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Eating both Eastern and Western cuisine was a part of my childhood in Singapore, Malaysia and Australia. Growing up I had many friends and family from Asian and Western backgrounds and we constantly ate each other''s cuisines. Evidently there were noticeably different eating habits and food preferences between each other''s cultures.

我在新加坡、马来西亚和澳大利亚度过了童年，所以东西方的饮食我都吃过。并且我也有很多来自亚洲和西方背景的朋友和家人，我们经常吃对方饮食文化中包含的的菜肴。显然，不同文化之间的饮食习惯和食物偏好存在着显著差异。

When we speak of Eastern or Asian cuisine, we usually think of dishes originating from the Asian region, maybe rice and noodle dishes. When we speak of Western cuisine, dishes such as bread, potatoes and pasta commonly come to mind. That said, for each cuisine there are a multitude of varying dishes in between as this world is so diverse.

当我们谈到东方或亚洲美食时，通常会想到源自亚洲地区的是米饭和面条。当我们谈到西餐时，人们通常会想到面包、土豆和意大利面。也就是说，每一种饮食文化都有许多不同的菜肴，因为这个世界是如此多样化。

Eastern vs Western Eating Habits
1. Utensils
Eating with fork and spoon is the norm in Western cultures, and so is eating with a knife when a good chunk of meat is served. There can be a unique utensil for each course of a meal, such as in French dining. While many of Asian background eat with fork and spoons, many also eat with chopsticks or eating with just their hands. For instance, it's common for Muslims to eat with their right hand and this in line with their faith. For some Indians it's a mark of respect (especially to the host) to physically touch the food one is eating - joining all fingers together and picking up food to eat, in a way creating a spiritual connection with what one is eating.

东方VS西方的饮食习惯
1. 餐具
在西方文化中，通常用叉子和勺子吃饭，如果是端来一大块肉，一般用刀吃。一顿饭的每道菜都可以使用一种独特的餐具，就像吃法餐那样。虽然许多亚洲人也用叉子和勺子吃饭，但还是更多人用筷子吃饭或直接用手吃。例如，穆斯林用右手吃饭是很常见的，这是出于他们的信仰。对一些印度人来说，触摸正在吃的食物是一种尊重的标志(尤其是对主人)——把所有的手指放在一起，拿起食物吃，在某种程度上与所吃的东西建立了一种精神上的联系。

When I was a kid, my Chinese-Malaysian parents first taught me to eat with fork and spoon, and later taught me how to use chopsticks. These days I use chopsticks whenever I eat Chinese food; it just feels natural (probably from having watched my family eat Chinese food with only chopsticks as a kid). Never had trouble picking up rice with chopsticks (which is baffling to some, but the trick is to put the rice bowl close to your mouth so rice doesn't fall everywhere). There's also hearsay in Asian cultures that placing cutlery upside down invites spirits to dine with you (not sure where this came from).

当我还是个孩子的时候，我的华裔马来西亚父母首先教我用叉子和勺子吃饭，后来教我如何使用筷子。这些天我吃中餐的时候也都在用筷子，感觉很自然(可能是因为小时候看到我的家人只用筷子吃中国菜)。用筷子夹米饭从来没有困难，(这对一些人来说很困难，但把饭碗靠近嘴巴米饭就不会掉得到处都是了)。在亚洲文化中也有传言说，把餐具倒着放可以邀请鬼魂和你一起吃饭(不知道这是从哪传出来的)。

2. Cooking techniques
Steaming, boiling and stir frying are popular Chinese cooking methods. Popular and staple Chinese dishes include soup and pan-fried dumplings, steamed veggies with oyster sauce and simmered bone broths. In contrast many popular Western dishes in Australia tend to be on the fried or baked side: fried chicken, pizza, fish and chips, parmagianas, meat pies and lamb roast. Notably in Asian culture dishes are more or less served warm or hot and rarely raw and cold (sushi would be the popular exception). On the other hand, salads, yoghurts and cheeses are popular ‘cold’ gastronomic choices among many Westerners.

2. 烹饪技术
蒸、煮和炒是中国流行的烹饪方法。受欢迎的中国主食包括汤和煎饺子，蚝油蔬菜和炖骨汤。相比之下，澳大利亚许多受欢迎的西餐往往都是油炸或烘烤的：炸鸡、披萨、炸鱼薯条、帕尔马尼亚干酪、肉馅饼和烤羊肉。值得注意的是，在亚洲文化中，菜肴或多或少是热的或温的，很少是生的或冷的(寿司例外)。另一方面，沙拉、酸奶和奶酪这种“冷”美食是很多许多西方人喜欢的。

3. Table and seating configuration
Dining at round tables is common in Asian cultures and encourages inclusivity no matter where one sits. Dining at a round table, everyone can see each other-it encourages everyone to chat and connect with each other (one can see everyone at the table face to face), it's convenient to pass food around on a Lazy Susan in the middle of the table. Also, the eldest or most senior person usually takes the seat facing the entrance, symbolic of hierarchical respect.

3.桌子和座位配置
圆桌用餐在亚洲文化中很常见，大家无论坐哪个位置都行。在圆桌上吃饭，每个人都可以看到彼此——这方便大家聊天和相互联系(一个人可以面对面地看到桌子上的每个人)，在桌子中间的转盘上传递食物很方便。此外，最年长或级别最高的人通常坐在面对入口的座位上，象征着等级的尊重。

Eating at rectangular tables is more common in Western cultures. One might not get the chance to chat with every single the person when seated at this kind of table but might be highly encouraged to make small chat with the person beside or right in front of them.

在西方文化中，在长方形餐桌上吃饭更为常见。坐在这种桌子上可能没有机会和每一个人聊天，但会和他们旁边或对面的人疯狂聊天。

4. Sharing vs individual dishesIn
Chinese culture most dishes are designed to be shared over rice or noodles, and rice and noodles are supposed to be eaten along with other dishes. Growing up in Malaysia and Singapore, whenever the folks and I went to a Chinese restaurant, each of us had a bowl of white rice and three to four dishes placed in the centre of the table - everyone gets to try everything and this is synonymous with the virtues of sharing and being a part of a team, virtues revered in Chinese culture.

4. 分享vs单吃
在中国文化中，大多数菜肴都是配着米饭或面条一起吃的，而且米饭和面条就应该和其他菜肴一起吃。我在马来西亚和新加坡长大，每当我和家人去中餐馆吃饭时，每个人都会有一碗白米饭，桌中央摆三到四个菜——每个人都可以尝到所有的菜，这是代表着分享的美德，中国文化中所推崇的美德。

Individual dishes are more common in Western cultures and it's not surprising for someone to order one dish and have it all to themselves. Time and time again in Chinese restaurants l've seen Westerners doing this (like eating a whole plate of oyster sauce veggies by themselves), which strikes me as unusual as there is only so much nutritional value gained from eating one kind of food. Not to say there aren't individual dishes in Chinese culture for example duck noodles and Hainanese chicken rice are dishes that one would have to all themselves.

在西方文化中单菜更常见，自己独享自己点的菜并不奇怪。在中国餐馆里，看到西方人这样做(比如一个人吃一整盘蚝油蔬菜)，这让我感到很不常见，因为只吃一种食物只会获得这么多的营养价值。并不是说中国文化中没有单独的菜肴，例如老鸭面和海南鸡饭就是人们必须自己只吃的菜。

On the plus side, when everyone orders a dish for themselves, it can be easier when it's time to pay the bill:everyone eats their own share, fair and square pays for their own dish, no need to fight over the bill.

好的一面是，每个人都为自己单独点菜时，结账的时候会更容易：每个人都吃自己的那份，公平地为自己的菜买单，没有必要为账单而争吵。
原创翻译：龙腾网 https://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处

5. Balance and variety
There is usually a starter/entrée, main and dessert when it comes to having many a Western meal. Sometimes this includes a salad and cheese course. While multicourse meals are also part of Asian dining, balance is key here: there is usually a soup, a base of rice or noodles and a vegetable and meat dish served. With Asian cuisine, there is a focus on optimising meals for digestion-aligning with the concept of yin and yang - rather than stuffing oneself and feeling satiated and even more satiated.

5. 平衡和多样性
很多西餐通常有前菜、主菜和甜点，有时还包括沙拉和奶酪。虽然多道菜也是亚洲饮食的一部分，但均衡才是关键：通常会有汤，米饭或面条以及蔬菜和肉类。亚洲烹饪注重优化食物以促进消化——与阴阳观念保持一致——而不是让自己吃撑。

6. Setting and ambience
There's the common conception that eating in a Chinese restaurant is a crowded, dark and dim affair. From my experience, this is the case with quite a few dumpling joints in Melbourne...but l've also been to Chinese restaurants where fluorescent white lights shine down from the ceiling and you can clearly see what you are eating. When it comes to dining Western, if it's a romantic meal for two chances are it might be a dim dining affair in a secluded cozy corner booth - at least that's what many movies are inclined to let you believe.

6. 环境和氛围
人们普遍认为在中餐馆吃饭是一件拥挤、阴暗、昏暗的事情。但从我的经验来看，墨尔本的很多饺子店倒是都是这样的……我去过很多很亮堂的中餐馆，那里的天花板上有白色的荧光灯，可以清楚地看到你吃的东西。说到西餐，如果你想要浪漫的一餐，那么你可能会选择在一个僻静舒适的角落里或者在昏暗的餐厅里用餐——至少许多电影都倾向于让你相信这一点。

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Over time our food preferences and eating habits might change. We might prefer eating different cuisines at different times of our lives depending on how we're feeling or where live or travel.

随着时间的推移，我们的食物偏好和饮食习惯可能会改变。我们可能更喜欢在不同的生活时期吃不同的菜，一切取决于我们的自身感觉、生活或旅行的地方。