Why The Chinese Don’t Count Calories

I saw this discussion of Why the Chinese Don’t Count Calories today by Fiona Lee on the always-awesome CNR:

Just what is healthy about Chinese food? While it has a reputation for being greasy and fattening in the West, the orange chicken and “beef and broccoli in brown sauce” of Chinese take-away is definitely not part of a traditional Chinese diet.

Last night at the Beijing Bookworm, British author Lorraine Clissold gave a brief talk on her new book, Why the Chinese Don’t Count Calories.  Something of a riposte to international bestseller Why French Women Don’t Get Fat, this awkwardly titled book joins the growing literature on how traditional cuisines are better than dieting fads.

One main point seems to be that Chinese food has a higher proportion of veggies than US or British, which I totally agree with. I think that my genuine enjoyment of salads and raw veg helps keep me thin. Also, I like a little meat with my veggies and grains, but not a huge slab of a dead cow. Ick.

Strong cultural and culinary identities.  Traditional
cuisines pass on the collected food wisdom of a culture from generation
to generation, and China is no different.  As scientists begin to learn
more about nutrition and how nutrients work in tandem with each other,
much of what is passed on in Chinese cuisine is backed up by modern
nutrition. The Chinese also talk about food as being determinative of
a regional identity–like the strereotype of Sichuan people having fiery
tempers because of all the spicy food they eat.  By way of contrast, in
The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Michael Pollan
makes the point that because Americans do not have a unifying food
culture, Americans tend to be particularly vulnerable to savvy food
marketers and diet fads (think Atkins, South Beach diet, etc).

Eh. I don't agree here, it seems to be another version of "Chinese food has been around for thousands of years, so it must be the best!" I think that food connects us all to flavors from childhood, whether it's a dish that's been around for centuries or something nice Mom used to make.

Anyway, it's a good discussion, even if I don't agree with every part. The conclusion is to enjoy healthy food, and not to get hung up on calories, which seems to be good advice for everyone.

Via Why the Chinese Don’t Count Calories! on CNReviews