IntroductionOne of the most readily observable aspects of globalization is the global circulation of goods and consumer cultures, even though this is only part of a much wider phenomenon which entails policies, processes and outcomes at global, regional, national and community levels (Rees and Smart, 2001). The highly successful marketing efforts of brand products of American and European origins create the widely held impression of the Westernization or Americanization of everyday life in all corners of the world, leading to a concern about the lost of cultural diversity and the inevitable consequence of cultural homogenization (see Klein, 2000; Sklair, 1991). Within the popular thinking that [w]hen foodways change, the culture also changes (Visser, 1999: 120), the ubiquitous presence of MacDonald's presents the possibility that a bit of American culture is transmitted to every consumer around the globe. It cannot be denied that the circulation and consumption of global commodities have a certain impact on local cultures, but it cannot be assumed that the direction of this change and the magnitude of the impact are uniform and regular in every geographical and cultural region. A growing body of ethnographic data points to the unlikelihood of complete cultural homogenization despite the continuing growth of imported goods in nonWestern societies (Garcia Canclini, 1997; Hannerz, 1992; Jussaume Jr., 2001). Any given product and its consumption convey very different meanings in different parts of the world for people of different class background, gender, age group and ethnicity (see Howes, 1996; Scholliers, 2001; Watson, 1997). Coca Cola, a truly global product of American origin, epitomizes the perfection of market penetration that reaches every household in the United States on the basis of its affordability and availability. In China, a nation of 1.3 billion people where Coca Cola was not reintroduced until the 1980s, it is a symbol of modernity and Western sophistication. Its relatively high cost compared to locally produced beverages means that its consumption is largely restricted to the middle- and upper-classes. While Coca Cola is considered a beverage akin to water in Western societies today, its original intent as a medicinal tonic persists in many non-Western markets. For example, a well-known folk remedy for common cold in Hong Kong is Coca Cola boiled with lemon slices. It should be noted that a new format of consumption is created by local culture. Who would have thought of cooking Coca Cola in the United States?Within the literature of globalization, there is a tendency to assume that global cultural change is largely influenced by American or Western products and practices, ranging from hamburgers to business management structures. This assumption is both misleading and overly simplistic. First, not all foreign products and practices are unconditionally accepted by consumers in new markets. This is a well-known fact within business circles (Bretherton, 2001; Ferraro, 1998). Successful imports are often subjected to modifications to accommodate local cultural values and practices. MacDonald's lamb burgers in India and burdock burgers in Japan are good examples of the localization of global products and the strength of cultural factors in shaping consumer demands.Second, the global circulation of goods and knowledge offers equal opportunity for non-Western products and practices to penetrate American and other Western markets. The popularity of sushi, green tea, Tai-chi, acupuncture and vegetarianism throughout Europe and North America serve as a reminder that Western cultures are also changing under the influence of globalization. This change is not entirely driven from without, however, as evident from the escalating anti-brand movement in the United States since the mid-1990s that has spread worldwide (Klein, 2000: 325-343).Third, global trade is not a new phenomenon (Appiah, 1998; Rees and Smart, 2001); the history of trade between the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia provides plenty of evidence to show that the European dietary traditions and economies were greatly affected by the importation of goods-sugar, chocolate, coffee, spices-from other parts of the world and vice versa (Mintz, 1996; Toussaint-Samat, 1992). …