Is it true that one mouthful of Chinese food is enough to win over every foreigner’s heart? A foreign resident who has lived in China for 11 years says this is far from guaranteed.
In a recent video, she pushed back against a widespread online storyline claiming all foreigners adore Chinese food and are blown away by its taste the moment they try it.
In her view, lots of trending clips featuring foreigners gushing over Chinese dishes could be overhyped, or even staged, designed purely to grab clicks and views.
“Everyone keeps talking about how incredible Chinese food is, how it has taken the world by storm, and how every foreigner falls head over heels for it on the first try. To be honest, having spent 11 years here in China and lived in Europe before, I believe much of this content is made just for online traffic,” she stated.
She noted that food tastes vary wildly even among Chinese locals, shaped by their hometowns.
Some areas favour sweet flavours; others are obsessed with spicy or tingly dishes. Regions such as Guangdong are famous for mild, lightly seasoned food.
For instance, people from Henan love spicy pepper soup, yet those from Fujian may find it hard to stomach. Douzhi, the well-known fermented soybean drink from Beijing, is another dish that many Chinese from other provinces struggle to appreciate.
“If tastes differ so much within one single country, how can we expect foreigners who grew up on bread and dairy to instantly love every type of Chinese food?” she questioned.
From what she has seen, most foreigners do not actively seek out Chinese food on a regular basis. They may enjoy it now and then, much like how Chinese people might try Indian curry occasionally — eating it day in and day out is an entirely different story.
She brought up an experience from her recent trip to Bali as an example. Some Chinese tourists brought along congee, while others packed instant noodles, since they found it tough to get used to the local Western-style meals.
Sampling unfamiliar food for a new experience can be enjoyable, she explained, but permanently shifting your daily eating routine is a lot more challenging.
The foreigner stressed that she herself likes Chinese food after more than a decade living in China, though she does not love every single dish.
She is not a big fan of extremely spicy Sichuan food, nor can she bring herself to eat animal offal.
This is not to say Chinese cuisine is poor-quality. It only comes down to simple personal preference.
Her core point is that no nation’s food is superior by nature. Taste is largely built on the meals someone grows up with and the flavours their palate is used to.
Therefore, those viral videos where foreigners taste Chinese food and hail it as the world’s greatest cuisine ought to be viewed with caution.
Enjoying one country’s food does not require loving every single dish it offers, and admiration for Chinese cuisine does not mean every foreigner has to become its fan.
