*Yang Yue, Noraien Mansor, Nur Haniz Mohd Nor

Abstract:

Over the past decade, food documentaries have emerged as a notable form of media that investigates the complex relationships among food, tradition, culture, and national identity. Chinese cuisine, renowned for its diversity, reflects the country’s multi-ethnic composition, which includes minority groups such as the Hui, Uyghur, and Mongolian communities. The Hui people, one of the significant ethnic minorities in China, possess a rich culinary tradition deeply rooted in Islamic and halal practices. Their cuisine not only signifies their national identity but also serves as a potent cultural symbol. This research employed the Circuit of Culture to analyse the interplay between cultural representation and national identity in food documentaries. The research specifically focused on segments representing the Hui ethnic group from the three seasons of A Bite of China and Once Upon a Bite, as well as Halal Flavour. Through the qualitative content analysis of segments produced between 2016 and 2022, this research reveals the intricacies of Hui culinary traditions and the way these documentaries portray cultural symbols.

Keywords: Hui cuisine, food documentaries, cultural symbols, national identity, Circuit of Culture