In the Age of Pre-made Meals, How Do We Eat Well?

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Would you pay tens of yuan at a restaurant for a portion of frozen broccoli that might be older than your child? — As we’ve recently discovered, this question that sounds almost absurd may well be true.

Pre-made meals are quietly taking over our dining tables. From restaurants to takeaways, from supermarkets to fridges, they are everywhere. When “wok hei” can be conjured from flavourings, and “stir-fried to order” is merely a euphemism for reheating a meal pack, are we eating food, or the symbols of industrial-era efficiency?

The “Xibei pre-made meals” controversy shows that, despite the backlash, diners who choose to eat in still harbour a quiet hope for a wholesome plate carrying that authentic wok hei.

Yet the frustrating reality is the gap between our aspiration for “fresh food” and the inability of chain restaurants — so reliant on pre-made meals and central kitchens — to deliver it.

This episode of Food Talk moves beyond the usual condemnation of “pre-made meals”. We want to join you in looking past the surface anger, exploring the more complex truths beneath, and asking what we can still do in the age of pre-made meals:

  • Do we oppose pre-made meals themselves, the high prices, or the feeling of being deceived?
  • Where does the line fall between Mum’s dumplings and the frozen ones on a supermarket shelf?
  • In a society racing towards “faster and cheaper”, how long can the small shops that insist on stir-frying to order survive?
  • Exhausted parents, lonely international students, busy office workers… have we long since become unable to do without pre-made meals?
  • And how do we strike a balance between convenience and quality?
This is a conversation that is both down-to-earth and deeply thoughtful — for anyone who cares about “what to eat and how to eat it”. After listening to this candid, even painful, discussion, perhaps you will arrive at new thoughts and a deeper understanding of your next meal.

Hosts

Timeline

01:34 Facing the news that “famous restaurants serve pre-made meals”, what was the Foodthink editors’ first reaction?

05:42 The debate over defining pre-made meals: “100% free of pre-made meals” vs “Isn’t this already a pre-made meal?” Why is there such a gap between government standards and consumer perception?

08:50 Why did the Xibei incident set off such public outrage? Was it the price, the taste, or the feeling of being “deceived”?

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

21:07 Why are we getting ever further from the experience of freshly stir-fried, made-to-order dining?

30:41 Labour issues behind pre-made meals: Will pre-made meals “liberate” or “crush” the little street stalls that rise early to make guokui?

36:21 The disappearance of local food culture: from luzhu and guokui to chain fast food identical across the country

39:28 Pre-made meals through international students’ eyes: a lifeline or a substitute for homesickness?

43:56 Home-made pre-made meals: making the “labour” of caring for oneself and others more valued and dignified — and one way to step outside the social clock

A “child-friendly” atmosphere was once part of Xibei’s marketing strategy. Photography: Xiao Jing
The dining space that once had balloons decorating it has looked desolate in recent days. Photography: Xiao Jing
Xibei’s children’s menu was also a reason countless families stopped by. Photography: Xiao Jing
The array of pre-made meals lining supermarket shelves — perhaps they also fill the back kitchens of restaurants? Photography: Xiao Jing
Crayfish, pickled-cabbage fish, pork tripe chicken and hot pot have all become convenient “lazy person’s dishes”. Photography: Xiao Jing
During Li Ye’s three years studying in the United States, pre-made meals from the freezer were a regular on her dinner table. Photography: Li Ye
The Food Talk podcast once invited guest Doudou to share her “home-made pre-made meals” — her homemade siu mai, inspired by the pre-made meals in supermarket freezers. Photography: Doudou
This is one of Doudou’s traditional large “pre-made” dishes made at year’s end — Cantonese cured sausage! Photography: Doudou

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If You Can’t Beat Them, Join Them! A Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Making Your Own Pre-made Meals

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How Did People Preserve Vegetables in the Era Before Refrigerators?

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Published by Foodthink