“No rabbit would eat such a thing”: the Chinese scoff at our lunch time

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For lunch on the train, a small salad and a carrot, along with a piece of bread and a boiled egg. What easily passes as a reasonable lunchtime at our latitude is drawing derision on Chinese social media channels.

Videos of European lunches are currently circulating there, usually accompanied by malicious comments. Comments such as “prepared with a minimum of effort and without love”, “no rabbit eats such a thing” or “Who voluntarily eats such a thing?” it hails under the videos and photos.

There is now even a separate term for the trend in China. Whether salad, sandwich or fruit: in the “White People’s Lunch” category you will find dishes that are quick and easy to prepare and sometimes raw – useful if you are short on time and want to eat healthy.

Swiss woman mocked for salad

Switzerland also pops up: a video on the Chinese platform xiaohongshu shows a woman on an SBB train preparing a meal of lettuce and a little mustard. The Chinese user writes: “The Swiss keep shocking me again and again…”. The video, which The Guardian dug up, already has more than 100 comments.

Many Chinese users talk about their own culture shock in the comments: “She takes mustard after all. My white colleague recently ate raw radishes!” Meals are even denounced as “torture”.

Another user tries to explain the “White People’s Lunch” system with sarcasm. “Some only eat raw cucumbers or nectarines for lunch. Then they alternate – Monday, Wednesday and Friday there are cucumbers, Tuesday and Thursday nectarines. If you want to be really luxurious, you can also combine it: cucumbers AND nectarines!” Other users wonder what the meaning of life is.

Also positive reactions

According to connoisseur Marcelo Wang, the fascination for such food stems from the fact that people in China often cook with many different ingredients. He tells the Guardian. This creates a culture shock.

The “white” food culture not only causes misunderstanding. Some users even praise the small snacks: “It’s certainly healthier than our bowls of fried rice or noodles”. One user even wants to include the salads in her own nutrition plan: “This is definitely a good way to lose weight”. (jl)

Source: Blick