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Feeding the Vietnamese in the UK and the rationale behind their food habits

It is well known that natural resources and economics play a significant part in determining the kinds, the quality, and the quantity of the food we eat. This paper is primarily concerned with the way in which people use the food available to them; food consumption patterns rather than food preferences. Since 1979, 15 ooo Vietnamese ‘boat people’ have been resettled in the United Kingdom. On arrival, the refugees were placed in thirty-seven reception centres scattered around Britain until homes could be found for them. The reception centres were run by three volunteer organizations : British Council for Aid to Refugees, Ockenden Venture and Save the Children. The object of this study was to interview the refugees upon arrival to learn as much as possible about their traditional food habits before they could be overlaid by the food culture of the UK. In addition to collecting information on typical food habits, a study was also made of the kinds of catering systems used in the reception centres and to observe the reaction of the refugees to the different methods used. It was hoped that such a study would provide information on institutional catering for this cultural group as well as information for future reference in crisis feeding of other people. It is estimated that 80% of the ‘boat people’ given asylum in the UK are ethnic Chinese, however since most have lived in Vietnam for three or more generations, they will be referred to as Vietnamese throughout this paper.