Saier Guo
I’m from Henan Province in China and am currently a senior at Wuhan University of Technology. I feel extremely honored to assist Professor Steffanie from the University of Waterloo in conducting research for the Food System Roundtable of Waterloo Region. My undergraduate major is in language and literature, which seems quite unrelated to the field of geography and environment. However, this experience has been a magical and wonderful collision.
This is my first time leaving Asia in 20 years. Coming to Canada has truly allowed me to experience the exotic charm of a foreign land. Perhaps the most immediate aspect for me is food. Especially for international students far from home, food culture strengthens our identification with both our East Asian identity and our Chinese identity. One can detach from geographical ties, from the politics of one’s hometown, but the stomach is always honest. Food culture is the social backdrop for Chinese people. When Chinese people greet each other, they ask, “Have you eaten?”
In terms of food acquisition, in the city where I live, the choice of places to buy vegetables usually needs to be categorized by age. For older people, the wet market is mostly their choice. A wet market is typically a large, fixed open-air venue with some stalls that are rented on a long-term basis. It offers a wide variety of fresh produce, including vegetables, fruits, and freshly slaughtered meats, and it has a strong earthy atmosphere. There, you might see leaves still covered in soil, freshly slaughtered beef and mutton and lively fish and shrimp, hear the clucking of poultry, the vendors’ cries of selling, and the bargaining of customers. However, younger people might find this environment less appealing and thus prefer to go to supermarkets in shopping malls. Supermarkets have lighting, display cases, and humidifiers that beautifully package vegetables and meats. Therefore, in terms of pricing, supermarket prices are naturally higher than those at wet markets.
In Waterloo, I have visited Food Basics and T&T quite often, and also went to St. Jacob’s Market on the weekend. But I feel that here, in terms of vegetables, fruits, and meats, there is not much difference between the shopping environment and the appearance of food at supermarkets and farmers’ markets. Supermarkets do not overly package food, and farmers’ markets do not neglect the appearance of food. Moreover, there is no significant age differentiation among shoppers.
Perhaps due to China’s large population, the main type of residential buildings are high-rise apartment complexes. As a result, there is hardly any opportunity to grow vegetables. I remember when I was a child, my grandmother’s house was a self-built one, with a vacant lot in front. It was enclosed for raising chickens at that time. The chickens raised at home, being fed with pure natural feed without hormones and growth promoters, laid eggs that were larger than those sold in the market and had a more fragrant yolk. In addition, some scallions and leeks were sparsely planted in large flower pots in the courtyard. Because of the limited available land in Chinese cities, growing vegetables is more likely to be for a more organic and healthy diet rather than saving money. In contrast, in the more remote countryside, a large number of farmlands are used to grow various vegetables and fruits, mainly for sale.
After arriving in Waterloo, Canada, I truly experienced the vast land and sparse population. The residential buildings here are quite different from those in China. A two or three-story house is for one family, and people can choose to grow some vegetables on the land in the backyard. Moreover, an increasing number of Canadians are transforming their front lawns into vegetable gardens, for reasons including better sunlight, insufficient backyard space, and the rising food prices that make them hope to achieve self-sufficiency. This trend reflects people’s reflection on traditional lawns (which are high-maintenance, ornamental but unproductive) and represents a more environmentally friendly and practical lifestyle. A survey by Dalhousie University shows that in 2022, one million Canadian households planned to grow vegetables for the first time, 85% of whom were urban residents. The lockdown and stockpiling trend during the pandemic made people more aware of the fragility of food and brought them to the front yard, longing for communication with others. In addition, facing trade wars, farm labor shortages, and inflation, some people choose to grow their own vegetables to be self-sufficient and reduce living expenses.
Regarding cooking, different regions in China have different cuisines, each with its own unique flavors. Sichuan cuisine is famous for its “hundred dishes, hundred flavors.” For example, Mapo Tofu, with its bright red chili oil coating the soft tofu, is spicy, numbing, and fresh. One bite and your taste buds are set ablaze. Cantonese(Guangdong) cuisine, on the other hand, pursues the original flavor of ingredients. White-cut chicken has yellow skin and white meat, with a smooth and tender texture, retaining the original flavor.
Since coming here, I have also experienced the local food. In late July, I went to the town of Niagara with friends and chose a restaurant to taste the local cuisine. In mid-August, Steffanie invited me to a community activity where neighbors brought food they had prepared themselves. What struck me most was that much of the food here is lightly processed, emphasizing the original flavor, and there is a lot of cold dishes. Vegetables can be washed and cut to eat, and meats might be lightly grilled and coated with sauce, then wrapped in bread slices or pancakes. A meal often considers nutritional balance, including whole grains, vegetables, meats, and proteins. A common example is sandwiches in various flavors, which I have tried quite a few of.
Compared to this, Chinese people may place more emphasis on the texture and flavor of food, valuing the experience of the taste buds more. Therefore, especially in Chinese restaurants, the food tends to be heavily flavored, with lots of oil and salt. The collision of various seasonings makes the food very appetizing. However, a long-term diet high in oil and salt will definitely put a heavy burden on the body. Therefore, it is hard to balance the satisfaction of taste buds and the pursuit of health at the same time. But a light diet lifestyle undoubtedly has many benefits for physical health, the ecological food chain, and long-term social development.
I think there are several distinctive aspects in the development of Chinese food. First of all, the integration of traditional Chinese medicine into dietary culture. Chinese food culture emphasizes the principle of “medicine and food share the same origin” and values the functional properties of ingredients (for example, yam for strengthening the spleen, goji berries for nourishing the liver, and ginger for dispelling cold). According to traditional Chinese medicine theory, people with different constitutions and during different seasons should choose different foods to regulate the body. The core idea is “adapting to the individual, the time, and the local conditions.”
In spring, when everything begins to grow and liver qi tends to be excessive, leading to emotional fluctuations, it is suitable to eat liver-nourishing foods such as chrysanthemum tea, yam, and bean sprouts. In summer, with hot and humid weather, heart fire becomes strong, and people are prone to heatstroke and fatigue. Foods such as mung bean soup, bitter melon, and lotus seeds are recommended. In autumn, the dry climate easily damages lung fluids, so foods like pears, lily bulbs, honey, and pumpkin help moisten dryness, nourish yin, and strengthen the spleen. In winter, the cold weather requires protecting yang and nourishing the kidneys, so beef, lamb, ginger, red dates, and longan are suitable.
Secondly, Chinese food is also characterized by the inheritance of traditional food culture. Chinese dietary culture is closely tied to cultural traditions, with many dishes carrying unique stories and symbolic meanings. Regarding festival customs, during Spring Festival, families in northern China make dumplings, symbolizing reunion and wealth. In the south, people prepare rice cakes (niangao), which signify rising higher year after year. Eating zongzi (glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, sometimes with beans or meat, tied with strings) is an important custom during the Dragon Boat Festival, originally meant to honor the poet Qu Yuan. In terms of regional traditions, China has the Eight Great Cuisines—Shandong, Sichuan, Cantonese, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Hunan, and Anhui. Each cuisine has its own distinctive style, reflecting the local geography, climate, and cultural heritage. The transmission of food culture is not only about the dishes themselves, but also about recognizing and preserving the cultural meanings behind them.
In comparison, I think Waterloo has many practices worth learning from. For example, the idea of light and balanced eating is emphasized. Moreover, Waterloo often organizes food support at the community level, such as farmers’ markets, garden centers, and food banks. These small-scale food exchanges and mutual-aid systems help communities become more self-sufficient. Of course, there are significant differences between China and Canada, so food development in each region must be rooted in its own national context. After all, the best approach is always the one that suits local conditions.