Abstract:
The objectives of the research were to study three aspects of Vietnamese food terms and cultures : 1) Vietnamese food names ,2) Vietnamese food terms ; preparing terms and cooking terms by using a componential analysis procedure and prototype theory , and 3) Vietnamese food cultures. The data was collected from interviews and questionnaires from Vietnamese people in Hanoi, Vietnam. The results of this research were divided into three parts. The first part analyzed the elements of Vietnamese food names. The result showed that there were four important elements of Vietnamese food names: 1) raw material ,2) preparing, cooking and preserving food techniques ,3) specific characteristics of food ,and 4) types of food. The second part analyzed features of Vietnamese preparing and cooking terms by using componential analysis to show that preparing terms were divided into two groups that was integration and separation. As for cooking terms, they were divided into 5 groups: 1) cooked in water, 2) oil-based cooking , 3) direct heated ,4) steamed ,and 5) dry heated. Moreover preparing and cooking terms were analyzed by prototype theory to find good example of food terms. The result indicated the concept about preparing food methods among Vietnamese people was to make material into small pieces with a sharp weapon and showed that thái /thaj3/ which means to slice was a good example of Vietnamese preparing methods. Cooking terms showed that luộc /luok4/ which means to boil was a good example of Vietnamese cooking methods and indicated the concept about Vietnamese cooking that raw materials must be cooked. Finally, Vietnamese food cultures showed the characteristic of Vietnamese food that it is usually cooked with standard techniques because it not only saved their time but also reflected their life style.