith, luck or satisfy wishes or avoid
misfortune for the owner. Like chickens at the meal ceremony, carrying stops
at number 4 (death) in the number of dishes called in important parties. The
number of donated eggs in a month represents the rank and social
stratification of the invited audience
About the symbol shape: the most obvious is the cakes and dishes that
are offered or used in the ceremonial calendar and life cycle. Accordingly, all
kinds of cakes on the occasion of Chinese New Year with different shapes
will bring different meanings to a blissful, prosperous and healthy new year
that any family wishes to aim in the New Year. The image of long noodles or
stacked dumplings expresses the wish of the master's longevity to be higher
and higher. The number of dishes used in community meals symbolizes the
prosperity of the homeowners' wealth, as well as their economic success in
society.
Symbol of the name: Mentioned by the worshiping cakes on New
Year's Day, the feast of goodwill or the wedding ceremony. The fried nest
cakes are shaped like a pomegranate with red blooming wings associated
with the name of many seed fruits, many lucky bridges proliferate in the new
year, this is also the meaning that this fruit is indispensable in offerings for
weddings in view of the Cantonese people. The sweet dumplings as known as
17


"tangyuan" which eaten on the 30th day of the Chinese New Year are also a

belief towards integrity when the members close a new year and move to a
new year with more good aspirations, etc. While symbolic expressions are
defined by images, colors, names, the number of uses in previous rituals is
associated with elaborate preparation at the family level, nowadays along
with the process its commercialization appears to be popular in the markets
of every festival, ensuring a more beautiful and sophisticated element and are
longer preserved foods than expressing aspects that ensure nutrient supply
continuously throughout the year. The combination of foods in a dish and
many dishes in a meal or party such as fish meat is a symbol of prosperity
and affluence. Besides, the food used in rituals symbolizes fertility,
proliferation like images of lotus root, pomegranate and inviting tea to invite
lotus jam in the wedding ceremony.
It can be said by the dishes used in the holidays associated with the life
of the Chinese to see the diversity and richness of the cosmological viewpoint
of the Cantonese people. Besides, the worldview that is practiced by the
Cantonese within the community of families through rituals is a typical
symbol of community identity because they are also a part of cultural
artifacts.
4.2. Culinary culture and social relations
Here we place cuisine in the correlation of social relations in the life of
Cantonese people such as kinship - relatives, community relations. Through
the selection of food in both quality and quantity, it also contributes to reflect
their economic situation and social status.
The aspect of public dining practice from events associated with rituals
in the life of Cantonese people, the events we approached and described
above all showed during the course of the meal practice eating the
18


community. Generally, older people, high-ranking people served in advance

by younger people, men in community meals are better served than women.
Although the wedding is a blessing for the bride and groom, this is the place
where social interaction activities take place outside the needs of young
couples and are intended to connect social relations. In general, the scope is
community parties with the practice of expressing culture to express the
expression of strengthening family relationships, family lines and friends in
social relations. This is also an implicit process of showing the role of the
employer in society through the luxury of location and quality of food in the
banquet. Accordingly, the family is an important key relationship with the
party hosts in life, expressing the economy and prestige of the family as a
way to make them feel more valuable in society, be evaluated higher and
more respectful of people around. Back to the wedding party of Mrs.Ha in
the big hotel in District 5, the arrangement and assignment of instructors to
seat the guests in the right position based on their age, relationship, economic
status or social role which is the way they arrange internal hierarchy for
groups of people who have a mutual understanding and intimacy among the
participants, making it easy to connect and "right behaviors" in the party. The
public party is not just about drawing clear boundaries between groups of
people but also highlighting the value of peer relationships in social entities.
Another aspect when considering food used in community meals associated
with each of the rituals is the dish and the different characteristic name that
bears the characteristic of Cantonese people, is also a way to help shape and
re-creating the collective identity of the ethnic group, even though sharing the
peer group to sit close to each other for easy integration, the whole party is
still generally towards the same common community.

19


The relationship by age level and social position are once again clearly

reflected through the image of "giving gifts" after the month-end ceremony
or the long-term ceremony and the engagement. The purpose of the
difference in this "gift" distribution can be understood through food given to
a "special" audience that shows respect, closer friendship, or maintaining the
profit relationships. The lesser part is the connection and maintaining the
social relationship to remember each other to have fun together.
Overall through community meals provides a more multidimensional
connection perspective where the party host is the subject, the food is the
substance that connects and establishes multidimensional relationships in
society.
In terms of gender relations
Different from the old "housewife" in the Chinese perspective, the angles
of food and gender, the role of gender in the Cantonese community is very
different, governed by the social status of women constantly changing. In
fact, within the family, they are still "key box hands" so it still more or less
affects the "kitchen and power" factor. Therefore, in the kitchen, it is unclear
to define gender roles, through interviews and participation, we see that this
gender role is still the main role of women but is gradually shifting from
women to male.
The preparation of previous dishes is often done by women
(mothers, daughters-in-law ...) who are responsible for taking care of
food, dishes, and meals for the family. For a long time, women have the
role of housework and parenting, other members are in charge of the
economy, communication, and business outside.
Thus, the perspective of cuisine culture influencing the role of gender,
we also see an overview of the culinary practices of Cantonese people
20


reflecting gender, although, in practice, there is no gender distinction in

preparing meals within a family or communityIn general, the role of women
still accounts for a higher proportion via pictures of family meals, preparation
of offerings for kitchen's God and Chinese New Year, preparation of full
moon offerings for children or cakes for longevity wishing, etc.
4.3. Culinary culture in modern life.
Along with the development of modern society, culinary culture
practice also has a shift towards modernity in accordance with the
development of society. The shift is reflected in a number of aspects such as
changes in materials in the process of processing food in aspects such as
health protection, adaptation to modern life. Overcoming the "full eating"
towards "eating" shows economic conditions and food choices expressing
wealth. Changes in roles and social stratification under the impact of the
market economy. And finally, the shift of food from home to society includes
going out to eat, ordering processed food in the holidays.
In addition, from the perspective of changing food in the modern
period, it is also partly influenced by the factor of community in the process
of living in Ho Chi Minh City area. The Cantonese, on the one hand, retain
the traditional dishes but have the appropriate changes in taste, the materials
used in the range of dishes outside of their families are suitable for many
ethnic groups living here on the basis of using food for economic purposes.
Besides, Vietnamese dishes are not too strange for them anymore, in many
Cantonese families, Vietnamese dishes have become the main dish in family
meals and even developed into specialized food businesses selling
Vietnamese dishes, serving both Vietnamese and Chinese. This reflects the
interaction in the process of changing eating habits that are consistent with

21


modern life in the inter-ethnic community, of which the majority are

Vietnamese.
Conclusion
From culinary culture practices in the family and human life rituals, we
discuss a number of issues such as the worldview, the food that conveys the
cultural and culinary aspects in modern society. From there we can see
somewhat of the current picture of the ethnic Cantonese.
Culinary practice within the family and rituals of Cantonese imbued with the
yin and yang of the Five Elements in mixing ingredients and culinary
practices within the family and community. The process of culinary practice
can also be understood as the process of interaction between nature, people
and society. Considering community meals, the seating position of the guest
speaks of their importance in society or with the homeowners. The quality
and quantity of dishes offered at parties contribute to the economic wealth or
social status of the owner. If the food is placed in a normal way of
understanding it is only an item to feed people, but in a cultural context,
namely, establishing a social relationship, assigning gender, the food is raised
in a new level.

GENERAL CONCLUSION
Studying on the cuisine of Cantonese people in Ho Chi Minh City
nowadays, we choose an approach from a cultural anthropological
perspective to consider cuisine from cultural dimensions. With the research
subject is the Cantonese community living in Ho Chi Minh City for about
10 years.
We have pointed out that the human life of Cantonese people is
embodied in cuisine, the cuisine is a component that contributes to
22