CHARACTERISTICS OF FOOD INGREDIENT TERMINOLOGY IN CHINESE AND VIETNAMESE

Abstract

In both Chinese and Vietnamese, there exist a large number of lexical items referring to food ingredients, among which the terms for spices reflect the linguistic and cultural characteristics of the Vietnamese and Chinese peoples. The study, through descriptive and comparative analysis of these lexemes, points out that in these two languages, spice names are primarily formed through three methods: directly naming the plant species; combining the plant name with references to plant parts or shapes; and forming compound names that include a processed spice type along with distinguishing descriptors. These naming conventions vividly reflect the natural and social characteristics of both countries. In particular, the similarities and differences in culinary preferences between Vietnamese and Chinese people are evident through the frequency of elements such as color, shape, origin of the spices, and plant parts used. The nomenclature of spices also illustrates the close integration of culinary standards - deliciousness, nutrition, safety - and philosophical concepts such as yin-yang and the five elements in Vietnamese and Chinese food cultures. The findings offer more insights of the culinary culture of both countries as reflected in their respective languages.