How to eat well in the age of ready meals

by Posted on

Would you be willing to pay a premium at a restaurant for a side of frozen broccoli that might actually be older than your child? As it turns out, this absurd-sounding scenario is a very real possibility.

Pre-prepared meals are quietly taking over our tables; they are everywhere, from sit-down restaurants and takeaways to supermarkets and our own freezers. When the ‘breath of the wok’ can be simulated with flavourings, and ‘freshly stir-fried’ becomes mere shorthand for reheating a pouch, are we consuming actual food, or simply symbols of industrial efficiency?

The backlash following the ‘Xibei pre-prepared meals’ controversy proves that, when choosing to dine in, people still harbor a deep-seated longing for a healthy meal with that authentic, freshly cooked taste.

Yet the harsh reality is the friction between our desire for ‘fresh food’ and the inability of chain restaurants—heavily reliant on pre-prepared meals and central kitchens—to actually provide it.

In this episode of Food Talk, we are moving beyond the mere condemnation of pre-prepared meals. We want to look past the surface-level outrage to discuss the more complex truths beneath, and explore what we can still do in the era of industrialised food:

  • What is it that we truly object to: the pre-prepared food itself, the exorbitant prices, or the feeling of being deceived?
  • Where is the line between a mother’s homemade dumplings and the frozen ones from a supermarket?
  • As society rushes toward ‘faster and cheaper’, how much longer can the small eateries that insist on fresh stir-frying survive?
  • Exhausted parents, lonely international students, harried professionals… have we already become dependent on pre-prepared meals?
  • And how can we find a balance between convenience and quality?
This is a conversation that is as grounded as it is profound, designed for anyone who cares about what we eat and how we eat. After listening to this candid, and at times poignant, discussion, you may find yourself looking at your next meal in a whole new light.

This Episode’s Host

Timeline

01:34 What was the immediate reaction of the Foodthink editors to the news that well-known restaurants were serving ready meals?

05:42 The debate over the definition of ready meals: “100% no ready meals” versus “Isn’t this just a ready meal?” Why is there such a gap between government standards and consumer perception?

08:50 Why did the Xibei incident spark such a public outcry? Was it the price, the taste, or the feeling of being “deceived”?

14:26 “Frozen broccoli with a two-year shelf life is older than your child?” Do we have the right to know exactly what we are eating?

21:07 Why are we drifting further and further away from the experience of food cooked fresh to order?

30:41 The labour issues behind ready meals: will they “liberate” or “destroy” the street stalls that wake up early to make guokui?

36:21 The disappearance of local food cultures: from luzhu and guokui to identical fast-food chains across the country.

39:28 Ready meals through the eyes of international students: a lifeline or a substitute for nostalgia?

43:56 Homemade ready meals: giving more value and dignity to the “labour” of caring for oneself and others, and a way to break free from the “social clock”.

A “child-friendly” atmosphere was once one of Xibei’s key marketing strategies. Photo: Xiaojing
The dining area, once filled with balloons, has recently looked bleak. Photo: Xiaojing
The children’s meals introduced by Xibei were once a major draw for countless families. Photo: Xiaojing
Could the dazzling array of ready meals found in supermarkets also be appearing in restaurant kitchens? Photo: Xiaojing
Crayfish, sauerkraut fish, pork tripe chicken soup, and hot pot have all become convenient “lazy meals”. Photo: Xiaojing
During Li Ye’s three years of studying in the US, ready meals from the freezer were a staple on the dinner table. Photo: Li Ye
The Food Talk podcast once invited guest Dou Dou to share “homemade ready meals”; these are homemade shumai inspired by the ready meals in supermarket freezers. Photo: Dou Dou
Traditional “pre-prepared” festive dishes made by Dou Dou at the end of the year—Cantonese sausages! Photo: Dou Dou

Related Reading ▼

The moment they decided to stop ordering takeaways | Eat Better for 315

If you can’t beat them, join them! The ultimate step-by-step guide to homemade ready meals is here

The bigger the fridge, the worse the diet? The food system inside the fridges of the American middle class

How were vegetables preserved in the era before refrigerators?

Why do we need wet markets? Field observations from an anthropologist

Published by Foodthink