7th Youth Culture Symposium
第7回 若者文化シンポジウム

The openness of Japanese and German
young people to ethnic foods:
The case of Vietnamese cuisine
日本とドイツの若者のエスニック料理に対する好奇心: ベトナム料理を例に
08 March, 2023
Vien T.T. Dinh
PhD Candidate, Kyoto UniversitySelf-introduction

1

Vien Thi-Thuc DINH
ヴィエン・ディン

2011-15

BA, Economics/National Economics University
Hanoi, Vietnam

2019-21

MA, Global Environmental Studies
Kyoto University, Japan

2021-

PhD Candidate, Kyoto University
Natural Resource Economics

Keywords:#food_multiculturalism #ethnicfood#transnational_immigration #Vietnamese_diaspora#culinary_class #urban_garden #community_healthOutlines
1. Introduction: Food openness and Vietnamese foodscapes
2. Research objective and questions
3. Methodology and Analytical approach
4. Key findings
5. Discussions and Conclusion
6. Acknowledgement and References2

1.Introduction: Ethnic food in multiculturalism• Ethnic food (heritage food) is perceived as the cuisine that is associatedwith a particular cultural or ethnic group.
• In multicultural society, ethnic food can function as a marker ofsocial inclusion when the mainstream gastronomy are enhanced byincluding different cuisines in either original or hybridity form but also ameans of radical and class discrimination (Barbas, 2003; Frost & Laing, 2016).

America: Melting pot and Salad bowl
Source: https://sites.psu.edu/

31.Introduction: Openness to ethnic foodOpenness to ethnic food or the customer perception of and willingness
to accept and eat unfamiliar food can be driven by both external andinternal factors, and mainly measured at individual levels.
• Country of origin: Based on the Food Neophobia Scale (Pliner & Hobden, 1992),
East Asian people (Chinese and Korean) are more neophobic to nontraditional food than Western customers (Choe & Cho, 2011; Zhao et al., 2020).
• Culinary familiarities in terms of ingredients, flavors and gastronomic
principles between the sending and receiving destinations can encourage
public acceptance of novel food.
• Personality (Neophilics/Neutrals/Neophobics): Adventurous and openminded individuals are more willingness to explore and accept novel flavors
and experience (Skrbis & Woodward, 2007; Szakály et al., 2021).

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1. Why chose Vietnamese food in Germany/Japan?

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Germany - “immigrant” country
A mixed influx of Vietnamese boat people in the late 1970s
and former guest workers in the 1980s, and later achieved
the “Vietnamese miracle” among successors.
Vietnamese/Asian fusion restaurants emerged since 1990 as afinancial/residence guarantee for the settlement andcontributed to cosmopolitan images (Bösch & Su, 2020; Stock & Schmiz, 2019).

Asian food courts in Berlin

Japan - ethnically homogenous country
Food cultural and geographical proximity
Vietnamese gained more attention since 2010, themajority are temporary migrants (trainees andinternational students) (Liu-Farrer, 2020). The “Vietnamboom” (abroad tourism) started from 2015, andconverted into a domestic interest in Vietnamesefood after COVID-19.

Vietnamese restaurants in Tabelog website

2. Objective and questions
Objective
to explore how the young generation in Japan and Germany perceive, accept andinclude Vietnamese ethnic food in their daily eating and influential factors in
different contexts.

Research questions
RQ1. What is the contemporary acceptance of Japanese and German young
people of Vietnamese food?
RQ2. Which key factors influence the youth’s openness to Vietnamese food?
RQ3. How do (Japanese) young people modify and reproduce Vietnamesefood in their kitchens?

63. Methodology and data collection

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Public surveys of youth perception▪ In Japan (2021-2022): Kyoto University andKansai-based university lectures and events
related to Vietnamese culture or international
culture exchange (Hyogo, Osaka and Kyoto).
▪ In Germany (July-September 2022): based at
Göttingen University (Lower Saxony).
▪ Recruitment criteria: aged 18-40 residents of
the host countries at the survey time.

Artifact-focused group discussions▪ Time and location: June and October 2022,
in Kyoto, Japan▪ Content: Fresh spring roll exhibition

HannoverGöttingenKassel3.1. Analysis process

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Questionnaire structure• Open-ended questions on food names
and the impression of Vietnamese
culinary specialities;• 5-level Likert scale of exposure andwillingness to try new ethnic foreign and
Vietnamese foods/cultures;• Multiple-choice questions on information
sources and difficulties of cooking ethnicfood.
• Socio-demographic features include age,gender, occupation, nationality andabroad experience.
Language: English/German and Japanese

Text analysis for open-ended
questions

Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA)

Regression of Openness toVietnamese food3.2. Fresh spring roll exhibition (生春巻き会）
Event participants (Japanese)• Event 1 (June 2022): Graduate students and graduates of Kyoto-Uni• Event 2 (October 2022): Undergraduate students

Agenda• Virtual game: selecting ingredients’ roll anddipping sauce to make ideal fresh rolls;• Practical rolling: Vietnamese-style fresh rolls
and dipping sauces and Group discussion;• Homemade version: purchase their preferedingredients and make the rolls at home, either
individual or team work (1000¥/participant)and send back the reflection.

Example of virtual game poster

Notes: The discussion was held in Japanese with an interpreter. Transcripts are translated into English before
being coded and thematically analyzed.

94.Results: Youth perception survey

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Respondents’ socio-demographic characteristics
Age (Mean ± Std.)

Germany (n=83)

Japan (n=257)

Combined (n=340)

24.51 ±4.38

22.49 ±5.43

22.98 ±5.26

32.5%
69.9%

42.4%
57.6%

39.5%
85.5%

12.0%
88.0%

16.7%
82.1%

15.4%
82.6%
0.6%

GenderMale
FemaleOccupation
Formal/Salary employment
Student
Retired and housewife
Self-employed worker
Nationality
Japanese
GermanOther
Rate of abroad living
Abroad travel
Never
1 time2-3 times
More than 3 times

1.2%
83.1%
18.1%
40%
21.7%
13.3%
18.1%
47.0%

n=203
96.6%
3.4%
3%
n=115
30.4%
21.7%
20.0%
27.8%

0.3%
n=286
68.9%
24.1%
7.7%
12%
n=201
26.4%
17.9%
18.9%
36.8%

Source: Youth perception survey, 2021-2022

4. RQ1: Name of Vietnamese dishes
Ignorance

For Japanese:

4%

11%

One-plate dishes
Vegeterian
Drinks

20%
6%
4%
39%

Spring rolls

Banh xeoBun23%“a bowl with rice noodles, vegetables, and meat”

4%(German description)

29%
7%

19%

Pho

47%
Japan (n=257)

Pho (フォー)

53%

Thai/SEA (ミーゴレン, トムヤムクン,)
wheat-based rolls (トルティーヤ)
For German:
Japanese (sushi, ramen, udon),Chinese (Bao burger, roasted duck),
Thai

7%

Banh miNoodles (mixed or soup)

11

72%

Germany (n=53)

Fresh spring rolls (生春巻き)

Banh mi (ベトナムサンドイッチ)

One-plate rice dish

4. RQ1: Impression on Vietnamese food

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Japanese young customers can describe more details of specific flavors (eg. sweet-spicy andsour) and exotic ingredients (eg. coriander and fish sauce), meanwhile German perception
are more generalized in flavorful, diverse and freshly delicious. However, German youth
appreciates the food more about healthy and vegetarian/vegetable-rich aspects.
45%#fresh #delicious

40%#healthy #vegetable#flavorful

35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%

5%

Taste

Ingredients

Germany (n=83)

TypeJapan (n=245)

Feelings

Othersorigindiversedecoration

aroma

delicious

fresheasy to eat

healthy

vegeteriansoups

noodles

fish

rice

vegetables

herbs

fish saucecoriander

spicesflavorfulsour

sweet-spicy

spicy

0%

4. RQ1: Willingness and experience of ethnic food 13
Willingness to try new ethnic foodJapanese (n=114)

29

62

German (n=83)

9

51
0%

10%

20%

I love trying new thing

10

4

9

2

21

30%

40%

50%

Often

Occationally60%

Rarely

70%

80%

90%

100%

90%

100%

Not interested toExperience of cooking Vietnamese foodJapanese (n=189)

54

59

German (n=83)

76

41
0%

10%

20%

Yes, I've tried

16
30%

40%

50%

Yes, I intend to try

60%

26
70%

80%

Not considered before

4.RQ2: Exploratory Factor Analysis

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Socio-demographic factor
Age
Gender

Occupation
Nationality/Country

Exposure to Vietnamese
Friend/family recommendation (0.55)
Foreign experience (0.32)
Vietnamese people contact (0.84)

Exposure to foreign culture

Openness toVietnamese food
Food familiarity (0.65)
Dishes’ number (0.55)
Food impression (0.37)
Cooking experience (0.71)

Foreign experience (0.61)
Foreigner contact (0.53)
Abroad travel frequency (0.61)
Living abroad (0.47)
Willingness to try ethnic food (0.42)

The arrow represents
the direction of impacts.

Analytical framework (Factor loading)Notes: Maximum likelihood, Retained factor=1. Factors with a loading score smaller than 0.3 are excluded.

4.RQ2: Determinants of food openness

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OLS regressions of Openness to Vietnamese foodon Vietnamese and foreign exposure
Openness to Vietnamese foodExposure to Vietnamese people(1)0.429***(0.056)

Exposure to foreign culture
Age
FemaleOccupation
Country
Nationality dummies
R squaredN

0.023*(0.012)0.282***(0.103)0.088(0.164)
0.996***(0.310)
YES
0.45
187

(2)
0.305***(0.071)0.346***(0.074)-0.004(0.019)0.269**(0.103)0.002(0.210)0.047(0.109)
YES
0.59
150

Notes: Robust standard errors are in parentheses. ***p < 0.01, **p < 0.05, *p < 0.1.

Exposure to the specific people
affects significantly youth’s
openness to ethnic food in bothcases.
Impact of exposure to foreignculture is higher than contact withthe specific people.

Personal characteristic is more
powerful than the hosting country
when nationality is controlled.

Females have better acceptancetoward unfamiliar food.

4.RQ3: Youth’s modification of fresh spring rolls

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Top ingredients of virtual spring rolls, by components
1st event (28 rolls)

Vegetables

Meat

2nd event (27 rolls) Combined (55 rolls)

Lettuce (8)Mizuna (6)Coriander (5)Carrot (5)Tomato (4)Onion (4)Lettuce (11)
Advocado (4)Cucumber (3)Coriander (3)Smoked salmon (7)Boiled shrimp (6)Boiled pork (4)Smoked salmon (6)Beef (6)
Salmon caviar (5)Cheese (3)Boiled pork (3)Boiled shrimp (3)Sashimi (3)Smoked salmon (13)
Boiled shrimp (9)Boiled pork (7)Beef (6)
Salmon caviar (5)Cheese (5)Bacon (4)Glass noodles (3)Glass noodles (6)Rice noodles (5)Noodles

Rice noodles (4)Glass noodles (3)Dippingsauce

Sweet chili sauce (15) Sweet chili sauce (10)Peanut sauce (15)Peanut sauce (10)Oyster sauce (15)Oyster sauce (10)Lettuce (19)
Carrot (9)Coriander (8)Onion (7)Mizuna (6)Cucumber (6)Sweet chili sauce (25)
Peanut sauce (25)Oyster sauce (25)

Idea of fresh rolls:• Salad vegetable (1-2 kinds)• Thinly sliced meat/fish(1-2 pieces)• Noodles (optional)

Missing: tropical aromatic
herbs (except coriander)

Replacement: diverse seafood
and processed ingredients withstrong flavors

Among 2 events• Group 1: vegetable, balanced• Group 2: more meat, fish andanimal-derived products

4.RQ3: Imagination and reflection

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Pre-event imagination:
unpleasant flavor and strong smells of fish sauce and coriander.

Reflection:
The fish sauce and coriander are not hard toeat as I thought before. Many people told that.
But it is even stimulating.
F, 19Such a great combination of tastes: The lighttaste of the fresh roll matches well with theflavorful dipping sauce made of aromatic fishsauce and refreshing lemon juice.

M, 21

4.RQ3: Comparison with Japanese rolls

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Japanese sushi rolls vs. Vietnamese fresh rolls▪ Wrapping skin: seaweed vs. rice paper▪ Rolling shape: triangle vs. round▪ Apperance: totally wrapped vs. visible▪ Ingredient combination▪ Dipping sauce• Similarities: light taste, freshly made andJapanese hand-rolled sushi

eaten at the dinning table and eating with others.

F, 27

It was my first time to get together and eat
with other people in the shared housethrough this fresh spring roll party. I also
want to remake it with my family members
when I come back to my parent’s house.
Vietnamese fresh spring rolls

4.RQ3: Reflection on making fresh spring rolls(1) Missing ingredients(2) Ingredients’ shape and placing direction(4) Sashimi and (5) Dessert rolls(3) Portion the ingredients195. Discussions: Food openness determinants

20• Contextual factor: In multicultural societies, young people are more willing toaccept non-traditional food than those coming from a more conventional culture.

• Culinary familiarity might not guarantee a higher level of acceptance of
ethnic food. Despite more similarities to Vietnamese food’s country of origin andculinary culture, Japanese young people are more skeptical in trying andexperiencing the less-familiar Asian ethnic cuisine.

• Personality, specifically exposure to foreign culture and people, are more
important than the reception country in shaping openness to ethnic food.
Germany-based respondents are more open to novel food when controlling
nationality and contact with the ethnic people. However, the country became
insignificant when including personal exposure to foreign cultures.

5. Discussions: The “grammar” of fresh rolls
Key rules of fresh spring rolls
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪

Wrapping materials: rice paper - stretchable, sticky
Contrast texture/flavor of ingredients and sauces
Rolling in a round and thinly long shape
Aesthetic as inside ingredients are visible
Healthy/vegetable or balanced combination
Socialization

Japanese youth’s modification: by complying with and breaking the rules
and even going beyond the principles to create their own versions.
▪ Compliance: contrast of light/strong flavor, soft/crunchy and aesthetic (care about
the visual of rolls)▪ Breaking: substitute with more available and affordable materials(coriander -> perilla, lettuce -> cabbage, boiled shrimp -> seasoned fish/meat, fishsauce -> generic commercial sauce).

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5. Conclusion▪ Vietnamese food is perceived by young generations as healthy, vegetablerich and flavorful cuisine that can flexibly customize to different palates.
▪ Regarding food perception, German young people tend to describe
Vietnamese ethnic food with more general expressions of food group andimpressions due to their culinary dissimilarities but are more willing toaccept non-traditional food than their Japanese counterparts. However,personality or exposure to foreign culture strongly influences theiropenness to ethnic food.
▪ Through the imaginary of Vietnamese food, theJapanese young generation can reproduce fresh
spring rolls by both complying with and breaking
the food rules due to the limitation of ingredientsand even elevate their cooking with creative
versions.

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Acknowledgement• Kyoto University:▪ KURA (Kyoto University Research Administration) Center▪ Graduate School of Agriculture: Profs. Akitsu,
Feuer and Genron Lab. members• Göttingen University: Prof. Neu• All participants and supporters
have participated in the study.

• Funded by:• DAAD-Kyoto University Partnership
Programme towards SDGs

• Yamaoka Memorial Foundation

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6. References

24• Barbas, S. (2003). “I’ll take chop suey”: Restaurants as agents of culinary and cultural change. Journal of
Popular Culture, 36(4), 669–686.
• Bösch, F., & Su, P. H. (2020). Competing contexts of reception in refugee and immigrant incorporation:
Vietnamese in West and East Germany. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies.
• Choe, J. Y., & Cho, M. S. (2011). Food neophobia and willingness to try non-traditional foods for Koreans.
Food Quality and Preference, 22(7), 671–677.
• Frost, W., & Laing, J. (2016). Cuisine, migration, colonialism and diasporic identities. In D. J. Timothy(Ed.), Heritage Cuisines: Traditions, Identities and Tourism 37–52. Routledge Studies of Gastronomy,
Food and Drink.
• Liu-Farrer, G. (2020). Immigrant Japan: mobility and belonging in an ethno-nationalist society.
• Skrbis, Z., & Woodward, I. (2007). The ambivalence of ordinary cosmopolitanism: Investigating the limitsof cosmopolitan openness. Sociological Review, 55(4), 730–747.
• Stock, M., & Schmiz, A. (2019). Catering authenticities. Ethnic food entrepreneurs as agents in Berlin’s
gentrification. City, Culture and Society, 18(July).
• Szakály, Z., Kovács, B., Soós, M., Kiss, M., & Balsa-Budai, N. (2021). Adaptation and validation of the foodneophobia scale: The case of Hungary. Foods, 10(8).
• Zhao, J. bo, Gao, Z. bing, Li, Y. xian, Wang, Y. le, Zhang, X. yuan, & Zou, L. quan. (2020). The foodneophobia scale (FNS): Exploration and confirmation of factor structure in a healthy Chinese sample.
Food Quality and Preference, 79(1023).

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Thank you for your kind attention!
ご清聴ありがとうございます。
Danke für Ihre Aufmerksamkeit!
Contact information
Vien T.T. DINH
dinhthithucvien@gmail.com