Chen Tingting in Shanghai has not dined out since the outbreak of COVID-19, while Grace Ou in Hong Kong ate out only once during these months. "I remember I ate out twice, and only two or three tables were occupied," Yujin Kim, described what she saw in South Korea.

We are looking at empty restaurants and colorful pictures of homemade dishes on social media platforms – the highly contagious novel coronavirus disease has not only affected the health of over two million people worldwide, but also changed the attitudes and consumption behaviors of millions more.

According to a recent study by research company Nielsen, Asian consumers are unlikely to dine out as frequently as before the COVID-19 pandemic, and they would prefer takeaways and eating at home when life goes back to normal.

Per the study, 86 percent of respondents from the Chinese mainland said they ate at home more often than before the outbreak, and a similar trend was observed with 77 percent of those polled in Hong Kong. In other Asian markets like South Korea, Malaysia and Vietnam, the number is 62 percent.

Why are people eating at home more frequently?

"I am worried about the hygiene conditions of restaurants and I don't know who I may encounter when dining out," Ou told CGTN. Both Kim and Chen agree that safety is the first priority during the pandemic.

Kim also stressed that this kind of social distancing seems effective in limiting the spread of the coronavirus. "I believe the more intensively we join, the faster we will end this pandemic."

Eating at home is also more meaningful for Chen. "Cooking is a stress-relieving process for me, and it can be a way of passing time in self quarantine," she said.

"This is a very natural phenomenon," Professor Gao Xi from Fudan University's Department of History said in an interview with CGTN, adding that every time there is an epidemic, people dine out less, "but history also tells us this is normally a short-term change, not a long-term one."

Will people dine out after the pandemic?

Ou said she will consider dining out when primary and middle schools reopen, but nothing beats homemade food even in normal times. "It is healthy, delicious and affordable, and I have discovered lots of cooking skills during these days."

"Consumers' thinking and actions have been reoriented, and this will have long-term consequences. For many, old habits like eating out may forever be replaced by new habits," Vaughan Ryan, manager director for Southeast Asia at Nielsen, said in the report, explaining that consumers will not only reassess where they are eating, but also what they are eating.

However, Zhang Yi, CEO and chief analyst of iiMedia Research, argued that essential consumption, especially the catering industry, will rebound after the COVID-19 epidemic comes to an end. "During the SARS outbreak, the number of people dining out declined in the second half of 2003 but it surged again when the Spring Festival came," Zhang recalled during the interview with CGTN.

Social distancing may become the new normal in a foreseeable future, but dining and eating together are not going to disappear entirely. 

Professor Gao said dining out is not only about eating; it is a kind of ritual and opportunity for social interaction. Eating at home cannot provide this kind of an experience. 

"Being together with my friends when dining out is more meaningful than making my stomach full," echoed Chen.

In addition, people nowadays are embracing a more densely urbanized, busier lifestyle, which means they may not have enough time to cook. 

"Although I prefer to eat at home, but it may be difficult," Chen said, explaining that people will go back to the "busy mode" when the pandemic is over.

Change in dining habits

As the Chinese mainland is returning from quarantine restrictions, another research by Nielsen indicates that a "homebody" mindset is emerging among consumers, which means health and technology will influence spending and shopping habits in the short and longer term. In this report, 89 percent of the Chinese mainland consumers expressed their willingness to buy daily necessities or fresh products online, and 80 percent said they would pay attention to healthy eating when the pandemic is over.

From "the use of serving chopsticks" to "specific eating zones for hepatitis patients in Shanghai during 1970s," Professor Gao said epidemics have been changing dining habits. She mentioned that dining habits also reflect traditional customs, cultural heritages and the way of thinking, which are difficult to change permanently.

In traditional Chinese culture, people eat together and from the same dishes, while in most Western cultures, people prefer having separate servings. It may be difficult to practice the Western way of eating in China because of the nature of Chinese dishes and the people's beliefs about togetherness. 

"But we found our own way," said Professor Gao, explaining that using serving chopsticks is an alternative to having separate servings. She said that the use of serving chopsticks in China is related to the outbreak of plague in northeastern China between 1910-1911. Although the use of serving chopsticks did not continue after the plague ended but Gao said there will be some obvious changes after COVID-19.

In analyst Zhang's eyes, the novel coronavirus pandemic will make people turn from "group eating" to "separate eating," and using serving chopsticks will become common.

It might be too early to say whether the pandemic will permanently change people's dining habits, but Nielsen's report tells us that after life returns to normal, healthy eating may register higher on consumers' radars than in the past.

"People will definitely care more about the hygiene standards of restaurants, including the food itself and the environment," said Zhang, adding that catering industry should not only rely on producing "delicacies" but  also on "health and safety."

"I hope the pandemic can end soon and I can dine out with my friends to try something I cannot cook at home," Ou said, however emphasizing that she will choose restaurants of higher standards.