What kinds of foreign food are popular in your country?

The popular ones are McDonald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Yes, I think Chinese crave for these American fast foods, not because they are foreign, but mostly due to their unique taste. The fried chicken wing with the crispy and crunchy skin that’s sprinkled with salt all over is definitely a tasty food. And do not forget about many localized variations of burgers, they are really the most sought- after items in the menu, meaning nearly all customers would order them when they go to these restaurants.

What are young people’s opinions on new food? How about old people?

As a young individual, I am quite confident to say that new foods are more acceptable for younger individuals than the older generation. Young people like to try out different things, including the newly opened restaurants or the pop-up trendy food. We just like to leave our trails behind and share the bragging rights on social media. On the contrary, elderly people do not seem to be aligned with us. They are more conservative, like eating the kinds of food that are most familiar to them.

Should teachers and parents teach children how to cook?

Yeah, it is a necessary skill in life, leaching this skill is not for the grades, but for equipping children with essential survival skill. Well, it is quite an exaggeration to say that one can’t survive without knowing how to cook, given the extensive selection and availability of food around us. What I am trying to say is surviving “adulting” by saving money! Ordering food and eating out is costly in today’s world, and one can easily spend most of their budget on food alone. Hence knowing how to cook saves a lot of money and gives a new meaning to ‘survival’.

Why do people like their local food?

Local food is part of a person’s identity that they carry with them wherever they go and usually, are very proud of. We should not underestimate the importance of local food to the locals because for some it defines who they really are, as it also shows what they like doing as a group. When visiting different places, the very first thing to do is to taste the local food, regardless of your preference. Also, when starting a conversation with others, usually local food is used to break the ice and get to know each other better. Needless to say, people away from their hometown are homesick because they miss the food they grew up with.