Opinion | In Chinese culture, food can bring people together and it can drive them apart, as Unc

There’s also an apt Cantonese saying that’s decidedly more visual but carries the same message: “A chicken drumstick can weaken anyone’s jaw”.

To the Chinese, food opens all doors – but it can also close some doors if not used in the right way. The more exquisite the food you offer, the more respect you are showing to your dinner guest. Conversely, you can imagine what a poorly crafted meal would say to an expectant dinner guest.

If you plan to impress someone at a business dinner, then make sure the costs of the different meals you treat them to matches their worth. Otherwise, if they find out there is a big price discrepancy, it could be detrimental to your business ventures.

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It goes to show that dining is a common method for the Chinese to make friends, as well as to establish or enhance interpersonal relationships. Sometimes, inviting someone home for dinner could be seen as an extravagant gesture to show your fondness for a friend or your intention to expedite a newly formed friendship, relationship or business partnership.

Despite the advances in technology, meeting face-to-face over food is a far more effective way to communicate than using information technology. Nothing beats a hearty meal to facilitate emotional exchanges, and virtual interactions deprive us of the familiar sensory pleasures that a sumptuous meal provides.

Sharing a meal isn’t always a happy occasion, though, as some meals can boil over into fraught discussions. Whether it’s broaching sensitive political issues or touchy family issues, tensions can brew during a meal and unintentionally bring certain issues – and even rivalries – to the fore.

Different relatives might choose to make comparisons about incomes, the size of their properties, how their children are performing in school or what top universities they are attending, or how much their children are earning. And in the same breath, relatives may be quick to point out certain inadequacies in dinner guests; I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.

This kind of family politics is even worse in big households where there are extended family members. In simple terms, the more people there are, the more conversational exchanges and conflicts there are over dinner.

Ng deleted the video after being roasted by fans in China for collaborating with Chen, and now he is being slammed by fans on the other side of the political spectrum for “sacrificing his morality”. You can’t win when you are so popular and prominent on social media because you it’s impossible to please everyone.

Everything is politicised in today’s world and there is no escaping it, so all we can do is tread carefully and be mindful of what we say to others. It might be wishful thinking on my part, but I don’t think it’s too much to ask to enjoy a meal for what it is, and nothing more.

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I love what Uncle Roger does, for he gives a voice to Chinese and Asian cultures. This incident has shown a lack of political savviness, but it shouldn’t detract from his status as an Asian icon. Politics aside, I think his latest dumpling review video was done to his usual comedic standards and it ought to be enjoyed for just that.

Honestly, I just want to eat dinner with my family and watch Uncle Roger’s videos in peace without souring the experience. What’s wrong with indulging in a little comic relief?

Luisa Tam is a Post correspondent who also hosts Cantonese-language video tutorials that are now part of Cathay Pacific’s in-flight entertainment programme

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