Culture On Eating Habit Of Vietnamese People

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

In Vietnam, there are many different definitions about the culture. Ho Chi Minh said that “Vì lẽ sinh tá»"n cÅ©ng nhÆ° mục đích của cuá»™c sống, loài người má»›i sáng tạo và phát minh ra ngôn ngữ, chữ viết, đạo đức, pháp luật, khoa học, tôn giáo, văn học, nghệ thuật, những công cụ cho sinh hoạt hằng ngày về mặt ăn, ở và các phÆ°Æ¡ng thức sá»­ dụng. Toàn bá»™ những sáng tạo và phát minh đó tức là văn hóa”. With this understanding, culture includes all that human creativity and invention. Like the definition of Tylor, culture, in the words of Ho Chi Minh City will be an "encyclopedia" of the fields related to human life. Phạm Văn Đá»"ng said “Nói tá»›i văn hóa là nói tá»›i má»™t lÄ©nh vá»±c vô cùng phong phú và rá»™ng lá»›n, bao gá»"m tất cả những gì không phải là thiên nhiên mà có liên quan đến con người trong suốt quá trình tá»"n tại, phát triển, quá trình con người làm nên lịch sử… (văn hóa) bao gá»"m cả hệ thống giá trị: tÆ° tưởng và tình cảm, đạo đức vá»›i phẩm chất, trí tuệ và tài năng, sá»± nhạy cảm và sá»± tiếp thu cái má»›i từ bên ngoài, ý thức bảo vệ tài sản và bản lÄ©nh của cá»™ng Ä‘á»"ng dân tá»™c, sức đề kháng và sức chiến đấu bảo vệ mình và không ngừng lá»›n mạnh”. According to this definition, culture is something which opposed to nature and human-created from ideas to conscious emotional feelings and the resistance of each person, each nation.

In general, the current definitions of culture are diverse. Each definition refers to the format or different areas of culture. For example, the definition of Tylor and the Ho Chi Minh City, the cultural view is a collection of the gains that human achieved in the course of existence and development. With the stated definition, culture is the ladder to get people to rise above other animals;, and culture is a product created by humans during labor period for survival purposes.

Society in Britain is changing. Following these changes, the way they eat and drink, food that is available and eating out options are also changing. Food choice and eating habits have changed dramatically in Britain over the last fifty years. Until quite recently, many households kept to a weekly rota of meals that varied very little from week to week. According to Colin Lighten(2012): “Up until a few decades ago, many families kept to a weekly good pattern, eating the same day of the week most weeks of the year. What was cooked each day depended on the leftovers that needed using up or whether it was a pay day or a work day. Old fashioned householdkeeping skills â€" the ability to run a household cheaply and simply â€" were central to the kinds of foods that were prepared. Today they have surrounded by choice. Take aways, fast foods, packeted snacks and ready meals have completed changed the way we prepare and eat food. Many people have not acquired the culinary skills that their parents had. Similarly, a growing awareness of health issues connected to diet, such as obesity and heart disease, many encourage people to leave McDonalds and go back to the kitchen.” Society today has become accustomed to dining out. It has become a large part of British culture according to a survey carried out by Mintel entitled ‘Evening Eating Habits in the UK’ (2005). Dining out at ethnically themed restaurants and takeaways has increased in recent years due to many different economic, social, and cultural forces.

Today fast food chains are a global phenomenon - fried chicken, burgers and submarine sandwiches are available on the streets of New York, Edinburgh, Paris and Shanghai... While food shortages are still widespread in many parts of the world, for a lot of people in the Britain, the idea of eating only three meals a day is a thing of the past. Norman Robson (2011) said “We graze our way through the day, nibbling on crisps or chocolate to keep us going between meals. Obesity is on the rise in many developed and developing countries, including Britain.”

In my view, in UK, people have the habit to eat fast food which contain a lot of fat and make them sometime fat or obese. People like to eat food like chicken legs, chicken wings, fish, chips, pork meat, sausages and beef. Those foods are the most popular in the UK. Britain are eating out more frequently now, not just on special occasions as in the past. The choice of restaurants has also diversified over the last few decades.

1.2.2 Culture on eating habit of Vietnamese people

Food and eating habit are one of criterions to value a nation’s culture, life as well as living standard. To some people, value a dish is not simple to measure the nutritious level, to see the decoration or to know its taste but to find out the relation between food itself and natural characters of the place where people live. Vietnamese cuisine is delicious and is appreciated by most people. Although not as famous as its Chinese or Thai counterparts, it certainly retains the unique and specific blending of fresh ingredients that makes the food of the region so popular. According to Tran Ngoc Them (2011) : “Cách ăn uống tổng hợp của người Việt Nam tác Ä‘á»™ng vào đủ mọi giác quan : mÅ©i ngá»­i mùi thÆ¡m ngào ngạt từ những món ăn vừa bÆ°ng lên, mắt nhìn màu sắc hài hòa của bàn ăn, lưỡi nếm vị ngon của Ä‘á»" ăn, tai nghe tiếng kêu ròn tan của thức ăn (người Việt khi uống trà ngon thích chép miệng, uống rượu ngon thích “khà” lên mấy tiếng), và đôi khi, nếu được mó tay vào cầm thức ăn mà Ä‘Æ°a lên miệng xé (nhÆ° khi ăn thịt gà luá»™c) thì lại càng thấy ngon”

Vietnamese people have often gather together o eat dinner after a hard day's work . That's when their grandparents, parents, children, brothers and sisters sitting on the tray of rice, enjoy your favorite dishes their mother cooked, and tell fun story, education, working in a warm and friendly atmosphere. Tran Ngoc Thiem (2011) said: “… Trong lúc ăn uống, người Việt Nam rất thích chuyện trò (khác vá»›i người phÆ°Æ¡ng Tây tránh nói chuyện trong bữa ăn). Thú uống rượu cần của người vùng cao chính là biểu hiện má»™t triết lý thâm thúy về tính cá»™ng Ä‘á»"ng sống chết có nhau.”

Eating out was not a habit of Vietnamese until recently and nowadays, it is popular in cities and better-off family only. Eating out used to take place on the occasion of daddy receiving salary, or family calebrating an achievement or weekend gateway…How ever, as modern life leads to lesser time and interest for cooking, eating out is on the sharp increase. David Elworth, planning director, in charg of the Asia-Pacific region, the company Ogilvy & Mather, said at the conference “ Những xáo trộn trong thói quen ăn uống” held in Ho Chi Minh city on 4/12 : “ Due to busy work time, consumers often choose the fast food , so we can not get a satisfying meal full of nutrition. In interviews with 400 consumers in Vietnam, up to 35% of people who eat at more than 3 times / week (HCMC: 51.4%, Hanoi 18.6%); 50% said they eat errands throughout the day instead of previously only eat 3 meals. Meanwhile 70% of children are not eating a balanced diet. The reason of this situation is not their choice, people are often afraid to explore unusual dishes so often choose fast food, food available for sale anywhere”

To sustain life, food is always the most important one. However, the concept and eating habits of the people on this issue is completely different, no one like none other. For Vietnam, derived from agricultural lifestyle, eating is very imprtant.

1.3 Meals in the U.K and in Vietnam

1.3.1 Definition on “Meal”

There are several definition of the word “meal”. According to Oxford Word power Dictionary “meal” means “a certain time when you eat or the food that is eaten at that time”.Similar to Oxford Word Power Dictionary, Dai Tu Dien Vietnam (Vietnamese great dictionary) defines that “meal” is the whole food is eaten in one time. In Oxford Advanced Learner Dictionary, “meal” is the portion of food taken or provided at one time to satisfy appetite. Also, according to KP BCKA. E in “5 everyday topics in English” in Russia “we partake of food several times a day. This partaking of food at a certain time is called meal”

Generally speaking, all the above definitions define quite clearly about the word “meal”. However, in this graduation paper, we would like to use the word “meal” in accordance with the definition in Oxford Word Powder Dictionary and Vietnamese Great Dictionary. Besides, we would like to analyse the word “meal” and elements related to it such as eating and drinking in which each element has sub-elements related to it:

eating: meals, meal time, food, table ware, eating place…

drinking: tea, alcohol, beer, pubs, bars….

All these elements connected with the notion of “meal” are called field of word “meal”.

In my opinion, field of word “meal” is all the words related to it mainly including eating and drinking. They are parts of the word “meal” and resemble words in that they combine together.

1.3.2 Meals in daily life of the Bristish and the Vietnamese

Today, the human life is improving and the demand for diets is improving, too. In addition to enough food, nutritional factors and the attractiveness of the dishes are very important. Over time, the traditional meal of Vietnam more and more different. “Vietnamese meals usually include three meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Lunch and dinner are the two main meals which the family paid more attention for the diverse cuisine. However, all three meals must need four groups of nutrients: carbohydrate, protein, fat and vegetables. In particular, rice and oil are the ingredients which also provide the most energy” (Minh Doan (2012), “ Bữa ăn gia đình truyền thống của người Việt”, “Sống Xanh” )

About the material organization, the British meal is served on a table. The traditional Vietnamese one is served on a mat, which can be spread on a plank bed or on the floor itself. The dishes are laid on a tray of wood or bronze. In the West, in U.K in particular, the invitation to eat is “Take your seat at the table, please”. In Vietnam, one way to say this is: " Take your seat at the tray, please. " About the order of predecence, in the Britain, the place of the person presiding over the meal may be at the end of the table.In Vietnam, at formal meals eaten at the communal house, on " superior mats " the highest places are reserved for notables, persons with degrees, or elderly ones, while " inferior mats " are for people of no peculiar distinction. Each tray is laid for four people (except in the case of family members ), who sit at the four corners of the mat without any order of predence. At a family meal, the rice pot is always put beside the mother ( of the first daughter-in-law ) whose role is to fill the bowls of the others when they are empty.Before the familly meal is begun, an invitation must be extended by everyone, except the head of the family: "I vivite you, grandpa, grandma, father, mother, elder brothers, elder sisters... to eat the meal. " To say " eat ", the most formal words is used. Naturally, the youngest member of the family is the one who has to invite the most people. Since the 1945 revolution, and mostly following upheavals caused by thirty years of war, this ritual of invitation has unfortunately been lost in many famillies.A proverb contains a piece of advice: "Ä‚n trông ná»"i, ngá»"i trông hÆ°á»›ng" This means that before asking for more bowls of rice, one must make sure that enough rice remains in the pot; before taking one's seat, one must make sure one is causing no inconvenience to others.

It seems that the tradition of a British meal, eaten with a fork and knife and served in courses, dates back only to the 16th century. In a Vietnamese meal, all the dishes are laid out on the tray at the start of the meal. Except in the case of formal meals in which the dishes are eaten according to a conventional order, people sharing an ordinary meal can pick food with their chopsticks from any of these plates of bowls. Some reforms in the traditional use of chopsticks were thought necessarily as it was considered contrary to the rules of hygiene: each person is given a small individual dish or bowl to contain his share of brine or sauce; a pair of chopsticks is reserved for serving the food; each person will turn his chopsticks the other way round and use only the " clean " end to pick food from the plates ( that was the method used by soldiers during the first war of resistence, 1945 - 1954 ). However, these reforms were generally not very popular.(Pages 326-329 " of Wandering through Vietnamese Culture, 7th edition by Hữu Ngọc. Copyright 2007 by Thế Giới Publishers.)

In general, value of family meals has been still highly appreciated. For many people, family meal is one way to keep their family happy. The meal is not simply understood as lunch or dinner, it can be understood as feeling and sympathy, sharing and care. In many Vietnam families, the wives know which are their husbands' or children' favorite dishes, they try to make those dishes as frequently as they can or at least on special occasions. At a moth test, a young pupil writes on a topic: What is success? She writes: "Success is simple, more simple than you often think, success comes when dad and son try to cook a favorite dish for mother on Mother's day or International women's day even if it is not as delicious as others do. How significant a dinner is when members of family have not met each other for a long time.

Chapter II. Cultural analysis of the English word “ Meal”

2.1 Field of word “meal” in English and words related to it (in contrast with Vietnamese equivalents)

English

Vietnamese

2.1.1 Name of meals

2.1.1.1 Breakfast

2.1.1.2 Lunch / luncheon

2.1.1.3 Tea time

2.1.1.4 High tea

2.1.1.5 Afternoon tea

2.1.1.6 Dinner

2.1.1.7 Supper

2.1.1 Tên các bữa ăn

2.1.1.1 Bữa ăn sáng, bữa điểm tâm

2.1.1.2 Bữa (ăn) trưa, (bữa) cơm trưa

2.1.1.3 Bữa (ăn) tối, (bữa) cơm tối

2.1.2 Parts of meal

2.1.2.1 Starter

2.1.2.2 Main course

2.1.2.3 Dessert

2.1.2 Các phần của bữa ăn

2.1.2.1 Khai vị

2.1.2.2 Món chính

2.1.2.3 Tráng miệng

2.1.3 Drinks

2.1.3.1 Tea

2.1.3.2 Alcohol

2.1.3.3 Beer

2.1.3.4 Coffee

2.1.3.5 Soft drink

2.1.3 Đá»" uống, thức uống

2.1.3.1 Chè (trà)

2.1.3.2 Rượu (alcohol)

2.1.3.3 Bia (beer)

2.1.3.4 Cà phê (coffee)

2.1.3.5 Đá»" uống nhẹ (soft drink)

2.1.4 Eating ware

2.1.4.1 Table ware: spoon, knife, fork

Food and drink containers: plates, wine-glasses

Ingredients: the salt-cellar, the pepper-box, mustard-pot

Cooker : pan of soup

2.1.4.5 Other ware : table, table cloth, napkin / serviette

2.1.4 Dụng cụ ăn uống

2.1.4.1 Dụng cụ đưa/gắp thức ăn

- Đũa cả (đũa cái) (biggest chopsticks)

- Đũa cá nhân ( small chopsticks)

- Muôi múc canh (spoon for taking soup)

2.1.4.2 Vật dụng Ä‘á»±ng thức ăn, Ä‘á»" uống (food and drink containers):

- Bát ăn cơm (bowl for rice)

- Bát canh (bowl for soup)

- Bát nước mắm (small bow for fish sauce)

- Đĩa thức ăn (food plate)

- Mâm cơm (food tray)

- Chén (china/porcelain cup)

- Cốc(glass)

2.1.4.3 Gia vị (Ingredients):

Chanh, muối ớt, hạt tiêu, nước mắm, dấm, mắm tôm….

Dụng cụ nấu nướng(cookers )

Ná»"i cÆ¡m, xoong, chảo….

2.1.4.5 Các phương tiện khác

Chiếu hoa (adornment mat), phản (trestle-bed), rế (cooking-pot holder)

2.1.5 Eating places

2.1.5.1 In- door: living room, kitchen

2.1.5.2 Out- door: Restaurants, Pubs and bars, Take-away/ fast food outlets…

2.1.5 Nơi ăn uống

2.1.5.1 Ăn trong nhà : nhà bếp. phòng khách, hiên/hè (veranda)

2.1.5.2 Ăn ở bên ngoài(out-door): Nhà

hàng, trên phố, chợ, quán Ä‘á»" ăn nhanh, quán bar …

2.1.6 Etiquette

- Pre - eating

- While â€" eating

- Post - eating

2.1.6 Nghi thức ăn uống

- Trước bữa ăn

- Trong bữa ăn

- Sau bữa ăn

Table 2.1 : Field of word “meal” in English and words related to it (in contrast with Vietnamese equivalents)

2.2 Cultural analysis of the English word “ Meal”

2.2.1 Name of meals

a. Breakfast

Breakfast refers to a meal which takes place in the morning. To the English, breakfast is the most important meal in a day because it provides energy for the body to start a new day. Therefore, English breakfast is generally bigger meal than others.

The breakfast is usually eaten between 7and 9 a.m. Many English people eat toast with butter or butter and jam (often strawberry, raspberry, apricot or black currant jam), marmalade (a type of jam made from oranges). Others eat a bowl of cereal; for example cornflakes or muesli with milk, or porridge (a mixture of oats, hot milk and sugar).

English people have two tendencies to breakfast: a traditional breakfast and a continental breakfast.

Twenty years ago half the population still ate a cooked breakfast or a fry-up everyday called traditional breakfast. Now less than 20% does so. A traditional English breakfast may contain food such as meat, kippers (herring- a type of fish- which has been covered in salt and smoked, potatoes, flour, butter and eggs). "Harry’s mouth fell open. The dishes in front of him were now piled with food. He had never seen so many things he likes to eat on the table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup…”(Rowling, 2003, p.121). Besides, English people have continental breakfast which is a small meal and easy to prepare: a bread roll or croissant with cheese or ham and a cup of coffee. And the most common drinks at this time of day are orange juice or a cup of breakfast tea or coffee.

Most people at home do not have a full breakfast according to traditional breakfast as well as conditional breakfast. They often have cereal or porridge, egg and bacon followed by toast and marmalade and coffee and tea or they may just have a toast and marmalade and coffee and tea.

b. Lunch

Lunch (bữa trưa) is a meal eaten in the middle of the day between 12 and 2p.m. Many people eat sandwiches (also known as a butty or sarine in some parts of the UK) or cakes, fruit, coffee and tea. Some people have a simple meal such as cheese and biscuits or soup and bread.

Many people who work in London have to make arrangements for their midday meal as they work far from home. Most large companies have a canteen in which food served is plain but adequate for their employees. The workers can find a lunch for themselves. A meal in canteen is inexpensive and may consist of soup, fish and chips or meat and two vegetables with fruit or a pudding of some sort as dessert. The employees can choice whatever they like. If they do not want they can have a lunch in a numerous cafes and restaurants. Depending on the restaurants and food chosen, a meal may cost anything from a modest sum to quite a few pounds. Furthermore, people can get a meal or a snack in a pub or in cafe. In many cafes, there are no waiters or waitress and instead the customers help themselves and pay at cash- desks before going to the tables.

Some people do not bother to go out to lunch. They will have a “packed lunch”- this typically consists of a packet of crips, a piece of fruit and a drink and with which they also have a cup of tea or coffee, probably made in the office. The “packed lunch” is kept in a plastic container. This way is not only cheap but also convenient than getting to a restaurant and queuing up there. In summer, park and public squares are popular places where people sit on bench or on ground, eating their lunch, giving the crumbs to the sparrow and pigeons.

c. Dinner

Dinner (bữa tối) refers to the main meal of the day taking in the evening about 7-10 p.m. It usually consists of soup or hors d’oeuvres, fish, meat and vegetables, dessert, cheese, biscuits and tea or coffee. Sometimes, people call dinner is lunch or supper if it is the main meal that is taken place in the midday.

In many homes, dinner may be the only time everyone gets together and shares the day’s experience. It is also an occasion for inviting friends.

d. Supper

Supper means “bữa ăn đêm” or “bữa ăn nhẹ vào buổi tối”, supper is the most common name for a light snack taken before going to bed. People often drink a glass of mild and a sandwich.

e. Part of meals

Basically, English meals and meal time are quite clear. Even name of courses are also: starter, main course/ meat course and dessert. Actually, English name of courses are affected strongly by nomad culture in which the English life is inclined to movement than sereneness. Especially, in the terms of cognition and community, they are on the side of analysis thought and personality. It is the reason why a meal is divided into three courses and each person has their own portion.

Starter (món khai vị) is a meal that is often severed at the beginning of a meal in order to stimulate appetite of eaters. And people enjoy it before the next courses.

Next to starter is main course (món chính). There are dishes served one after one. English people sometimes call main course is “meat course” (món ăn với thịt là chủ yếu). “Meat course” itself shows that meat takes an important role in English meal because Western countries in general and England in particular descended from pastoral civilizations in which meat is their staple. So, main course is named after meat. A typical main course or meat course often has some dishes as follows: roast beef, roast chicken with sausages, roast pork with apple sauce, steak and kidney peas or roast lamb with mint sauce.

The last course of a meal is dessert (món tráng miệng). Dessert are fruit, sweet, cake, cheese, tea or coffee which are eaten to wash away food smell. As majority editable things in dessert are sweets, so it is called “sweet course”. Moreover, English country is famous for many kinds of pudding cakes: rice pudding, bread and butter pudding, steamed pudding, suet pudding and Christmas pudding. May be it is the reason why the word “pudding” is referred to dessert course.

2.2.2 Drinks

a. Tea

Tea is popular in countries around the world. Each country has its own ritual and custom for drinking tea and so do the British. The British like to be formal and well-mannered when they serve tea. The people here favor the black tea of India and Ceylon served in china cups with handles and matching saucers. In Britain, tea is made in a pot, using one teaspoonful of tea leaves for each cup plus one extra teaspoonful for the pot. Boiling water is poured into the pot and the tea is left for about five minutes before the host serves the guest.

Drinking tea is an important part of daily life in England. The average number of cups of tea each day is 3.6, though some people drink as many as 10 cups a day (“Life in Britain”, 1990). To English drinking tea is a way to relax and entertain. Sharing a cup of tea with guests provides an opportunity for conversation and a quiet moment away from the normal hustle and bustle.

b. Alcohol/wine

Both alcohol and wine are excited drinks in which alcohol (in full ethyl alcohol) is a colourless volatile inflammable liquid forming the intoxicating element in wine, beer, spirit, and wine is a fermented drink made from other fruits.

Drinking wine is favourite in England, so the consumption increases every year. Sometimes, the quantity produced is never likely to satisfy the growing British thirst. Thus, most of the wine drunk in Britain is imported from France, Spain, Italy and Germany. Although the high taxes make wine and spirits expensive, the British drink twice as much as they did. Whisky is the most favorite of the spirits in Britain. It is, of course, the national drink of Scotland, and “Scotch” is exported to the rest of the world.

c. Other drinks

As well as large amounts of hot drinks such as tea, coffee and coca-cola, British people especially children drink squash (a sweeter fruit concentrate that has to be diluted with water) and brand- name soft (non- alcoholic) drinks. They also expect to be able to drink water straight from the tap.

Beer has been the favorite drink of the British since the early 1600s. Most beer is done in pubs. Traditionally, beer is drawn from the cellar up to the bar of the pub to be served to the customer as draught beer. Draught beer is “still”, which means that it is fizzy.

A sweeter, darker version of bitter is “mild”. These beers have a comparatively low alcohol content. This is one reason why people are able to drink so much of them. In most pubs, several kinds of bottled beer, usually known as “ales” are also available.

Beer which has gas in it and is closer to continental varieties is known as “lager”. During the 1980s strong lager became common among young people. Because these people were used to drink weaker traditional beer, they sometimes drank too much of it and became aggressive and even violent. They thus became known as “lager louts” (O’dricoll, 1985, p. 187).

2.2.3 Table ware

In the dawn of time, people used fingers to transport food to mouth. This action must not have changed if people had not invented devices eating so-called table ware (dụng cụ ăn uống) including knife, fork and spoon.

Knife (dao) is a hand tool for cutting things into pieces or scorting in something without actually cutting through it.

Fork (nĩa) is also a hand tool used for transporting things. Small forks are used to move other things, to break-up clods of soil or to rake weed. Here, I would like to deal mostly with the small, food-moving kind.

Spoon is a utensil consisting of an oval or round bowl and a handle for conveying food to the mouth and for stirring.

Actually, English people use knife during their meals as majority food like meat, potatoes… are often cooked in big pieces. So, they have to cut them into small pieces while eating. A long with knife is fork which is an imitative form of a working tool called “bá»" cào ” or rake. And spoon is used to spoon soup or transport food to the mouth.

2.2.4 Eating places

2.2.4.1 Out-door eating

a. Restaurants

Though it is not common than it used to be, going to a restaurant is not a usual habit of most people here. As majority English original restaurants are very expensive; especially, food is a real problem there. However, the English like going to restaurants owned by Vietnamese, Chinese, Indian or French immigrants because there are strange dishes that they are never served. These restaurants range from inexpensive fast-food places, to exotic ethic restaurants, to expensive, formal places that serve elegant food in elegant setting. Thus, for many English, ethic dinning means fun since these places serve immigrants who want their own native cuisine, but they also serve English looking for a dining adventure.

b. Pubs and bars

Pubs and bars are common places for English people. They come there to drink, to talk and to relax. As with so many other aspects of English life, pubs have become a bit less distinctive in the last quarter of the twentieth century. They used to serve almost nothing but beer and spirit. These days, people can get wine, coffee and some hot food at most of them as well. This has helped to widen their appeal. At one time, it was unusually for women to go to pubs. Now a few pubs exit where it is surprising for a woman to walk in.

c. Take-away

Apart from pubs and bars, there are two types which are quite cheap. One is used during the day, most typically by manual workers, and therefore sometimes is described as a “workman’s cafes”. But it is used by anybody who wants a filling meal, likes the informal atmosphere and is not over- worried about cleanliness. It offers chiefly fried food of the “English breakfast” and it is called humorously as a “greasy spoon”. Majority of them are “transport cafes” at the sides of main roads. The other type is “take- away” (with ready made- foods) as well as fast food outlets. The most common take- away foods are fish, chips, hamburgers and some other light dishes. People often buy hot food from take- away to eat at home, at right there or in the street.

2.2.5 Etiquette of eating

At the dining time, diners usually sit round a table with an individual plate, a knife and a spoon on the right hand side and a fork on the left placed before each them. Besides, the wine glasses are on the right, the salt cellar, the pepper box and mustard pot are in the middle of the table.

Family eating etiquette is not too much difficult. The oldest or the husband of the family sits at the head of the table and others sit in descending order according to age or wherever they like. The meal starts when everyone has their own portion. However, if there are guests or in formal occasions, then everything around the eating table is different. Guests’ seating order is a way to show the host(ess)’s respect. Normally, the male guest of honor sits on the hostess’s right. The next most important man sits on her left. Likewise, the female guest of honor sits on the host’s right and the second most important woman sits on the host’s left. There is no discrimination between men and women, so they are alternately seated. If there are couples, they will be parted as their close probably affect to people around. In addition, an action is highly appreciated is that males seat and rise when females leave and return to the table.

Actually, knowing how to use table ware and understand and what should be avoided is a way to show respect to the host(ess). Napkin or serviette (a piece of material or paper) helps diners clean up any mess that might occur during the course of the meal. Of course, this is its original use, and at an informal occasion such as a barbeque, it still performs this service. But the more formal the event, the more vestigial the presence of the napkin is, because the purpose of table manners is to preserve cleanliness and proper appearance. As soon as the meal is served, the diners remove the napkin from their place setting, unfold it and put it in their laps. When the diners leave the table at the end of the meal, they place napkin loosely next to their plates. It should not be crumpled or twisted, which would reveal untidiness or nervousness, nor should it be folded, because it might be seen as an implication that the diners think the host(ess) might reuse it without washing. The napkin also must not be left on the chair. It is say that a diner who leaves the napkin on his chair will never sit at that table again, but other, it might seem as if the diner has dirty napkin to hide or that the diners are trying to run off with the table linens.

During the eating process, the English are little word ones. In other words, they do not talk much while eating. So, making noise is not good behavior. Eaters should chew with their mouth close and eat fairly slowly. Also, bowling hot food, shoveling food into mouth and making noise from fork, spoon, knife is regarded as impoliteness.

Because each table ware has its own function; thus, do not use a spoon for what can be eaten with a fork or no use a knife to cut bread…. Besides, using fingers to eat is forbidden except some dishes are allowed such as pizza, chicken…. Bread is common on eating table. The diners can take it by fingers, but they cannot use fork to haspoon. At the end of the meal, fork and knife should put side by side in the middle of the plate. Soup spoons, coffee spoons and dessert spoons should be placed on the side plate or saucer, never leave them in the bowl, cup, etc. The diners also should not push their plates away or stack their dishes; however, the host(ess)’s friends can do.

All in all dinning etiquette or eating manner is regarded as strict rule for diner. Without it, people are in trouble to contact and communicate with each other on the eating table. So are the English.

Furthermore, the posture and word around eating table should be careful. To stretch over the table for something is considered as a discourteous action. The diners should politely ask the neighbour to help “pass me the salt, please” or “I’ll trouble your passing bread-plate”.The neighbour also responds courteously “certainly”. Before leaving eating table the diner always shows his laud to the cooker or the host or hostess “it’s an outstanding meal” or “you’ve dined me handsomely”.

Chapter III. Cultural analysis of Vietnamese equivalents related to the English word “meal”

3.1. Name of meals

3.1.1 Breakfast

The Vietnamese attach the utmost importance eating, so there is a saying that “Có thực mới vực được đạo”. It literally means that before doing something a person needs food to eat because eating will provide energy to him. In other words, the belly is not filled fair words. Hence, people will start a new day by a breakfast and next ones are lunch and dinner.

Breakfast means a small/ light meal that a person eats in the morning. It is called “bữa sáng” or “bữa điểm tâm”.

In previous years, there was no definition of breakfast as a light meal in Vietnam because breakfast was regarded as one of the main meal.

In rural areas, labour productivity is very important so many people have main meal at 4 or 5 a.m to go to field. When the sun goes down, darkness covers the air, they just have the second meal and then go home and have an early sleep without eating. Some people have afternoon meal (lunch) at 2 or 3 p.m and their dinner are sweet potatoes or cassava or nothing. Recently, in several rural areas, breakfast has been thought as sub-meal. Breakfast food is quite simple just a little cold rice (left over yesterday) or some boiling sweet potatoes or corns. All these things go with fish sauce (n­íc m¾m) salt or pickle.

In the city, due to the Westernization process, Vietnamese meals have some changes. Breakfast is legitimated and becomes official sub-meal (except in remote areas). It is usually eaten between 6 or 7 a.m. It may consist of sticky rice called “xôi” or rice gruel called “cháo”. French baguettes are baked early and these are filled with Vietnamese sausage salad, onion, spicy and pork fat. One of the favourite dishes for breakfast is rice noodle with pork, chicken or beef called “phở”. “Phở” is usually eaten as a kind of soup rather than “dry” like spaghetti.

Generally, to Vietnamese breakfast is a snack if not they will feel uncomfortable with a full stomach early in the morning.

3.1.2 Lunch

Vietnamese people start a new day early. Lunch (“bữa trưa”, “bữa cơm trưa”) begins around 11-11.30 a.m.

Workers traditionally go home to eat with their family. This is the first meal which is cooked to serve all the family members in a day. Some people who are busy or do not like cooking remain in their office to have their meal at the canteen or eat a nearby street cafe. Some prepare lunch from home and pack it or buy it from a street vendor. The meal may comprise noodle soup or babercused meat and some pickled vegetables eaten with rice. In fact, lunch dishes are not too complicated as people do not want to spend a great proportion of their time cooking. They need relaxation; thus, they often buy ready-made food. On going home, they only cook rice and soup and lunch is ready.

3.1.3 Dinner

Dinner is the first time all the members of the family reunite and eat together. Dinner is flexible, around 6-8 p.m even more late because each family has different schedule. Basically, the meal is the same proportion and composition as lunch, comprising three parts: vegetables soup plus picking-brine (canh), a dish of fish, eggs, or meat and rice. Besides, the house wives create appetite for all the family members by changing dishes in accordance with everyone’s taste and season; for example, crab plus onion and pickling-brine soup (canh cua). In summer, there is fish soup (canh cá) as well as in winter. Wealthier families will have additional dishes to compliment these.

Besides, there is supper (ăn đêm) in the late day. Although it is Vietnamese original meal, people; especially dwellers in city, adapt it nowadays. The favourite dishes for supper are sticky rice, “phở” which are bought buy food stalls by night.

All in all, like so many neighbouring countries, the Vietnamese have two main meals and one sub-meal: lunch, dinner and breakfast. Meal time is not specific for everyone as well as every family.

3.2 Part of meals

Unlike in Western countries a meal often consists of three courses: starter, main course and dessert, in Vietnamese only main course called “bữa cơm”. Sometimes the order (main course, dessert) can be changed if a meal is served at a restaurant or wedding party. The number of courses will increase to three: starter (a small a mount of food you eat before the main, called soup), main course, dessert. Nobody knows the reason why, perhaps it is cultural interference. In other words, eating habit is such as integral part of culture, which travels with people wherever they go.

3.3 Drinks

3.3.1 Tea

“Tea” is called “trà” or “chè” by most of people in Vietnam. Actually, there is no difference in meaning between them. “Trà” is Southerner’s dialect which is brought to Northern; however, the Northerner pronounces “chè” instead of “trà” as people in the North (except some provinces) do not distinguish exactly “ch” and “tr” in pronunciation.

It is natural drinking tea is deeply rooted in the Vietnamese minds since they were children. There are many kinds of tea: the broad-leafed macrophyla (chÌ xanh or chÌ lôc), shan tea (chè mạn, chè tuyết), green tea (chè xanh), black tea (chè đen), fresh tea (chè tươi and dried tea or Chinese tea (chè khô). Vietnamese people mainly drink dried tea. More than a half of the recent decade, dried tea is also called fragrant tea (perfume tea with flower petals or stamens of jasmines or lotus…). If betal is said to promote feeling “every conversation begins with a quid of betel”, Vietnamese proverb, tea is also. When a person is in a sad or happy mood, they drink tea. Meeting friends, discussing business, waiting for someone, they drink tea, too. Drinking tea is also a chance to share feelings between friends and with people in the family. There could be time to cogitate about life. Discussing or chatting may take place around the table as a way to kill the pressures after hard working hours.

Regardless of where or how tea is prepared and served, most people consider it as a vital part of social life. Holding a cup of tea provides a reason for getting together and sharing a moment of conversation.

3.3.2 Alcohol

There is no banquet or ritual ceremony even daily meal without alcohol. Vietnamese alcohol which is made from rice is called rice alcohol (rượu nếp or rượu cuốc lủi- illegally produced alcohol). Firstly, rice is steamed then fermented for a couple of days. After that steamed rice is distilled and spirits available to serve. With several traditional methods and materials there are many kinds of rice alcohol in Vietnam but their flavours are totally different from one another. “Rượu cải” (rice fermented prior to distillate); rượu sen (perfumed by lotus flowers); rượu cúc (with chrysanthemum flower perfume); rượu tăm, so- called, either because people sip it with a tooth- pick which they suck or because it is lightly mossy” (Huard & Durand, 1999, p.253). In some cases herbs or snakes are pickled in alcohol jar to use as medicine. Alcohol has been known as men’s willing in the old time that might be why it is called spirit. There is an old Vietnamese saying “Nam vô tửu như cờ vô phong” (literally: being a man, he has to know drink. If not, he is compared to a flag that cannot fly without wind).

3.3.3 Other drinks

Besides tea and alcohol, there are many drinks in Vietnam. In popular inns and among peasants, people often consume astringent infusing of leaves of “vối” tree. In summer many kinds of fruit juice is used such as lemonade, orange juice, apricot water, etc. Sometimes people cook the “chÌ” from grape-fruit flowers, bean and green bean, etc. It is a mistake if beer is not mentioned. Beer which was imported into Vietnam since French dominated time is so popular that men and women as well drink it everyday.

3.4 Table ware

Chopsticks : The flexible characteristic of Vietnamese eating habit lies with table ware. The prominent table ware that are used during Vietnamese meals are chopsticks. Chopstic(s) mean(s) “đũa·”or “đôi đũa” used to pick up food. Some people say the use of chopsticks copies the action of two fingers (thumb and index finger). Normally, this action can apply with cold food or some dishes that can be held by hands. However, in some cases; especially hot food, this action is impossible. Thus, ancient people used two sticks to pick up food. It is the primitive image of chopsticks. Over the time, chopsticks have been changed and it becomes chopsticks now. Besides, there is a legend behind the conception of chopsticks in China which began 2,500 years ago. When two poor farmers were cast out of their village, searching for food, they came upon a storehouse, stole some meat and hid deep in the woods. They cooked the meat over a fire until the aroma was irresistible. Unable to wait for it to cool, they used sticks to pluck the sizzling meat from the bone. Hence, chopsticks were invented. In 500AD, the Buddist monks brought chopsticks to Southeast Asia and neighbour hood such as Japan, Korea…

Food tray: “Tray” is “mâm” or sometimes it is called “mâm cơm” as Vietnamese have habit to put all editable dishes on the tray, of course, these dishes are eaten with rice (cooked rice, a typical product of agricultural country).Food tray is a simple tray. It could be wood, bamboo, brass or aluminium. No matter what kinds of tray it is, the sensible thing is everything in a meal is put in the tray for all the family members to share. The question why food tray is round like moon, sun, small flat winnow basket, edge conical hat is open for every body. However, the answer which might be accepted is that round is the symbol of perfect and plump things.

In the old days and even nowadays, meal is served in tray. Serving trays are of all kind shapes and materials. In Vietnam, a tray means something more than a physical itself. Tray can be seen in every house from city to town, in the poor’s cottage as well as the wealth’s house. It could be placed under the straw veranda at noon, put in the flowered mat in rainy day or placed on platform even on bed. Thus, tray or food tray adheres to the Vietnamese daily meals.

On Vietnamese food tray, food is served simultaneously. Tray centre is a small bowl of fish sauce which is used to control taste of eaters. Surrounding it are dishes which are arranged on plates or in bowls: soup, meat (cut into small piece before cooking because Vietnamese people never use knife during meal), vegetables, fish, etc. One eminent point no body cannot realize that Vietnamese tray is harmonious combination with nature: brown soy sauce, yellow fish sauce and fried fish, green of vegetables, brown of meat cooked in fish sauce or red chilli,etc. Do not know much the meal is delicious or not. No one else can restrain their desire in front of a colorful tray. On the special occasions, bowls, plates are displayed. Along with them chopsticks, which are arranged on tray and panned out like sun rays on the surface of brass drum, make the food tray be more eye- catching. Putting tray in flowered mat, on platform, bamboo tray even on bed is Vietnamese habit and this dies hard. In fact, serving tray on the table is amended into the Vietnamese habit. But using table in Vietnam is rather different from Western countries. First, some families use both tray and table (placing tray on table). Second, tray is already replaced by table. No matter what serving food on tray or table, the order is stable (fish sauce is still in the centre).

3.5 Eating places

3.5.1 In-door eating

a. In the kitchen

Kitchen is one of the most important place in a Vietnamese house. It is not only to cook but also to gather after working hours. Kitchen is a place where cares are taken between family members. In rural areas, kitchen is separated from the living room by a small room or by a yard. And eating, greetings are different things. Guests would be welcome in the living room. If it is eating time, the hosts would invite only the close friends to go to the kitchen and enjoy the meal with the family. In the kitchen, every body sits around the food tray which is laid on a bamboo bench or they sit on a sedge mat where food tray is put in the middle.

Next eating in the kitchen is very convenient. In a normal kitchen, there are many items serving different purposes. There are pots hung somewhere as long as it is convenient to handle. Bowls, spoons, chopsticks would be placed in a big bamboo basket or in a layer of a larder while the other layers may be used to keep food and spice. Thus, during the eating time, if anyone needs something such as another pair of chopsticks, a bowl or a spoon he or she does not have to run up and down to fetch these things because everything is available in the kitchen room.

b. In the living room

Vietnamese people also us the living room for eating. The living room is an important area in a house as it is regarded as “the face” of a family. By observing a living room, one can judge whether the family is rich or poor. And eating in the living room is also the same. Based on a meal, people realize the richness or poverty of a family. In addition, this is a way to assess this family’s lifestyle and behavior. Recently, being affected by Western culture, eating chiefly takes place in the living room. A family can display their dishes on a sedge mat, a low flat platform (phản) or on the table so as to give the guests good appetite.

3.5.2 Out-door eating

a. Restaurants

In Vietnam, restaurant (nhà hàng) is one of the places where people can enjoy dishes from every corners in Vietnam and in the world as well. There are two types of restaurants : traditional restaurants and modern ones.

Traditional restaurants only produce native dishes. Majority foreigners like eating there because they want to enjoy and discover Vietnamese flavour. In these restaurants, customers do not worry about prices as the price is reasonable.

The second type is modern restaurants, especially Western ones. Vietnamese people hardly go there as these restaurants are really adventurous with their pocket. Furthermore, using table ware (fork, knife and spoon) and reading menu in foreign language are inconvenient.

b. Streets

Eating on the street is such a popular habit that Vietnamese people do it usually. Everywhere on the street we meet food stalls, street vendors. Even a bamboo basket or a flat winnowing basket with some small stools and a seller is also a place for you to eat. Perhaps it is one of the reasons why Vietnamese streets are always crowded with sellers and buyers. Regardless going back and forth of passengers and vehicles, people who have demand for eating still focus on their favorite dishes. Seeing this sight, foreign visitors do not dare to eat on the street since it is so dirty and not beautiful looks. For Vietnamese, they do not deny that, but sometimes it is necessary to be a bit dirty.

Markets

Another image of eating out is market. Market is an open space where people gather to purchase and sale goods.

Going to market people not only buy what they like but also enjoy assorted dishes. Food here is quite cheap. With a little money, market-goers can enjoy the market’s flavour. Actually, market is a noisy place and there is no specific rule for everybody. Thus, there are several kinks of eating in the market. Market-goers can squat, sit on a bench or eat and walk or eat and stand at the same time.

Pubs and bars

Generally speaking, pubs and bars are new types of eating have come into Vietnam recently. Vietnamese people often use “local cafes” to call them.

Life after work revolves around the street cafes and foods, the evenings find many Vietnamese relaxing with a drink in a local cafe. Cafes provide an excellent way to see how the local people live. People chat over endless of cups of coffee or tea or glasses of beer or coke are consumed.

Etiquette of eating

In Vietnam, diners will usually sit around a table or on a flowered mat on which a food tray with already arranged food is placed. In front of each person, there is a bowl, chopsticks, a cup of wine (for men). Chopsticks for daily use are normally made of plastic, bamboo or painted wood. Special occasions may see ivory chopsticks being used. They should be placed on the right of the bowl, on top of a napkin ( if one is supplied) and on tray’s surface.

Traditionally, there will be at least one small dipping bowl, which is put in the middle tray or table, “nước mắm, nước chấm” (a mixture of salt, pepper, chilli with fresh lim) or other dipping sauces, depending on the complexity of the meal. Next to, the bowl of fish sauce or “nước chấm” are dishes which are placed around or along the table.

Some one wonders why people do not put soup bowl or some delicious dish in the middle of the table or the tray so that eaters can take it easily. As the bowl of fish sauce express the community and philosophy of Vietnamese meals. In the first place, when eating people all deep food into a common bowl of fish sauce to increase palate. And fish sauce bowl may be contaminated by food’s remain. Thus, the eaters have to keep the bowl of fish sauce clean. Second, along with the image of terracotta pan or rice cooker which is always placed in front of the food tray, the flowered mat or the eating table the position of bowl of fish sauce is symbol of simplicity and necessity.

Family eating etiquette varies through the regions. In the North and centre areas, the oldest man will sit nearest the door and everyone is arranged in descending order in accordance with their age. Basically, woman always sits near the rice cooker. Her task is serve or supply rice for the whole family. When eating, she has to observe who need more rice and stops eating to help them. Sometimes, she waits for the demanders (who need more rice) so long that she pretends to dig up the pot of rice cooker though she has done it already. This act shows her concern to all member of the family especially to the old.

The Vietnamese are noisy eaters. They eat, drink and talk during the meal in which everything from the heaven to the earth is mentioned. The men, especially the husband and the grandfather, sip alcohol and tell their family members what they see and hear or remind them of right or wrong things in life. The others also take part in the tellers’ story. This makes the meal more delicious and lively. Sometimes, meal is the place where many hot arguments happen and opposite view is pointed out. However, the level of arguments are always stopped at suitable point. It means that people’s action and words never go beyond meal limit. Besides, the family’s atmosphere will be more and more lovely if there is attendance of guest. The host and the guest will use alcohol or wine to wish each other and then they eat together. Especially, on party people have tendency of less eating than talking. All the talking topics are open for every body join. To sum up, all these things form the sound of meal. If there is no sound, then it is not the Vietnamese meal.

CHAPTER IV: COMPARISON OF THE ENGLISH “MEALS” WITH  THE VIETNAMESE ONES

TOGETHER WITH WORDS AND PHRASES RELATED

1. Similarities

The word “meal” is defined the same meaning in both English and Vietnamese, and it is divided into three basic meals. Although English and Vietnam are not in the same time zone, in terms of meal time they base on it to show up class differences. For instance, working class often has too early breakfast before going to work. The upper class breakfasted late as befitted their leisure status.

Majority of English and Vietnam breakfast is inclined to two tendencies. The English have traditional meal (self-cooking) and continental breakfast (fast food). And the Vietnamese in their turn, they can eat cold rice (left over yesterday) or cook something for themselves and buy fast food (xôi, phở, cháo…). At the noon if being too busy or for some reasons both of them may have a meal at a reasonable restaurants or taking a lunch from home to office.

Dinner is highly respected in two countries as it is the time for family reunion after a working day.

Another common point between English and Vietnam is drinks. The typical drinks are tea and alcohol. Tea, which is used not only to slake one’s thirst but also to cure, is regarded as traditional drink of them. Thus, they respect drinking tea and each country has a particular tea art. Similar to tea, alcohol is used quite popular. Beside a cup of tea or alcohol, every trouble, sadness go with the wind.

Besides, both of them are very careful about eating etiquette. Behaviour on the eating table must obey according to common rule from seating; the way of eating, talking to the taboo things.

Luxury restaurants are not idea destination for most people but reasonable ones. If in English there are many shops where sell quick food like take-away, fast food outlet, workman’s cafe, then in Vietnam there are similar forms such as snack vendors (quán hàng rong), food stall, side walk restaurants ( quán ăn vỉa hè), “quán cơm bình dân” (meal taken at an inn, usually with cheap rice).

2. Differences

Beside the similarities, there are also differences between the word “meal” in English and words related to it in contrast with Vietnamese equivalents as following facets.

In terms of field of word “meal”, it is clear that amount of word and the definite name of these words in English and Vietnam are not the same as long as similar meaning. Many English words can find equivalent ones for themselves in the “meal” field word, but word quantity.

Sometimes, one word in English has more than two equivalent words or phrase in Vietnamese

breakfast (1) __________ bữa (ăn) sáng, bữa điểm tâm (2)

lunch (1) _________ bữa (ăn) trưa, bữa cơm trưa (2)

dinner (1) _________ bữa (ăn) tối, bữa cơm tối (2)

When talking about name of meals, the English just define those meals taken place at a certain time in a day; however, they do not still make eminent what they eat or what is their staple food through those names. In contrast, the Vietnamese do both of them: the time of eating and the typical daily dish “com”.

In several cases, there are some definite names in English are only equivalent to one definite name in Vietnamese

Starter (1) ___________

Main course (2) ___________ món chính (1)

Dessert (3) ____________

In this case the English is inclined to analysis and individual, so they divide a meal into three courses. Each of them has a typical dish which is served one after one. Meanwhile, a Vietnamese meal is collective in which dishes are served at the same time, and there is no distinguish among dishes (main dish or sub-dish).

It is possible to say that the way of calling and understand the word “meal” in Vietnamese is more abundant than English. It is not only means, “bữa cơm” but also it is used to refer to other dishes (due to language metatasis in daily life). Meanwhile, in English it is understood as “meat course” and the typical meal is inclined to meat and diary products.

Name of meal and meal time of English and Vietnam are not the same. In English meals are divided basing on tea time, and in Vietnam basing on breakfast. To Vietnamese people “morning meal” or breakfast is a light meal taking place in the morning. Lunch, dinner are main meal. After analyzing the word “breakfast” and pointing out the importance of it, the English have a bigger breakfast than other ones. Besides, name of meals is changed according to the way of calling and degree of them. If a meal eaten in the middle of the day is usually called lunch. If it is the main meal of the day it is called dinner and the meal in the evening is tea or supper. The English have also tea time but people in Vietnam have snacks (quà vặt) among main meals. Even people sometimes can omit main meals as they eat snack too much.

Another point that makes Vietnam meals different from English ones are collective and individual respectively. Discovery, analysis and highly appreciating personal are eminent characters of English people; thus, a meal consists of three courses whose names are called according to typical dish. For example main course is meat course, dessert is sweet course or pudding course. And each diner has a separated portion. On the contrary, in Vietnam it is common to serve all the food together, often in communal dishes, and allow a wide sampling of different items. Furthermore, using table ware is also an evidence for the above difference. Knife, fork is held into two hands and each of them has a separated function but Vietnamese chopsticks. Even the community and collective are also expressed through the image of food tray. On which food is arranged around and diner sit round to enjoy food.

In terms of drinks, the English do not have the same opinion with Vietnam though two countries have similar typical drinks. In Vietnam, alcohol is understood as “jiu” (rượu, a product of cereal fermenting) and wine is made from fermented grape-fruit and other fruits. Whereas, alcohol, wine, spirit are named alcohol by English people. For Vietnamese view, alcohol is not only common drink but also a particular one to worship on ceremony or special occasion.

Another interesting difference between English and Vietnam is eating places. In- door eating for English people are simply dinning room, garden (if they have). In Vietnam, people take advantage of anywhere they can from kitchen room, living room, veranda even bed room if it is necessary. Actually, each eating place has a significant meaning. Let take kitchen room as an example, kitchen is chosen as an eating place because people attach the utmost importance to face, dignity and showing their respect to Gods kitchen. Second to in door eating is eating out. The English can go to enclosed places such as fast food outlets, take-away shops, restaurants…; however, Vietnamese people often go to open space like food stalls on streets, side walk restaurants and in the markets.

Beside eating and drinking, etiquette on eating table is a way to realize the difference between English and Vietnamese. The most important thing is Vietnamese meal is civility of the younger to the older before and after eating. The meal only starts when all the family member sit around the table or food tray, then comes the older will eat first. On the eating table, the oldest man starts first by saying “cả nhà ăn cơm đi ” (eat, please! ) and putting food in his eating bowl. Before younger members start eating, they will request permission from each of the older members. The permissions often are “con/cháu mời ông bà, bố mẹ và anh chị xơi cơm ạ. ¹” ( please enjoy your meal dear grandparents, parents, brother and sister) or “con mời cả nhà xơi cơm.” (enjoy your mea). In fact, the permission will be long if there are several generations in the family. However, when people request permission, their words have to express respect to every body. So, at the end of each permission is always word “¹”. Regularly, after eating the permission is repeated so as to inform that some one is full. Many people think that the permission is too wordy. Truly speaking, for the Vietnamese this ritual cannot neglect because there is a Vietnamese proverb goes that “lời chào cao hơn mâm cỗ” (literally: the permission utterances are more valuable than big feast). By the way, the Vietnamese enjoy chatting in the meal. After stressful working hours, they sit around together with their family and tell eacher the funny stories to make the warm atmosphere. It is natural that in Vietnam noisy eaters and slurping are not impolite but the sound of chopsticks is impossible to accept. When someone pauses between eating, chopsticks are placed across the food bowl. Eaters should not stick them into the food bowl as not only is it impolite, the chopsticks are also likely to tip out, spilling food all over the table. Furthermore, this is commonly done at funerals or as an offering at ancestral shrine. After eating, the Vietnamese never use chopsticks to wipe the mouth or clean the teeth instead of tissue or napkin because this act is impolite.

In English, on the contrary, asking permission before and after eating is not a habit of people, except for waiter and waitress. Some Bristish who is Catholic always preactise of giving thanks before meal times. Here is a prayer used by the catholicism faith for giving thanks: Father of us all, this meal is a sign of your love for us: Bless us and bless our food, and help us to give you glory each day .Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen! The British also rarely talk in the meal, they consider that is an impolite action. They eat slowly and chew with their mouth close. They avoid making noise when shoveling food into mouth and from fork and knife.

I have just introduced the similarities and differences of the English “meals” with the Vietnamese ones together with words and phrases related. Because of influences of cultural interferences, several factors date back from English language have been adopted by Vietnamese and becomes apart of Vietnamese culture. Moreover, the characters that integrated into other countries, Vietnamese culture still has is own characters and these ones are Vietnamese cultural identity. In other words, the traditional cultural of Vietnamese people is “advanced but remaining nation’s features”.

PART C: CONCLUSION

In this graduation paper I have analysed and compared the differences and similarities of the word “meal” and its fields in English and Vietnamese in order to highlight cultural elements through eating and drinking. First, according to our calculation there are 29 words in the field of English word “meal”, but there are 49 words in Vietnamese equivalents. It is obvious that the field of word “meal” in Vietnamese is more various than English. Beside we have found that the way to express by language in Vietnamese is colourful than in English. For example, the Vietnamese