I decided to write about the difference between American meals and Japanese meals. I could find a lot of different points between America and Japan when I went to MN for the homestay program, and I really took an interest in American meals. I was also surprised at the difference between American meals and Japanese meals. I’ll talk about the difference between American meals and Japanese meals. In this essay, I’ll reveal mainly the eating habits of American meals and Japanese meals, purpose of the meals and conversation at table and different sense of taste. I researched on the internet and asked for my host family.
First of all, I’ll talk about eating habits. In Japan, people eat a meal three times in a day. And the staple food of the Japanese is rice. Japanese people generally eat side dishes with rice. Japanese have the concept of side dishes with rice when they eat a meal. Main dishes are the menu in which various ingredients, such as meats, vegetables, fishes contain and people eat soup or pickles as the side dishes. There are multiple side dishes for one meal. It is easy to associate Japanese food with rice, miso soup or pickles because in the side dishes it is seen with miso soup or pickles frequently. Japanese meal comes with side dishes. Because various kinds of food are used as ingredients of a side dish it seems elaborate and is healthy. In one-day meals, usually dinner comes with the most numbers of side dishes. It is common to eat breakfast and the dinner with own family. In America, people eat a meals three times in a day. The staple food is regarded as bread. Unlike Japanese eating habits there is not the concept that the staple food comes with a side dish. As the breakfast, each person takes the favorite food. They generally eat cereal, toast, oatmeal, pancake, bagel and bacon and eggs for breakfast. For the lunch, they have sandwiches, potato chips, crackers, fresh fruit, fast food and so on. For the dinner, it is common that they eat with their own family, and people eat beans, potatoes, meats as staple foods. In one-day meals, dinner usually contains the most various kinds of food. On the contrary to Japanese meals, there are few fresh foods and there are many frozen food and processed food used. There are many dishes which it is easier to cook than elaborate dishes. The contents of the meal are frugal and there is little number of ingredients.
Second, let me talk about purposes of the meals and conversation at the table. In Japan, at home, people eat meals only because they are hungry. Eating meals is not enjoyment for Japanese people. However, when they go out to drink with their friends, they really enjoy talking and drinking as well. Therefore, it is short time with about 20 minutes at a mealtime. And it is rare that people use specified tableware like spoon, fork in a Japanese style meal. Special tableware includes tableware to be used for the New Year dishes of New Year holidays. In America, a meal at home is often breakfast or lunch which people only eat, but during dinner time, they enjoy eating, listening to music, talking to other people and the atmosphere by decorations the room, setting up the music. American people think dinner is one of the enjoyable things to keep their relationships with others good. Therefore it takes longer time with about 40 minutes at a mealtime. Moreover tableware and the decoration tools on the dining table are often special for a family. Only on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas, people use the special tableware. Next, I’ll talk about conversation at table. In Japan, there is not so much talking at table and generally, people don’t think it is important to have a conversation during a meal. There are more people who eat while watching TV than the person who eats while talking at home. but in America, there is a lot of conversation at table. It’s a manner to talk while eating. Therefore it is usual that the time for conversation is longer than time to eat. At home, it is almost rare for Americans to watch TV during a meal and they often tell the story of that day for family.
Thirdly let me talk about different sense of taste. In Japan people are delicate about taste and enjoy the nuances of taste. They put sugar and salt at the same time to give difference in delicate taste and often try to change the taste of foods by putting various kinds of seasoning into them. For example, sugar, salt, pepper, soy source, miso, sake, vinegar and sweet sake for seasoning are often used as seasonings. Therefore there are many kind of Japanese meals. There are some menu in which seasonal food is used. In America people don’t care about the taste of foods too much, especially delicately. People use few seasonings. For example, sugar, salt, pepper, spice and herb. There is not what’s called American dish and if I say, it is a hamburger. And also there are few kinds of a dish cooked at home. The seasoning is often sugar, salt, spice, herb and each person hangs seasoning for preference. It is rare that people eat something thinking about a season. Basically, people like sweets and like high fat, caloric food.
I found the difference between American meals and Japanese meals comparing American meals with Japanese meals. There are a lot of different things. For example, eating habits, purpose of the meals, conversation at the table and taste. There are some good points and some bad points in both American meals and Japanese meals. I think good points of Japanese meals are low calorie and healthy and people cook Japanese food with many kinds of seasonings. Moreover they can enjoy eating using the seasonal food by a season. But in American meals there are many high calorie food and sweets. Most of the people like high fat and caloric food. Therefore there are many fat people in America. So American people should follow the Japanese eating habits. But in Japan, there are more people who eat while watching TV than the people who eats while talking by a meal at home so Japanese people should increase conversations at the table and enjoy talking like American people do.
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