Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/12/84; site aero.ARPA
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!hplabs!sdcrdcf!trwrb!trwrba!aero!mcguire
From: mcguire@aero.ARPA (Rod McGuire)
Newsgroups: net.cooks
Subject: Re: Cheese and Chinese food (the Mongol connection)
Message-ID: <397@aero.ARPA>
Date: Mon, 26-Aug-85 18:39:45 EDT
Article-I.D.: aero.397
Posted: Mon Aug 26 18:39:45 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 31-Aug-85 04:46:16 EDT
References: <804@brl-tgr.ARPA> <370@rti-sel.UUCP>
Reply-To: mcguire@aero.UUCP (Rod McGuire)
Distribution: net
Organization: The Aerospace Corp., El Segundo, CA
Lines: 38
Summary: 


In article <804@brl-tgr.ARPA> wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin ) writes:

  >I have no recollection of ever seeing cheese used as an ingredient in 
  > any Chinese or other Oriental cookery recipes.
  ...
  >is this because of the prevalence of "lactose intolerance"
  >amongst Orientals? 

And in article <370@rti-sel.UUCP> wfi@rti-sel.UUCP (William Ingogly) writes:

  >I've read (or been told) that milk cheese is viewed as a disgusting
  >substance in China.

The best explanation I've heard was told to me by Jim McCawley, professor
of Linguistics at Chicago and an expert on ethnic food.

The Chinese were subjugated by the Mongols for long periods of time.
These barbarians liked to do things like put bags of milk under their 
saddles and ride around until the milk was smelly enough to drink. One of 
the terms of subjugation was that all milk was the property of the Mongols.
Hence consumption of dairy products became regarded as something only
disgusting barbarians do.

If you couple this explanation the fact (so I've heard) that if you never
consume milk before age five you will exhibit lactose intolerance, we come
up with an explanation of why milk left Chinese culture and never
re-appeared.

Plug:

People heavily into Chinese food should consider buying McCawley's book:
"The Eaters' Guide to Chinese Characters" (published I believe by The
University of Chicago Press, 5901 Ellis Avenue, Chicago 60637). The book
explains the sublanguage of Chinese food and gives you enough knowledge to
translate the signs in food stores and restaurants written only in Chinese.
(However after translation, you may find that you really don't want to try
the advertised special of "salted mustard greens with goose intestines").