Empty Kitchens: Have Chinese Youth Given-up on Cooking?

Food Shopping — By Leon on January 22, 2010 at 1:50 pm

enoVate member, Leon, gives us some insight into the shopping and eating habits of his group of friends.

“Aside from a few dishes, the 80′s generation is basically incapable in the kitchen. Their excuse is Chinese Food Culture is too profound to command. Basically, a kitchen is a furnishing for my friends and me. All we use it for is cooking instant noodles, and seaweed soup, or cutting fruit.

How we deal with our dinners? We order take-out on workdays, or buy food from convenient stores on workdays. On weekends, we gather with friends and go to various restaurants to enjoy ourselves. It is enjoyable to have hot pot in the freezing winter!

hotpot

Speaking of hot pot, due to Hong Kong’s cultural influence, more and more Chinese youth are cooking hot pot at home. It is easy to make, sometimes more hygienic than restaurants and inexpensive. Plus it’s fun. Also, the preparation for the hot pot—purchasing food ingredients in Carrefour with friends is very enjoyable. Therefore, once every two weeks, we gather and have hot pot.

Where do we buy the food ingredients? Carrefour is our favorite. The food is and fresh and the selection is plentiful. What’s more, there is enough space so we can quarrel and fight noisily when shopping. As for the crowded Lianhua Supermarket, and the convenient stores with insufficient kinds of food, they are not for us.”