Are You a Dessert Pervert? A Study on the Cultural Modelling of Western Desserts at the Mercy of Asian Sugar Addicts
Keywords:
cultural assimilation, cultural modelling, sugar addict, sugar high, Western and Asian dessertsAbstract
This research examines how Western bakery and confectionary is interpreted by Asian and Chinese cultural mental models of desserts, resulting in similar yet very distinctly different new treats to enjoy. Though historical research on the introduction of foreign food, this paper discusses how they are culturally assimilated by the new culture, finally even becoming a national dish. It answers the questions what makes a dessert special to the recipient culture, and why some desserts become commonplace while others continue to hold a place in the hearts and minds of dessert lovers as special, high-end treats? The researchers made great health sacrifices in the data collection process, by having to identify and taste various Asian cakes, then figuring out the flavour and appearances of the original Western source. Our theoretical framework draws on cultural modelling (CM) of perverted Western desserts, through which we conduct a qualitative study of the Asian concept of the sweet food category.
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