China
By Jennie Kim and Morgan Kennedy
Introduction

Why we choose China
◦ We both have a strong interest in the culture
 Jennie loves Chinese food, and Korean food, which
is a big part of her life, has its roots in Chinese
culture.
 Traveling to Hong Kong is on my bucket list! I find
the culture intriguing because of the contrast to my
culture.
Family

Traditional family has a patriarchal authority (1).
◦ Eldest son marries and continues living with his parents; younger
siblings marry and leave the household.

Now, more parents and grown children prefer not to
live together but remain near each other.
◦ More commonly applies to middle-aged parents.
◦ Those who live together do so mostly for economic support
and caretaking.

Education is highly valued in Chinese families (2).
◦ Parents tend to be less satisfied with their child’s achievement
level.
◦ Teachers are much more important than parents when it comes
to their child’s academic performance.
◦ Self-improvement, collectivism, group identification
Religion: Background
 Confucianism, Taoism
and
Buddhism are
interconnected (3).
 All
three co-exist in one’s
life, sets the foundation for
a holistic approach to life
Religion: Impact on Diet
◦ The heightened awareness of life’s dual
nature had direct effect on diet (4).
◦ Food is believed to have a great impact
on one’s balance.
◦ Foods are categorized as yin or yang and
hot or cold, these definitions can vary by
region.
Traditional Food Habits

Eating is a communal affair (5).
◦ Family sits together: bowl, plate, chopsticks
◦ Share dishes, greet each other
◦ Eldest person may take first bite of the meal

Staples
◦ North: wheat (buns, noodles, pancakes), sweet corn
◦ South and East: rice
◦ West and Central: sweet corn

Frying is the preferred cooking style
◦ Other common methods: sautéing, boiling, steaming, braising, smoking,
stewing

Yin and yang balancing
◦ Yin = cold foods (ice cream, watermelon)
◦ Yang = hot foods(garlic, chili peppers)
◦ Also applies to climate and geographical area
Health: Background
Health beliefs and
practices are strongly
influenced by
religious beliefs (4).
 Emotional state is
reflection of health
status
 Holistic approach to
medicine

Elements
Organs

Fire

Heart

Earth

Spleen

Metal

Lung

Water

Kidney

Wood

Gallbladder
Health: Growing Rate of Obesity

1992-2002 (6).
◦ 50% increase in overweight
Overweight and Obesity Definitions
children (15% to 23%)
World Health
Working Group on Obesity in
◦ 150% increase in obesity Organization (WHO) China (WGOG)
(2.6% to 6.4%).

2002-2010
Overweight = BMI > 25 Overweight = BMI > 24
◦ Overweight 25% to 38.5% Obesity = BMI > 30

2005-2011
◦ 18 million obese
◦ 100 million obese
Obesity = BMI > 28
Health: Chinese in the U.S.

Increased prevalence of chronic disease of
Chinese living in the United Sates verse
China (7).

The greatest influence of dietary change are
food availability, cost and convenience (8).

Educational programs should focus on how
to make a healthy transition into the
Western diet while respecting current
cultural beliefs (9).
Recipe: Ants Climbing a Tree (Ma Yi
Shang Shu)

6 - 7 oz dry bean thread noodle (fen si).
5-6 oz lean pork, minced carefully 1/8” pcs.
2 green onions, white portion fine mince, greens shredded for garnish
2 med cloves garlic, finely minced
1 heaping Tab ginger, finely minced
1 tsp chili paste
Meat marinade:
 1 tsp dark soy sauce
4 tsp shao xing wine or dry sherry
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp cornstarch

Sauce:
 1 1/2 to 2 CUPS homemade or low sodium chicken stock
2 Tab shao xing wine or dry sherry
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt

(10)
History of Recipe

Derived from play Injustice to Dou E during
the Yuan Dynasty (11).
◦ Dou E gets sold to father’s creditor Mrs. Cai to
be her daughter-in-law. Dou E becomes burdened
by the family after her husband unexpectedly
dies.
◦ They were tight on money, so she made stir-fried
mung bean noodles with ground pork for Mrs.
Cai.
◦ Mrs. Cai thought the ground pork were ants.
Unique Ingredient: Mung Bean
Noodles
Made throughout Asia
 No flavor on its own
 Benefits: fat-free; low in
sodium; good source of
thiamin, selenium, iron
(13).
 Calorie-dense, calories
are mostly from
carbohydrates

◦ Not the best choice for
weight loss

(12)
Low in protein
Nutritional Analysis
NAME
AMOUNT
CALS
FAT(G)
1 cup, cooked
160
0
39
0
Pork, cooked
1.5 oz, boneless
83
4
0
12
Onions, young green, raw
0.5 small (3" long)
1
0
0
0
Garlic, raw
0.5 clove
2
0
0
0
1 tsp
Long rice noodles (mung beans) cooked
Ginger root, raw
UNIT
CARB(G)
PROT(G)
2
0
0
0
Soy sauce
0.25 tablespoon
2
0
0
0
Sesame oil
0.06 tablespoon
8
1
0
0
Sugar
0.5
8
0
2
0
Salt, table
0.5 teaspoon
0
0
0
0
SWANSON Chicken Broth 99% Fat Free
0.5 cup
5
0
0
1
0.17 fl oz
7
0
0
0
278
5
41
13
Rice wine
Totals
NUTRIENT
AMOUNT
Vitamin A
2
UNIT
Vitamin A
27.8
IU
—
—
Vitamin B6
0.24
mg
1.3
19%
Vitamin B12
0.5
mcg
2.4
21%
Vitamin C
1.36
mg
75
2%
Vitamin D
0
mcg
5
0%
Vitamin D
0
IU
—
—
Vitamin E
0.18
mg
15
1%
mcg
RDA
RDA%
700
0%
Vitamin E
0.27
IU
—
—
Calcium
32.96
mg
1000
3%
Cholesterol
32.21
mg
—
—
Copper
0.11
mg
0.9
12%
Iron
1.57
mg
18
9%
Magnesium
17.94
mg
320
6%
Manganese
0.12
mg
1.8
7%
Niacin
2.9
mg
14
21%
Pant. Acid
0.53
mg
5
11%
Phosphorous
126.47
mg
700
18%
Potassium
236.4
mg
4700
5%
Riboflavin
0.16
mg
1.1
14%
Selenium
Sodium
Thiamin
Water
Zinc
25.2
mcg
55
46%
2040.1
mg
1500
136%
38%
0.42
mg
1.1
302.59
g
—
—
1.2
mg
8
15%






(14)
Carbs = about 70%
Fat = about 16%
Protein = about 19%
Good source of
selenium – 46% RDA
Good source of
thiamin – 38% RDA
(15).
Very high in sodium!
Modified Recipe
NAME
AMOUNT
CALS
FAT(G)
1 cup, cooked
160
0
39
0
Pork, cooked
1.5 oz, boneless
83
4
0
12
Onions, young green, raw
0.5 small (3" long)
1
0
0
0
Garlic, raw
0.5 clove
2
0
0
0
1 tsp
2
0
0
0
Long rice noodles (mung beans) cooked
Ginger root, raw
UNIT
CARB(G)
PROT(G)
Soy sauce, Reduced Sodium
0.25 tablespoon
2
0
0
0
Sesame oil
0.06 tablespoon
8
1
0
0
8
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0.5 cup
5
0
0
1
0.17 fl oz
7
0
0
0
278
5
41
13
Sugar
0.5
Salt, table
0 teaspoon
SWANSON Chicken Broth Reduced Sodium
Rice wine
Totals
NUTRIENT
AMOUNT
RDA
RDA%
Vitamin A
2
mcg
700
0%
Vitamin A
27.8
IU
—
—
Vitamin B6
0.23
mg
1.3
18%
Vitamin B12
0.3
mcg
2.4
13%
Vitamin C
9.76
mg
75
13%
Vitamin D
0
mcg
5
0%
Vitamin D
0
IU
—
—
Vitamin E
0.18
mg
15
1%
Vitamin E
0.27
IU
—
—
Calcium
34.56
mg
1000
3%
Cholesterol
32.21
mg
—
—
Copper
0.12
mg
0.9
13%
Iron
1.63
mg
18
9%
Magnesium
17.55
mg
320
5%
Manganese
0.16
mg
1.8
9%
Niacin
2.88
mg
14
21%
Pant. Acid
UNIT
0.39
mg
5
8%
Phosphorous
128.27
mg
700
18%
Potassium
294.68
mg
4700
6%
Riboflavin
0.14
mg
1.1
13%
Selenium
22.5
mcg
55
41%
Sodium
484
mg
1500
32%
Thiamin
0.42
mg
1.1
38%
302.23
g
—
—
1.25
mg
8
16%
Water
Zinc



(14)
Modified to reduce
sodium content
Switched to low sodium
versions of soy sauce
and chicken broth and
omitted table salt
Modifications resulted in
a reduction to sodium to
32% RDA (15).
Counseling Tips

Birth place and level of acculturation should be
considered (4).
◦ Yin and yang concept
◦ Use of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

Communicate in formal manner with unrushed
dialogue
◦
◦
◦
◦
Introductions: nod or slight bow
Use of titles signifies respect
Maintain personal space
Explain symptoms and origins of condition in detail
and in understandable terms.
◦ Women may be especially modest.

Consult with family members first if possible
References

1. Logan JR, Bian F. Family Values and Coresidence with Married Children in Urban China. Social Forces. 1999;77(4):1253-1282.
http://sf.oxfordjournals.org/content/77/4/1253.short. Accessed February 13, 2013.

2. Chen C, Uttal DH. Cultural Values, Parents' Beliefs, and Children's Achievement in the United States and China. Human Development.
1988;31(6):351-358. http://groups.psych.northwestern.edu/uttal/vittae/documents/chenanduttal1988_000.pdf. Accessed February 13, 2013.

3. Confucianism [DVD]. Films Media Group,1996. http://ffh.films.com/id/8502/Confucianism.htm. Accessed February 22nd, 2013.

4. Kittler PG, Sucher KP, Nahikian-Nelms M. Food and Culture. 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth; 2012

5. Duru HI, Wang T, Odhianbo LA. Chinese and Kenyan Food Culture-Information for Health Care Personnel in Finland. Turku University of
Applied Sciences. 2009:12,19-20,35-36. http://publications.theseus.fi/handle/10024/5978. Accessed February 13, 2013.

6. Wu, Yangfeng., Huxley, Rachel., Li, Ming., Ma, Jun. The Growing Burden of Overweight and Obesity in Contemporary China. CVD Prevention and
Control. 2009; 4(1):19-26. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1875457008000995.

Accessed February 13th, 2013.

7. Nan Lv, J. Lynne Brown. Chinese American Family Food Systems: Impact of Western Influences. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 2010;
42(2): 106-114. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20219723. Accessed February 13th, 2013.

8. Satia, Jessi A., Patterson, Ruth E., Taylor, Vicky M., et al. Use of Qualitative Methods to Study Diet, Acculturation, and Health in Chinese-American
Women. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2000; 100(8): 934-940. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10955052. Accessed February 13th,
2013.

9. Lv, Nan MS; Cason, Katherine L. PhD, RD. Current Dietary Pattern and Acculturation of Chinese Americans in Pennsylvania. Topics in Clinical
Nutrition. 2003; 18(4): 291-300. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15127063. Accessed February 13th, 2013.

10. Sinclair J. Traditional Chinese Recipes. http://traditionalchineserecipes.blogspot.com/2011/08/ants-climbing-tree-ma-yi-shang-shu-this.html.
Accessed February 10, 2013.

11. Travel China Guide.com. Ants Climbing Trees (Vermicelli with Spicy Minced Pork). http://www.travelchinaguide.com/tour/food/chinesecooking/ants-climbing-trees.htm. Accessed February 14, 2013.

12. USDA SR-21. Noodles, chinese, cellophane or long rice (mung beans), dehydrated. http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/legumes-and-legumeproducts/4350/2. Accessed February 13, 2013.

13. Whittemore F. Livestrong.com. Updated June 14, 2011. http://www.livestrong.com/article/271449-cellophane-noodles-nutrition-information/.
Accessed February 13, 2013.

14. Fitday.com. http://www.fitday.com. Accessed February 10, 2013.

15. Thompson, Janice & Manore, Melinda (2012). Nutrition: an applied approach (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Pearson Benjamin Cummings.