From one of my favorite blogs, a fascinating article about the difference between the Chinese way of eating and the Indian way of eating. The author explains that Indians generally avoid meat, that their belief in the sacrosanctity of all animals leads to a vegetarian lifestyle. Why eat a cow, or a chicken, or a pig, when you might be reincarnated from one, or as one? The influence of Hinduism, Buddhism, and even Jainism looms large and rules the gastrointestinal system of Indians. The Chinese on the other hand, the author argues, seem to eat everything. But the important question is also asked. Why? His argument is that while Indians have for centuries treasured all life, the Chinese were inspired by anthropocentric Confucianism. And even the variety of Buddhism practiced by the Chinese was white washed by Confucianism, leading to a meat eating, no boundaries food pyramid for the Chinese–the Cantonese in particular. The pictures in the piece are worth a thousand words.
–Nick
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Sarah
http://grillsblog.com