Văn hoá ẩm thực của người chăm ahiér ở huyện ninh phước, tỉnh ninh thuận

VIETNAM ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES TRAN THI THAI CULINARY CULTURE OF CHAM AHIÉR PEOPLE IN NINH PHUOC DISTRICT, NINH THUAN PROVINCE Major: Cultural studies Code: 22 90 40 PHD THESIS IN CULTURAL STUDIES HANOI - 2023 The project has been completed at: GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES Supervisor: Assoc Prof., Dr Vuong Xuan Tinh Reviewer 1: Prof., Dr Le Hong Ly Reviewer 2: Prof., Dr Bui Quang Thanh Reviewer 3: Prof., Dr Nguyen Van Chinh The thesis is defended before the Doctoral Thesis Examining Council, meeting at the Graduate Academy of Social Sciences, 477 Nguyen Trai, Thanh Xuan, Hanoi At…h…minute, date…month…year 2023 The thesis can be found at: National Library of Vietnam Library of Graduate Academy of Social Sciences PREAMBLE The urgency of the title In the Cham language, besides the word "love" (anit), the word "eat" (mbang) also has a very high frequency when expressed When hungry, Cham people say Mbang owk bbang lipa - Eat when you're hungry, eat when you're thirsty, eat to keep you alive for a while Poor families, if guests come to the house and not have luxury dishes, they will tell Mbang mưthin mbang xara: Eat fish sauce, eat salt, take herbs When you have delicious food, say Mbang jan gok jan glah - Eat and bang the pot Lowly people have to accept Mbang lisei hok kamang jruh- Eating wasted rice, leftover rice and soup residue Those who are literate, those who are noble get it Mbang ngok dok dahlau - Eat first and sit first Vietnamese people also have diverse conclusions about eating such as "Eat well and study well", "Eat to live, not live to eat", "If you eat too much, you will die", "Eat with invitation, have caused” Thus, it can be seen that in every era and every nation, eating is very important to human life Eating is not only a biological activity to maintain life but also represents the culture of another ethnic group or social community The characteristics of dishes are created from geographical, historical and social conditions Through food we can understand people's customs and behavior towards the environment; Even human status or status is expressed through eating and drinking Therefore, cuisine not only has a material aspect but also has a spiritual meaning, and is considered an important element in creating ethnic identity According to the results of the 2019 Population Census, the Cham people in Ninh Thuan province have 67,517 people, the largest population compared to the Cham people throughout the country Cham Ahiér (also known as Cham Brahman) is one of three Cham groups that have long lived in Ninh Thuan This is the Cham group that accounts for the majority of the Cham population in Ninh Phuoc district, Ninh Thuan province compared to other religious believers They are identified as the Ahiér community through the form of the funeral: "when they die, they are cremated" They worship their ancestors (muk key, trauk patra), build temples and towers to worship kings, gods, national heroes, and cultural celebrities Regarding spiritual life, the Cham Ahiér people have an extremely rich ritual system At each stage of the Cham ritual, there are different rituals and the offerings prepared for the rituals at that stage are also different Offerings including food and drinks not only meet human nutritional needs but also contain many cultural values, reflecting the worldview and social structure of the Cham people In the general picture of each ethnic group, cuisine is always considered an important element that clearly demonstrates natural conditions, human adaptation to nature and contains many interesting aspects of cultural expression and construction Therefore, cuisine is always a title that attracts the attention of researchers The Cham people are one of the ethnic groups that always receive the attention of many researchers, and many different aspects of the Cham people and Cham culture such as ethnic history, population distribution, population Ethnic studies, marital relations, social relations, ethnic relations, customs, lifestyle, religious beliefs, have been mentioned and delved into However, up to now, there has not been any specialized work researching Cham cuisine from a cultural perspective, considering cuisine as a mirror reflecting the social culture of the ethnic group The thesis title "Culinary culture of the Cham Ahiér people in Ninh Phuoc district, Ninh Thuan province" was chosen by the author to aim at filling in these gaps, both in terms of approaching culinary practices as well as find appropriate explanations about the presence of cultural practices in the lives of Cham people in Ninh Thuan The research results of the thesis will contribute to clarifying more about Cham culinary culture in relation to different aspects of culture such as social structure, gender, cosmology or religious and belief practices These contributions not only contribute new sources of scientific material to research projects on Cham culture in terms of cuisine, but also provide a valuable system of arguments for reference to successfully implement the policy to preserve and promote the values of cuisine in socio-economic development of the Cham Ahiér group in Ninh Phuoc district, Ninh Thuan province Accordingly, the thesis also contributes a case study to the field of research on culinary culture in the field of Cultural Studies Research purposes and tasks 2.1 Research purposes The research purpose of the thesis is to study the cuisine of the Cham Ahiér people to understand the cultural and social aspects of the ethnic group, such as issues of worldview, outlook on life and social relations With such a purpose, the title will focus on solving the following two main questions: - How does culinary culture practice in daily life and rituals of the Cham Ahiér people? - What those culinary cultural practices reflect about the cosmology, outlook on life and social relations of the Cham Ahiér people? 2.2 Research tasks From the above research purposes, the thesis sets the following research tasks: - Synthesize and analyze written documents related to the research title On that basis, review the documents and determine the theoretical basis to guide the thesis, choose the appropriate method for the research title - Describe and analyze the culinary cultural practices of the Cham Ahier people in daily life and rituals - Analyze the characteristics of the universe, outlook on life and social relations of the Cham Ahiér people through culinary cultural practices - Exchange and discuss Cham culture through the elements preserved in the cuisine of this nation Subject and scope of the research 3.1 Research subject: The research subject of the thesis is cuisine in the daily life and rituals of the Cham Ahiér people in Ninh Phuoc district, Ninh Thuan province in the current period The title focuses on issues such as the structure and preparation of meals and offerings, the organization of meals, taboos and the contexts of practitioners The thesis chooses the main research subject to be the role of cuisine in the daily life and rituals of the Cham Ahiér people in Ninh Thuan Therefore, the conclusions of the thesis correspond to the characteristics of the Cham cultural region here The survey, fieldwork, and collection documents all take place in contemporary social life 3.2 Research scope Content scope Culinary culture is a broad concept, so in this title, the author limits the research to focusing on examining the culinary practices of daily family meals and ceremonial cuisine Regarding cuisine in everyday life, the author is limited to describing the structure, preparation, organization of meals and dietary taboos Besides, describing meals outside the family as an expanded form of daily meals is also of interest in the thesis Regarding culinary practices in rituals, the author focuses on cuisine in some important calendar and life cycle rituals of the Cham Ahiér people such as the Rija Núgar New Year ceremony, Kate festival, wedding ceremony and cremation ceremony Compared to other rituals, these are important and currently, these rituals are still regularly practiced as part of the indispensable cultural and spiritual life of the Cham Ahiér people The author also focused on researching two basic issues in these rituals: the structure and preparation of offerings and the way to organize meals These are areas that, according to the author, will clearly reflect the worldview, outlook on life and social relations of the Cham Ahiér people Scope of research space Research title on culinary cultural practices in the Cham Ahíer community in Ninh Phuoc district, Ninh Thuan province, focusing on villages: Huu Duc (Hamu Tanran), Bau Truc (Hamu Crauk), My Nghiep (Caklaing), Nhu Binh (Dara) These are villages with a large population and a rich cultural tradition Research time range Research title on the cuisine of the Cham Ahiér people is in the current period On that basis, the thesis has retrospective comparisons with traditional cuisine 4 Research Methodology In this research, the author of the thesis uses the perspective of cultural studies and anthropology Accordingly, the author believes that the recognition and evaluation of the value of cultural practices must be placed in the context of that culture itself The author focuses on the contexts and ways in which culinary cultural practices are used and connoted Two main research methods are used by the author in the thesis: Participant observation and in-depth interviews: This is the main method used to collect data in practice In the research area, the PhD student focus on collecting qualitative information through the basic tools of participant observation and in-depth interviews The source of information collected in the field is the main and most important source of documents for the thesis On the ground, the rule of respecting the diverse voices of stakeholders is followed The people chosen by the PhD student for in-depth interviews are cultural managers, Cham dignitaries and people directly involved in the cultural practice process For cultural managers, the PhD student interviews to collect general information about the research area, and especially the Cham Ahiér people in terms of: population situation, economy, culture, society For Cham dignitaries, the PhD student interviews to learn the meaning of rituals, cultural practices, regulations in offerings and their symbolic meanings Regarding the target group of people participating in cultural practices, the PhD student believes that this is the group that needs the most attention Through interviews, it is possible to understand their thoughts, behaviors and interpretations about eating issues from the perspective of the people involved During fieldwork, participant observation is also an important method applied Collection and analysis of secondary data: Analyze secondary sources related to the thesis taken from ancient written sources and published research related to the thesis These documents have provided the PhD student with a multi-dimensional view of the research subject, helping the PhD student in reviewing research to find research gaps, from there, make detailed plans for field surveys, create questions, and select subjects to interview for the title This resource also helps the PhD student makes comparisons with sources from field surveys New scientific contributions of the thesis The thesis is an in-depth and systematic study of the culinary culture of the Cham Ahiér people in Ninh Thuan province from a cultural perspective The research results of the thesis provide an overview of cuisine, from daily life to rituals From there, it shows that cuisine not only ensures nutrition but also conveys cultural and social messages The thesis is the first study to approach using Cham cuisine to interpret Cham culture through the voices of insiders, by exploring the dimensions of culinary practices, placing cuisine in the system of worldview, structure and social relations of the Cham people Through a case study of the cuisine of the Cham Ahiér people, the thesis points out the role and meaning of culinary practices in life The results of the thesis show that cuisine needs to be recognized as a cultural phenomenon, and this phenomenon needs to be interpreted within its own cultural system with issues from the universe to the economic context, social institutions, and specific culture Because a community's culinary practices cannot be interpreted if separated from the cultural context in which they arise and exist It can be said that the thesis has added a proof to confirm the culinary approach of cultural studies and cultural anthropology In addition, from the case of the cuisine of the Cham Ahiér people, the thesis contributes to verifying the theory, by affirming and emphasizing the important role of ethnic worldview and social structure when interpreting the culinary practice Theoretical and practical significance of the thesis In terms of theory: From a cultural perspective, this research contributes to selectively providing concepts and theoretical issues about culinary culture in general and Cham cuisine in particular; clarify the concepts and dietary practices of the Cham people and through that understand how the Cham people think about the world, decode the meaning of dishes and offerings, the symbols behind the dishes as well as understand the social relationships of this ethnic group In terms of practice: Researching the culinary culture of the Cham Ahiér people in Ninh Phuoc district from a cultural perspective will help readers understand the unique culinary culture of the Cham people as well as let readers understand that cuisine is not just simply to ensure nutrition but also to convey cultural, political and social messages In addition, this research will provide materials for researchers, for teaching purposes, and to help policy makers have appropriate responses to ethnic culture This leads to understanding, respecting and applying the perspective of cultural diversity - a vital issue for a multi-ethnic country like Vietnam Structure of the thesis In addition to the Introduction, Conclusion, References, and Appendices, the thesis is structured into chapters, presented in detail in the sections below Chapter OVERVIEW OF THE RESEARCH SITUATION, THEORETICAL BASIS AND RESEARCH AREA 1.1 Overview of research situation 1.1.1 Culinary research from a functionalist perspective The functional approach is influenced by British social anthropologists, such as Malinowski, Audrey Richards, Evans-Prichard With this approach, research has clarified aspects such as the influence of the natural environment, nutritional functions, and social functions expressed through cuisine It can be said that the functional approach in culinary research is a major trend up to now Functionalism is applied to emphasize material contexts such as geography, ecology, nutrition, and food security, and examines culinary practices as a reflection of human relationships in society 1.1.2 Culinary research from a structuralist perspective The structural approach when studying eating is a trend of French anthropologists, represented by Lévi-Strauss A structural approach looks for the underlying structures that make up culture and looks directly at the norms and habits that shape the ways in which food and drink are classified, prepared and combined In addition, the structural approach is also applied in decoding the symbols of food and always considering food as an artifact with many meanings 1.1.3 Culinary research from a developmental perspective Research from a development perspective was initiated by a number of sociologists and social anthropologists around the 1980s This is a research trend interested in explaining the development trend of eating in the context of globalization or placing food in the changes of society to know the process and origin of its change In addition, the development approach is also applied in decoding food symbols and the decoding is always placed in the cultural contexts of each different society In other words, when looking at the symbolic aspect of eating, it cannot be explained purely by cultural meaning but needs to be analyzed in relation to nutrition, ecology, economics, and social context 1.2 Theoretical basis Basic concepts used in the thesis: cuisine, culinary culture, worldview, outlook on life The thesis uses the following theories to clarify the purpose and research questions that the thesis sets out Functional theory Functionalism is applied to consider the culinary system of the Cham Ahiér people as a part and cultural element, reflecting human social relationships and the functional relationships between social institutions such as family, community as well as human dietary needs Structural theory The thesis applies arguments from structuralist research on shaping norms and habits and the ways in which food and drinks are classified, prepared and combined Decoding the cultural and symbolic meanings of dishes, meal structures as well as related taboos helps researchers explore the cultural ecological characteristics of the land and ethnic cosmology Besides, the theory also considers cuisine as a mirror reflecting social structures and relationships, helping to strengthen and reflect existing social structures 2.4 Abstinence in daily eating and drinking In daily eating, Cham people adhere to many abstinences Therefore, women with housewives' responsibilities must also understand these principles to prepare meals for the family Especially for wives whose husbands work in the dignitary system, abstinence must be strictly followed Concepts about dietary abstinence today have changed a lot If in the past, abstinence in eating and drinking was strictly followed by both the priesthood, dignitaries and followers of each religion, now there have been certain changes 2.5 Eating out Eating out is understood as simple meals outside the family, such as eating at a restaurant near the village or a picnic, or going to the city, a place to celebrate birthdays or gatherings of young people or families on the weekend It can be seen that the choice of eating out is still limited for the Cham Ahiér people, except for a group of young people who mainly work in the city or people in craft villages associated with tourism These families often have better economic conditions and want to be free from cooking and feel mentally comfortable after a hard day or week of work Eating out is not only for fun but also a form of liberating kitchen labor for women, creating a happy atmosphere for the family and relationships with friends or partners This is probably also the general trend towards modern life of the Cham Ahiér people in Ninh Phuoc district Choosing to eat out or eat at a restaurant also partly reflects different purposes and economic circumstances The fundamental difference between family meals and eating out has to with the location of the rice If in everyday meals, rice is always the most important ingredient, then when eating out, rice becomes secondary When eating out, people often prioritize delicious dishes because they think they should change dishes according to taste Sub-Conclusion: In Chapter 2, the author of the thesis describes specific situations in everyday meals The descriptions and analyzes in this Chapter show that the daily diet of the Cham people is simple They don't have many fancy dishes Depending on environmental conditions, they 11 prepare dishes that are "seasonal" In the meal preparation process, although there has been a tendency to change in gender division, women still play the main role In terms of eating behavior, Cham people always show respect for superiors and subordinates, a tradition of respect for elders, dignitaries and educated people; Respect different food and tastes according to religion To this day, Cham people still focus on family meals However, eating out is also the choice of some young families, although not many This can be considered an inevitable trend of society with the need to liberate labor, save time and improve life depending on the economic circumstances of each home Chapter CUISINE IN RITUALS 3.1 Cuisine in the Rija Nâgar ritual 3.1.1 Offering structure The Rija Nâgar ceremony is a season changing ceremony and is meaningful to the agricultural practice that is quite typical of the Cham people - an important ritual that takes place every year for people to pray for a year of good rain and wind, and all business will go smoothly Offerings are also divided into many types such as offerings for setting up ancestral tables, general offerings from dignitaries and village customs, offerings from clans, offerings from families; offerings on the day of departure, offerings on the day of entry The offering structure is often divided into two parts: vegetarian offerings and salty offerings As for vegetarian offerings, bananas, nuts, and sticky rice are indispensable The salty offerings in the Rija Nâgar ceremony include two types of meat: chicken meat to worship on the day of entry and goat meat to worship on the day of departure The entrance ceremony is performed in the afternoon of the first day of the Rija Nâgar ceremony The offering on the day of departure is made on the morning of the last day the ceremony ends Besides offerings from dignitaries and village customs, each family and clan in the village will also bring a tray of offerings to offer to the gods 12 After the Rija Nâgar ceremony at the beginning of the year in the village, families in the Cham Ahiér villages began to carry out the year's drought relief worship ceremony 3.1.2 Organization and preparation Rija Nâgar is an important ceremony that dignitaries take very seriously and prepare carefully The location for worshiping is usually an empty piece of land at the beginning of the village gate built to serve as a ceremony house Regarding the organization of worship, dignitaries and elders are responsible for running the ceremony Men, mainly young men, will be in charge of doing heavy work such as building the ceremony house Women are the key people in charge of preparing offerings When the ceremony ends, the dignitaries will eat at the head of the ceremony tray, while the male ritual attendants and guests will sit in the back row to eat in the ceremony house The women only eat outside or behind the theater This is also an expression of the division and arrangement of roles when preparing, performing the ceremony and having a communal meal after the ceremony, a unique feature in the culinary culture of the Cham people 3.2 Cuisine at the Kate festival 3.2.1 Offering structure Kate is the biggest festival of the year for the Cham people to commemorate the gods, historical figures who have contributed to the nation, ancestors and descendants who built villages and hamlets, grandparents, ancestors, and the deceased Kate Festival takes place annually around the 7th month of the Cham calendar (around SeptemberOctober of the solar calendar) First is the ceremony of opening the tower door to invite the gods to attend the ceremony After the worshiping ceremonies at the three large temples and towers, each Cham village will organize separate worshiping ceremonies in each village to offer offerings and commemorate the gods and the wise predecessors and successors who have made the village public and established the hamlet After the ceremony to worship Kate in the village, there is a ceremony at the house of 13 the Elder Monk (Po Adhia) - an important dignitary in the Cham Ahiér community Finally, there will be a worshiping ceremony at the clan and private homes The offering structure is divided into two types of vegetarian offerings (kaya yuer) and salty offerings (kaya klam) The main vegetarian offerings are fruits, sticky rice, and tea The salty offerings have two main offerings: goat and chicken The structure of offerings, arrangement and display of offerings must also ensure harmony and must follow prescribed standards The arrangement and display of offerings also divides the high and low ranks for the gods at different levels according to their positions in the Cham temple system The offerings during the Kate ceremony in the village and clan are a miniature form of the offerings on the temples and towers in a similar form Only the offerings at the monk's house are a little different in the structure of the offering tray 3.2.2 Organization and preparation The Kate Festival attracts attention not only from the Cham community but also from other ethnic groups, so the preparations are also sophisticated and elaborate For the offerings offered at temples and towers on Kate's day, they are assigned to be prepared by the Council of Dignitaries and Customs Board running the temples and towers The village that takes on this responsibility is the one located close to the temple Those chosen to prepare offerings are often nominated from the Women's Union and the Youth Union They are often agile, healthy people with good cooking skills Usually the cook is a woman, but when it comes to preparing food on a tray and offering it to the tower for worship, men take on the responsibility For the worshiping ceremony on the tower, when the offering is finished, the offerings are taken down and people will serve the meal right in the outer yard of the tower At this time, dignitaries, customs officials and guests attending the festival will sit together to enjoy the offerings However, usually the dignitaries only eat the food and then bring it back to the village for the servants to eat together 14 3.3 Cuisine at the wedding 3.3.1 Offering structure The Cham Ahiér people follow a matrilineal system Therefore, men are taken home by women With the concept that "women are land", men seek land to build their businesses Because earthly life is considered a temporary residence, life is temporary, death and liberation are the goals of humans, in life cycle rituals, weddings are given less importance than funeral ceremonies The wedding ceremony did not have the participation of dignitaries Wedding offerings are quite simple, mainly including betel and areca nuts, wine and cakes prepared according to custom, including: bánh tét (pei nung), bánh tét cặp (pei nung binah), bánh (pei dalik), sakaya cake, banana (patei) The special thing is that throughout the wedding, from the process to the offerings, they always show symbols of a person's rebirth Nowadays, the invited wedding feast does not have traditional dishes and is mainly cooked according to modern trends Some religiously forbidden foods are used as wedding favorites 3.3.2 Organization and preparation Cham weddings also depend on the family circumstances of both parties to be organized accordingly If the family situation is normal, both families will agree to hold the wedding at home Some families hire someone to cook; Most families often ask relatives, cousins, and people with cooking skills to help In organizing a wedding, the bride's mother is the main person responsible for planning and preparation She is also the main person in charge of housework, baking, preparing the table, and even doing side jobs like washing dishes Men's role in weddings is to lead worship rituals, and they are also often seated in formal positions At popular weddings in the village, the party held in the evening is usually attended by young men and women and friends of the bride and groom, while the feast during the day is usually only attended by guests of the bride's parents, and mainly female guests On the contrary, at weddings held in the city, the guests attending are mainly men When coming to a wedding 15 party, older people and people who are considered to have high positions in society are often arranged to sit in important positions near the stage 3.4 Cuisine in cremation rituals 3.4.1 Offering structure Cremation is an important ritual in the life cycle of the Cham Ahiér people Cham people believe that this life is only temporary, life in the afterlife is eternal That's why they take the cremation ceremony very seriously because it marks the moment of transition from earthly life to a new life An indispensable part of the cremation ceremony is food The structure of offerings, dishes, and food to worship and eat during the four days of the cremation ceremony is very diverse, complex and divided into many trays, many types according to the hierarchy of dignitaries, positions, and different days, which are not fixed, but are very strictly regulated The indispensable offerings at cremations, as well as in most other rituals, are chicken, rice, braised fish, soup, and chicken eggs; There are also banh tet, banh it, fruit (especially bananas), betel and areca nuts, and wine Regarding the structure of offering trays and food trays for guests, they can be divided into four main types for the deceased and according to the positions of religious dignitaries attending the ceremony The altar tray is for the deceased (salao padeng) The ceremony tray is for the four Basaih monks and the two tree cutting monks (salao ragang - tray with iron legs) The high-legged rice tray (salao takai) is for Po Daman (the dignitary representing the host), the rice-bearer (muh buh), the person who carries the ceremonial rice tray for the dignitaries, the housekeeper (khik sang) and for him to carry the body on the day of cremation (hala car) A low tray of rice (salao bal) is for the band of musicians playing the kanhi and the heng (master who decorates the crematorium for the corpse) The special thing that can be seen is that the entire process of performing the ritual, down to the offerings on the offering tray, are symbolic of human images and rebirth after death 3.4.2 Organization and preparation For the cremation ceremony, the preparations are very elaborate 16 because this is the most important life cycle ritual of the Cham Ahíer people As early as a month ago, there was a meeting between family members about contributions and work assignment Despite the help and efforts of outsiders, the main role in preparing the offering tray, offerings, preparing food offerings, and welcoming guests still belongs to the homeowner and relatives, especially the women In organizing the cremation ceremony, women not only have the main role in economic concerns but also take on responsibility for kitchen work On the days of the cremation ceremony, there is always the helping hand of relatives and neighbors In the cremation ceremony, the hierarchical division is also clearly shown 3.5 Taboos in choosing food offerings In preparing offerings, Cham people have many taboos and rules related to beliefs and religion First of all, offerings must ensure purity, newness, and clear origin In calendar rituals and life cycle rituals, the Cham Ahiér people are absolutely not allowed to use pork or meat for offerings Sacrificial offerings in Cham Ahiér rituals also absolutely prohibit beef - a species that any Cham Ahiér or Hindu follower must abstain from In addition, in the rituals there are other abstinences for dignitaries such as not eating venison, not eating catfish, not eating vegetables and fruits such as squash, not eat dark, red vegetables and tubers such as amaranth During the year's drought relief ceremony, Cham people also prohibit the use of alcohol as an offering During the cremation ceremony, Cham people also abstain from eating the meat of animals that give birth, and can only eat the meat of animals that lay eggs Because they believe that the dead not go to the afterlife but will be reincarnated into another life and not know what animal/thing they will reincarnate into Therefore, if they eat animals that give birth, they fear that their loved ones will not have a chance to reincarnate and return to earthly life Sub-Conclusion: Chapter three describes and analyzes culinary cultural practices in two systems of life cycle rituals and calendar rituals Thereby showing that the structure and meaning of food and offerings express the 17 concept of the universe and outlook on life of the Cham Ahiér people Besides, the structure of the offering tray also reflects the position and hierarchy in society, from the subject receiving the ceremony (hierarchy of gods and ancestors), to the subject performing and attending the ceremony (dignitaries and civilians) In the practice of worship, the role of dignitaries is very important, followed by elders and men Women, although they have the right to make decisions and are economically responsible for organizing rituals, have a lower social status In the scope of organizing ceremonies, the number of guests, the quality of food, the location of the banquet, and the way guests are arranged during the meal partly express the image and position of the host In the rituals of the Cham people, many traditional cuisines are still preserved However, besides traditional elements, some non-traditional elements are also gradually penetrating the offerings Chapter CULTURE OF THE CHAM PEOPLE THROUGH CUISINE AND SOME DISCUSSIONS 4.1 The cosmology and outlook on life of the Cham Ahiér people are expressed through cuisine 4.1.1 The concept of dual thinking The structuralist model in anthropology shows that the structure of human thought processes in all cultures exists in the form of binary opposition with contrasting pairs such as hot - cold; male - female; culture nature; raw - cooked Structuralism holds that binary oppositions are reflected in different cultural models Claude Levi-Strauss proposed and analyzed the dualistic view of the pairs of opposites that make up the system Based on the structuralism in the language of authors Saussure and R Jakovson, he believes that people of ancient tribes all had a level of thinking that considered the world (cultures) in the form of pairs The most basic and dominant oppositions are the two pairs of heaven/earth and male/female From these basic pairs of oppositions, dualistic oppositions such as culture/nature, hot/cold, raw/cooked Arguments in structuralist 18