【中文标题】中国食物的存在与发展
【原文标题】Food in China: Survival and Success
【登载媒体】赫芬顿邮报
【原文作者】Tom Doctoroff
【原文链接】http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-doctoroff/china-food-culture_b_944289.html
中国与食物之间的关系，可以说是一扇洞悉天性的窗户。这个国家的菜肴是文化的表现，从未担心过存在和发展的问题。搞清楚中国人爱吃什么、怎样吃，是了解中国的捷径。广东人最喜欢的点心，按照字面上理解就是“触摸心灵”，所以我们应该说食物是通往汉族灵魂的大门。
在大部分食品类型领域，蒙牛、伊利（奶制品公司）和中粮集团（从巧克力到猪肉的一切食品）占据了大部分江山。尽管中国人热衷于西方独特的口味——面条最受欢迎，汉堡次之——但是我们依然不明白为什么中国人拒绝接受西方食品，难道仅仅因为它是来自西方的？西方企业进军中国的步伐缓慢，而且错误连连。例如，凯洛格公司曾经向市场投放一种陌生的产品——冷水麦片，价格高得出奇。但也有一些企业取得了出色的成绩，从卡夫和雀巢到德芙和可口可乐，这些品牌都根据中国人的口味研制出特定的产品。最近一些优秀的产品——立顿奶茶、达能钙化饼干和必胜客海鲜情侣比萨都是情感用心投入的典范。百胜旗下肯德基的本地化举措尤其令人侧目。辣鸡翅和鸡肉汉堡的销量最好，但是它的菜单中还包括了老北京鸡肉卷、黄金蝴蝶虾、四季时蔬沙拉、香菇米饭和西红柿蛋花汤。
以下是几条在中国营销食品的基本原则。
营养均衡。中国的厨艺极为复杂：上海菜偏甜，且油腻；四川菜又麻又辣，但是阴（冷）阳（热）之间的调和是不变的定律。从干煸牛肉到糖醋排骨，菜肴之间必须要“和谐”。属阴的食物不一定是凉的，比如面包片、豆芽、白菜、萝卜、黄瓜、鸭肉、豆腐、西兰花和水。属阳的食物包括竹笋、牛肉、鸡肉、蛋、姜、糯米饭、蘑菇和香油。中国永远不会出现咖啡文化，因为饮料应当晾凉之后饮用，但是雀巢三合一咖啡却突破了这个障碍，因为里边的甜味中和了苦味。阴阳不调就会引发疾病，“热症”（比如头痛、流血）可以通过属阴的食物来治疗，“冷症”（如流涕、夜汗）要通过属阳的食物来治疗。中国人对乳糖并不反感，但是很多食物，包括冰淇淋，都被认为“湿气”太重。即使在今天，如果牛奶和一些“干性”食物搭配销售，比如麦片，销量都会很好。
没有安全的概念。与我们先入为主的概念不同，国际品牌比本地品牌更受欢迎，尽管后者产品的口味和价格更符合当地需求。这是因为中国人不相信本地产品的安全性。在2009年奶制品丑闻爆发之前，本地奶制品被认为是纯净的代名词。但是生产商与地方官员勾结，在产品中掺杂非法成分，破坏了这种信任。这就是为什么市场上销量最好的婴儿配方奶粉都是外国品牌，尽管其价格达到了本地产品的400％。这也解释了为什么从牙膏到橙汁都在寻求中央政府下面的机构——比如全国牙防组织——的认定的原因。
保护是王道。中国人害怕具有蔓延性质的元素，因此出现了各种各样的杀菌产品，包括香皂（舒肤佳）、牙膏（高露洁、佳洁士、中华）、漱口液（李斯特）、空调（美的），甚至洗碗机（小天鹅）。所以，难怪推崇“免疫”概念的产品会大受欢迎。婴儿配方奶粉也是一个例子，每个品牌的奶粉都要突出说明其抵抗疾病的能力，这样才能在市场上有所斩获。而对体格变化的作用却不怎么受关注，“高大、强壮”的宝宝不是公众期望的目标，所有的母亲都希望她们的孩子“尽量普通”。情绪上的保护也很重要。早餐必须是热乎、柔软的，营养随着食物的冷却就会流失。中国人在午饭前没有运动的习惯，所以冷麦片必然被束之高阁，Special K（译者注：美国一种具有减肥效果的麦片食品）是女性的能量来源。
追求优秀。安全有了保证之后，食品就变成了生活竞争中的武器。首先，营养代表了学术成就，食品能量与智力、集中力和足智多谋的反应能力直接相关。钙不但能加强骨骼，还能强化头脑。在一个不是你死就是我活的社会中，胜败的取决因素是机智的头脑，而不是强壮的身体。其次，方便食品是达成这个目的的方法，它们提供了你每天横扫一切的能量。所以，你所钟爱的美食其实也是有好处的，它是裹了糖衣的药片。第三，食品的转化效果在成熟市场中的热度逐渐升温。尤其是一类城市中的补充营养品，据说能让老年人在篮球场和办公室中表现出色
。
在竞争白热化的商业社会中，可口的食物可以促进双方的信任、达成商业协议。在中国餐厅私密的包间中，伙伴关系在圆桌周围接受考验。菜肴经过精心安排。必须尊重恰当的座位安排，主宾面对房门，主人在旁作陪。过早给自己夹菜是一种失礼，果盘上桌前不可以离开座位。
家庭里的偏好。中国任何一个城市的旅游指南都给人深刻的印象，中国人勇于探索厨艺。上海的餐厅类型足以和任何一个美国、欧洲城市媲美：墨西哥、意大利、日本餐厅、西式早餐、法国风味、Johnny Walker集会、忽明忽暗的俱乐部、酒吧……这个列表没有尽头。但在内心深处，中国人对外国食物和口味相当抗拒。当回到家里这个隔离外部五彩斑斓世界的避风港的时候，它们不喜欢创新。必胜客的送餐电话都是来自办公室，很少有家庭愿意消费。除了星巴克，别的地方买不到现磨咖啡。每个城市都有意大利餐厅，但很少有一家人去享用意大利面条。人们付出额外昂贵费用的原因是为了展示国际化的心态，所以哈根达斯的零售店才会火爆异常，但是没有人用它在家里招待客人。再加把劲吧，世界是一个大舞台。
原文：
China's relationship with food is a window into basic instincts. The country's cuisine is a manifestation of a civilization that has never taken survival for granted. An understanding of what and how Chinese want to eat is a quick way to know China. With the ever popular dim sum of Guangdong province literally meaning "touch the heart," it's fair to say that food is a window into the Han soul.
In most categories, local brands including Mengniu, Yili (both dairy companies) and COFCO (everything from chocolate to pork) rule the roost. Although Chinese cravings differ to those of Westerners -- noodles, not burgers, are comfort food -- it is a myth that people reject foreign food brands simply because they are foreign. Western marketers were slow to enter China and made huge mistakes. Kellogg, for example, launched cold cereal, an alien category, at prohibitively high prices. Since then, many others have made significant progress. From Kraft to Nestle and Dove to Coca-Cola, brands have tailored products to suit Chinese tastes. Recent successes -- Lipton milk tea, Danone fortified calcium biscuits, Pizza Hut's seafood lover's pizza -0 are testaments to the power of empathetic insight. Yum! Brands' KFC menu localization has been particularly impressive. Hot wings and chicken burgers are the biggest sellers, but the menu also includes products like Beijing Chicken Roll, Golden Butterfly Shrimp, Four Seasons Fresh Vegetable Salads, Fragrant Mushroom Rice and Tomato Egg Drop Soup.
The following are a few basic principles of marketing food in China.
Delicious balance. Chinese cuisine is tremendously varied -- Shanghai food is sweet and oily, while Sichuan dishes are hot and spicy -- but the balance of yin (cooling) and yang (heating) is important everywhere. From stir-fried beef with broccoli to sweet and sour pork, dishes should be "harmonious." Yin foods, not necessarily low in temperature, include toast, bean sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cucumber, duck, tofu, watercress and water. Yang foods include bamboo, beef, chicken, eggs, ginger, glutinous rice, mushrooms and sesame oil. China will never be a coffee culture because beverages should be cooling, but Nestle three-in-one coffee is a hit because sweetness balances bitterness. Illness is perceived to spring from yin and yang imbalance. "Heat patterns" (e.g. headaches, bleeding) are remedied with cooling foods while excessive yin (e.g. runny noses, night sweats) are cured with heating foods. Chinese aren't lactose intolerant, but dairy products, including ice cream, are perceived to be "damp." Even today, milk sales increase if accompanied by something "dry" like bits of wheat.
Safety: Never assumed. Counter-intuitively, international brands are preferred to local brands, assuming compatibility with local taste and acceptable price. This is because Chinese never take safety for granted. Prior to the 2009 tainted milk scandal, local dairy brands were known for purity. But dairy manufacturers, in cahoots with local officials, abused this trust by adulterating products with illegal ingredients. That's why all leading brands of infant formula are foreign, despite price premiums of up to four hundred percent. That's also why endorsement from central government organizations -- such as national dental and medical associations -- are highly sought after for any item that goes inside the body, from toothpaste to orange juice.
Protection is king. Chinese fear invasive elements, hence the appeal of germ-kill products in many categories including soap (Safeguard), toothpaste (Colgate, Crest, Zhonghua), mouthwash (Listerine), air conditioners (Midea) and even dishwashers (Little Swan). It is, therefore, not surprising that foods that promote "immunity" are embraced. Infant formula, again, is a case in point. Every brand must demonstrate resistance to disease before moving on to performance benefits. Physical transformation, on the other hand, has less appeal. "Bigger, stronger, taller" babies are not objects of admiration; every mother wants her child to be "perfectly normal." Emotion protection is important too. Breakfasts are warm and soft, nourishing hugs moms give families before they dive into a cold world -- the Chinese don't "crunch" before noon, so cold cereal will always be niche. Special K would be most effectively positioned as a woman's energy bar.
Advancement always. Once physical safety is a given, food becomes a weapon in the game of life. First, most nutritional benefits ladder up to academic excellence. Energy is closely linked to intelligence or, more specifically, concentration and quick-witted resourcefulness. Calcium strengthens both bones and brains. In a dog-eat-dog society, a sharp mind, not a buff physique, is the difference between success and failure. Second, convenient foods are means to an end. They provide the "fuel"needed start every day with a kick, so every indulgent food must also be "good for you," a sugar-coated pill. Third, transformation benefits have growing appeal for the mature market. Dietary supplements, particularly in first tier cities, help the older man perform on the basketball court and at the office. Osteoporosis scare mongering is old school.
In the hyper competitive business world, the comfort of food lubricates trust and transactional gain. Partnerships are tested in Chinese restaurants at round tables in private rooms. Dishes are meticulously choreographed. Proper seating must be respected, with the guest of honor placed directly opposite the door, flanked by his hosts. Serving oneself prematurely is faux pas. Leaving before the fruit comes is bad.
Familiarity at home. A glance through any city's expat guide gives an impression Chinese are culinary adventurers. Shanghai's restaurant scene rivals any American or European city. Mexican, tapas, Japanese, Western brunches, Asian-French fusion, Johnny Walker parties, glamour clubs, wine bars... the list is endless. But, deep down, the Chinese are restrained about foreign food or new tastes. Inside the home, a refuge from the outside kaleidoscope, they are loath to experiment. Pizza Hut will receive delivery orders for office parties, but rarely for consumption at home. Despite Starbucks, roast and ground coffee is not purchased in supermarkets. Italian restaurants are ubiquitous in all major cities, but few enjoy pasta with the family. In public, anything goes. People pay a premium to project internationalism, hence Haagen-Dazs' success as an ice cream parlor but failure as an overpriced in-home treat. With professional acquaintances, the world is a stage.
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