Getting acquainted with a new country often involves quite a bit of munching and food culture shock. The result? It could be everything from discovering amazing flavors to utter disappointment. The latter is what some of the people in China feel after hopping on the “White People Food” trend train.

What is White People Food?

At first glance, the term “white people food” might appear vague or even culturally insensitive to some. However, in Chinese social media, it’s a term loaded with specific cultural nuances.

Originating from the Chinese hashtag #bairenfan, which translates to “white people meals,” the term describes a unique category of Western food that has baffled many Chinese netizens.

Don’t expect to see delicious burgers, pizzas, or steaks under this hashtag. Instead, white people food (as seen by Chinese users) is an assortment of simple, often cold meals that require little to no cooking — think raw carrots wrapped in cheese slices, sandwiches with just one ingredient, or even a bag of lettuce eaten as-is.

Apparently, to be defined as such, white people food should meet three basic principles:

• a lack of spices;
• minimal preparation;
• being a meal typically consumed during work or school.

The term has even found its way into meme culture. While the stereotype is often reduced to jokes about blandness and a lack of seasoning, it’s a meme that even some white people have embraced with a self-deprecating sense of humor. You might encounter posts with captions like, “White people colonized half the world for spices and still don’t even use them.” 

Yet, despite the jest, the white people food meme further underlines the exciting interplay between food, culture, and identity. No, we’re not asking you to start celebrating unseasoned, sad meals — but while some Chinese netizens describe it as the “lunch of suffering,” others see it as a fascinating curiosity.

California-based content creator and author of ‘Valley Verified’ and ‘The Fraud Squad,’ Kyla Zhao, discussed the new internet trend in one of her TikTok videos, covering how bewildered the Chinese are about these spiceless meals.

The “White People’s Lunch” trend in China mocks what some consider to be “white people’s food”

Image credits: Nicola Barts (not the actual photo)

“Recently, there’s been a social media trend in China where people are trying food that they call ‘white people food'”

Image credits: kylazingaround

“Raw salads, boiled eggs, sliced ham, and chicken breast. So people are cooking these white people’s meals and posting photos of their food creations to social media.”

“This netizen says that his white people’s lunch of broccoli, steamed chicken breast, hot boiled egg, and brown rice is the lunch of suffering.”

Image credits: kylazingaround

“Another netizen says that the point of eating boring white people’s food like crackers, sliced cheese, and sliced ham is to understand what it feels like to be dead.”

“The food was so bad that it just made him realize how alive he was. However, some Chinese netizens have become huge supporters of white people food”

Image credits: kylazingaround

“They say it’s much easier to make than typical Chinese dishes. So it helps them save time cooking and gives them more time to do their work.”

“They say that eating white people food has made them realize that the point of eating is not for enjoyment”

Image credits: kylazingaround

“And there’s no need to spend a lot of time and effort making delicious meals because the whole point of eating is to just keep yourself alive”

Image credits: kylazingaround

Kyla Zhao’s video went viral and attracted nearly two million views in roughly a day

@kylazingaround “Lunch of suffering” lmao💀 #whitepeoplefood #whitepeoplethings #chinatrend #chinaviral #chinesetrend #chinesefood #viralfoodtrend #fyp #greenscreen ♬ Blade Runner 2049 – Synthwave Goose

Salads, eggs, ham, and chicken are often included in what’s considered a “white people’s lunch”; or “lunch of suffering” for some

Image credits: Heather Barnes (not the actual photo)

Born and raised in Singapore, Kyla Zhao is currently working in a tech company in California, where she has likely seen a lunch box or two filled with carrot sticks and ham slices. Or at least that’s what people on Chinese social media might think.

How did White People’s Food become a viral trend?

According to The China Project, the trend started gaining momentum on the lifestyle-sharing app ‘Xiaohongshu,’ becoming more and more popular under the name of “white people’s food” — or báirén fàn, as we already mentioned.

It mocked the mostly seasoning-free (but seriously, why don’t white people season their food?), often vegetable or cracker and cold cuts-based lunch, and wondered what keeps the consumers of lunches like these alive. The China Project cited one social media user who was wondering if they have evolved to a point where they can generate energy without having to eat actual food.

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Another TikTok user, Marcelo Wang, shared more of people’s reactions to such luncheons, one of which suggested that people must be using other means to keep themselves alive. “White people love basking in the sun because they have to do photosynthesis,” Marcelo cited one of the comments on social media. He also pointed out that Chinese people are typically used to cooking with a lot of ingredients, which makes the “white people’s lunch” all the more unusual.

While Chinese netizens are busy wrapping their heads around the concept of “white people’s food,” we couldn’t help but wonder what their lunch boxes typically contain. After all, the “lunch of suffering” has been compared to Chinese meals that are generally considered more flavorful and elaborate. So what’s actually inside those lunch boxes that sets them apart?

What do Chinese workers eat for lunch?

Unlike the minimalist, often unseasoned meals tagged under #bairenfan, Chinese lunches are a burst of flavors and textures.

A common meal might include steamed rice, stir-fried vegetables, and a protein like pork or chicken — all seasoned with a mouth-watering variety of spices and sauces. Soup is often part of the meal and is considered delicious and healthy. For those on the go, convenient boxes and street food options like Jianbing and Baozi are popular. And let’s not forget the regional variations  — from the spicy delights of Sichuan to the seafood-centric meals of coastal areas, it’s easy to find diversity in Chinese food.

So while Chinese social media users are poking fun at “nasty” white people food, their own lunches are anything but monotonous, offering a flavorful contrast to the subject of their internet fascination.

People are split into camps over the new trend

Image credits: Nik (not the actual photo)

Some people in China see a lack of ingredients as an advantage, as it means there’s less hassle in preparing the meals. It also requires less clean-up — another huge bonus for some. The China Project revealed that in addition to these benefits, some people in China applaud the nutritional benefits of the “white people’s lunches,” which often include vegetables and other low-carb foods. People siding with such views also point out that it could help fight the after-lunch drowsiness the hearty Chinese meals cause.

A somewhat controversial opinion related to the popular trend is that food doesn’t necessarily have to be something one enjoys. In her TikTok video, Kyla Zhao referred to a person saying that there’s no need to spend a lot of time and effort on cooking delicious meals because the whole point of eating is to keep yourself alive. 

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However, people are split into two camps about it, and those on the other side seem to eagerly oppose this idea. The China Project cited a ‘Xiaohongshu’ user, saying that having good food is something they look forward to every day, which is why they wouldn’t be able to give it up.

At the end of the day, choosing what to have for lunch is a matter of preference and habit. Whether it’s a single slice of cheese wrapped around a carrot or a complex dish requiring time and effort, whatever floats people’s boats is likely to be what’s for lunch.

People shared their thoughts about “white people’s food” in the comments

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