『혀끝으로 만나는 중국(舌尖上的中國)』을 통해 본 중국 중산층의 불안과 해소

Abstract

A Bite of China, a food documentary aired in China in 2012, attracted Chinese viewers’ attention. Distinguished from previous studies, this article spotlights the social context surrounding the documentary’s appearance, specifically economic development and the growth of the middle class that have created a new interest in gourmet. Among the documentary’s three seasons, season 1, which captured the change of Chinese society for the first time, will be the focus of this paper. First, the documentary limits its target viewers to the urban middle class by portraying reality from their perspective. It also describes the ideal space—a place close to nature where the value of labor is appreciated and tradition is preserved— as opposed to the reality and thereby showing the gap between the ideal and the real. It well captures both the yearning for a healthy life of the urban middle class and their anxiety about food safety behind it. This anxiety is relieved in an imaginary way in the documentary. First, the scenes of food transportation from rural areas to city centers give an impression that natural foods can be delivered intact to the city. Second, by emphasizing spiritual values of food, the middle class is able to give a new meaning to their consumption behavior. For example, after the airing of A Bite of China, the commercialization of ‘huangmomo’ provided an opportunity for the middle class to elevate their simple consumption to conscious behavior of recognizing the value of others’ labor. This leads not only to the identity reaffirmation of the middle class but also to their imaginary reconciliation with reality.