Chinese social media users blast Western-style ‘white people food’

‘White people food’ is trending on Chinese social media platforms as users are bewildered by the typical Western packed lunch, with some even calling it the ‘lunch of suffering.’ The trend started on the social media platforms Weibo and Xiaohongshu with users dumbfounded by quick and easy meals such as cold sandwiches and raw vegetables. Many posts are from international students surprised by the simple meals their peers eat, similarly Chinese workers have posted in shock at their ex-pat co-workers’ repetitive lunches. Photos of the bland lunches have quickly spread through global social media platforms including TikTok and Twitter.

Many social media users have promoted the health benefits of the simple ‘white people lunch.’ in response to this, a commenter on Xiaohongshu suggested: ‘If such a meal is to extend life, what is the meaning of life?’ Perhaps the most drastic response was found on Weibo where a user shared a photo of a Lunchables-like tray of crackers, cheese and meat and captioned it: ‘The point of the white people’s meal is to learn what it feels like to be dead, but I’ve taken two bites and it was so bad it made me realize how alive I am.’ 

‘White people’s food’ made it beyond the Chinese social media platforms and found itself trending on Twitter. Responding to the trend, one Twitter user commented: ‘Wait until they unlock British white people food, this seems like California white people. Whole other level of suffering.’ The trend accelerated because a video of a woman in Switzerland on a train eating a bag of lettuce with ham and a packet of mustard went viral. Hundreds of users shared their own experiences of low maintenance lunches in the U.S., Australia and across Europe. ‘When I first came to Australia, I saw a woman who bought raw sliced mushrooms in the supermarket and sat down to eat it.’ 

Marcelo Wang explained in a TikTok video that fascination with these meals spread as many Chinese people are used to cooking with lots of different ingredients. He translated some photos posted on Chinese apps, such as a carrot wrapped in cheese with the caption: ‘Meeting a deadline in college made me innovate white people meal.’ Some people commented ‘Even my rabbit would kick away this food.’ He explained that some people even got ‘addicted’ to white food such as lunchables and admitted to liking the quick snack himself. Some western users admitted the Chinese take on their lunches was accurate, one said: ‘The bread, cucumbers and lunch meat is pretty accurate tho.’ 

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