sharing plates or not?

While staying in Milan, I always had culinary explorations of the city’s diverse gastronomy alongside my friends. Among all the visits, one of the restaurants that impressed me deeply was Spore, a restaurant distinguished for its Asian fusion cuisine. Spore’s culinary ethos revolves around Asian fermented food preparation, coupled with the intriguing notion of intermittent eating. Embracing the tradition of communal dining prevalent in Asian cultures, Spore serves its entire tasting menu in the form of shared plates, each brimming with dishes crafted from fermented ingredients. While accustomed to this practice, I observed that for Europeans, partaking in a communal meal where dishes are shared among diners throughout the entire culinary journey is a novel experience.

在米蘭旅居的時候，不時會跟朋友探索米蘭的美食佳餚。當中有一間餐廳是令我印象挺深刻的，就是主打 Asian fusion cuisine 的 Spore。Spore 以 Asian fermented preparation food 為烹調主題，提倡「不時不食」的概念，更揉合亞洲人喜歡一桌分享菜式的飲食概念，全個 tasting menu 都是以 sharing plates 的形式呈上各種利用發酵食材的菜式。這對於亞洲人來說不算新鮮，但對於西方人來說，整頓飯在餐桌上互相分享同一盤食物，則是比較新鮮的用餐體驗。

tempeh sando with kimchi bbq and parmesan sauce / from Spore / dec 2023

“taco”, gray mullet, fennel, blue crab / from Spore / dec 2023

I remember when I first arrived Milan, whenever we went to a pizzeria or restaurant, or penchant for trying various dishes led us to share pizzas, pastas and secondi. However, our unconventional dining approach often elicited curios glances from neighbouring diners, whose dining habits adhered to a structured format of one appetizer, one pizza, one pasta or risotto and one dessert per person. This stark disparity in the perception of "shared food" prompts inquiry into the cultural nuances shaping dining customs across Asian and European societies.

記得剛到米蘭的時候，每次到 pizzeria 或餐廳時，因為想試更多款菜式，所以我們會分享 pizza、pasta 和 secondi，但卻換來隔壁桌的顧客一些好奇的目光 — 對於他們來說，他們的用餐習慣是一人一份前菜，一個 pizza，一碟 pasta / risotto，一個甜點才叫完美。那為什麼亞洲人和西方人在餐桌上對於「share食」的概念有這樣的分別呢？

how we share different flavours of pizza in Giolina

In Asian households and during Chinese dining occasions, communal sharing of dishes is a customary practice. The multifaceted nature of Asian cuisine, characterized by diverse cooking techniques, ingredients, and presentation styles, naturally lends itself to communal dining. This culinary landscape encourages diners to indulge in a variety of flavours by partaking in multiple dishes, fostering conviviality and fostering connections over shared meals.

在亞洲家庭餐桌或吃中菜時，我們經常會共享一桌子的食物。從食物菜餚種類來說，亞洲菜在烹調方式、食材花樣、呈現手法也比西餐豐富多樣，這也令亞洲人更容易聯想到共享食物的可能性 – 多點不同菜餚才可以嚐到千滋百味，也不用限制把食物只放在一個盤子裡，也可以藉此更加人與人之間因食物而起的交流溝通。

photo credits: Jay Wennington

photo credits: Albert Park Hotel

So why aren’t Westerners used to sharing food? This is also based on their respect for everyone’s habits and preferences – they don’t want to interfere or force the entire table to synchronize their food habits, and avoid food allergies; and everyone’s portion size is different, so they order their own meals It can also solve the problem of leftover food. No wonder I always see someone in Milan ordering just one pasta dish, while his friend orders a 3-course lunch menu. Moreover, concerns regarding hygiene further deter Westerners from partaking in shared dining experiences, as the perceived risk of exchanging saliva and potential transmission of bacteria or allergens looms large.

Nevertheless, with the advent of globalization and the cross-pollination of culinary traditions, Western diners are gradually warming up to the concept of communal dining as an avant-garde gastronomic experience. As such, embracing the ritual of sharing plates serves not only as a conduit for culinary exploration but also as a catalyst for fostering engaging conversations and forging meaningful connections at the dining table.

那為什麼西方人不習慣共享食物呢？這也基於他們對每個人的習慣和喜好的尊重 – 他們不想干預或強迫整桌人要同步食物習慣，也避免食物過敏的情況出現；而且每個人的進食份量也不一樣，因此自個兒點餐也能解決剩食的問題。難怪我在米蘭總看到有人只點一份 pasta，但是他的朋友卻點了一個 3-course lunch menu。除此以外，衛生問題也是西方人不習慣共享食物的原因之一，他們認為分享食物會涉及交換唾液的問題，會容易把隱藏的細菌或致敏源無影地傳播。

不過隨著全球化的飲食交流趨勢，西方人逐漸開始接受共享食物的用餐模式，並把其視為一種 trendy 的 dining experience。因此，我們在構思特色餐桌體驗的時候，不妨可以把 sharing plates 的 ritual 變成打開話題的鑰匙，在餐桌上展開一段有趣的旅程。