Chinese Food Into The West:Discourse On Chinese Food Through The Eyes Of Westerners, 1500-1800

In descriptions on China by scholars during Ancient Greek and Roman times, the Middle Ages, and in Yuan Dynasty as by Marco Polo, legends and imagination still takes the majority as a whole. Along with all the information sent back via land and sea, Chinese food started to become richer in content and specific in description. This article takes the perspective of "Chinese food into the West" to explore perceptions of Chinese diet condition by Westerners during 16-18th century and influences of Chinese diet that impacted on the Western culture. The main channel of "Chinese food into the West", way of inheritance, propagation, and its reactions and discussions aroused in the Europe present the succession and renewal of the traditional knowledge in the West.From 16 to 18th century, the way Westerners acquire and spread Chinese diet culture presented new periodical characteristics. Since the Great Maritime Era, as Westerners’ geographical exploration scope expanded, their gross volume of information on Chinese diet surpassed previous decades. Information about Chinese diet were constantly sent back by Westerners on the Iberian Peninsula from southern coastal areas of China and Southeast Asian trade hubs such as the ones in the Malacca. In the early 16th century, complete banquet menu of southern Chinese food was distributed to the Iberian Peninsula by the Portuguese, during which time the name of those Chinese food that "exist in China but not in the West" were mostly named in Portuguese by sound into the rest European region. After Historia Del Gran Reino De La China was published in Europe, which was compiled by Juan Gonzalez de Mondoza, information on Chinese diet recorded by Galeote Pereira, Martin de Rada and Gaspar de Cruz were further conveyed. Mondoza created an image of "the Great Chinese Empire" with "vast territory and abundant resources" that is "beautiful and affluent". At the beginning of the Great Maritime Era, "Chinese food into the West" possesses a distinctive Iberian style.In the mid and late 16th century, Jesuits to China during the early stage became the main group for "Chinese food into the West". They systemically transmitted data to Europe through missionary reports, letters and literature. These works expressed their attitude towards the traditional Chinese food in a relatively accurate and authentic way. Jesuits in China, represented by Matteo Ricci, paid special focus on Chinese food and foodways, especially with attention in representative products, food preferences and drinking etiquette in China. Record of content, species and functions of Chinese food in the Matteo Ricci’s memoirs fundamentally defined the scope of "Chinese food" that were later used in later comprehensive literatures by those western intellectuals. Among those Westerners during the early and adaptation stage, Matteo Ricci with no doubt is the pioneer of "Chinese food into the West", and the founder of its communication.Starting from the 17th century, inland exploration of China by Westerners appears to be north-to-south and east-to-west in direction. With the expansion of geographical acquaintance, Chinese diet in Westerners’ eyes also shows characteristics of regionalization. Alvaro Semedo systematically discussed the vast differences of drinking etiquette between northern and southern China. "Father of western Chinese Geography", Martino Martini even systematically discussed Chinese diet "by province" in his Novus atlas sinensis -- by which he described China’s producing information according to representative local products in different provinces. In the mid and late 17th century, Westerners also passed on Chinese food information to the West through vast image, which marks a new presentation of "Chinese food into the West". Flora Sinensis, Atlas Imperii Sinarum, and a series of manuscripts and literature by Michel Boym best illustrated this point. European local scholar Athanasius Kircher massively referenced textual and graphic files after Martino Martini and Michel Boym. Thanks to Athanasius Kircher’s assemble, contents of Chinese diet were mixed into the Western culture of the time. Chinese diet was transmitted from China to the West, passing among European intellectual groups in and out of China, and triggered European culture’s variation and renewal.In the mid and late 17th century, western study of China presented a distinct trend of scientific research. French "mathematician of the king" represented by Louis le Comte especially paid attention to research on China’s agricultural products, fruits and vegetables, and other economic crops. With the emergence of European "China craze", Chinese dining protocols, Chinese porcelain, and Chinese table and chairs became Westerner’s object of affection, as what we called European’s Chinese "Food craze". Of perceptual taste preference than rational spirit, however, at the Age of Enlightenment, industrialization of food and science of nutrition could more be compatible with the endogenous needs of modern natural science development. In the mid and late 18th century, European’s "China craze" had faded, as negative image of the backwardness and arrogant overriding the "the Great Chinese Empire" image. Chinese food, as a symbol of national identity, was always criticized by the Westerners as an object of disgrace. "Chinese food into the West" with its time characteristics started to transform.