Waste not, want not

The best news I heard since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in November is that the nation is being encouraged to avoid wasting food. Several articles have since been published, quoting astronomical figures that should make some people blush for shame. It is said that the amount of food wasted in China per year could feed up to 200 million people.

The Chinese are hospitable, this is well known. To show their respect to distinguished guests, they have developed the habit of ordering much more food than is needed. If, at the end of the dinner, all the food has been eaten, the host could face criticism for being mean, according to this mentality. The image of generosity is represented by a "fish" (yu), which is the homophone of another yu, meaning not only abundance but also surplus.

When invited to dine at restaurants by Chinese friends, I always try to stop them ordering too much. But they answer: "No matter, we can take the leftovers home."