Chinese Cuisine

One of the biggest changes I anticipated when traveling to China was the food that I would be consuming. I was right, especially when it comes to eating with chopsticks and not a fork.

The quality, variety and enjoyment of the food 

varies from meal to meal. 

Most of the dishes are stir-fry-types that have a vegetable and meat tossed with a sauce. The type of vegetable is usually recognizable but the meat is more of a guessing game. All meals are served with

 white rice, as well. The authentic Chinese food in Beijing doesn't feature many American favorites such as egg rolls, crab rangoon, General Tso's chicken.

Also, many American favorites aren't present at many meals. No cheese, milk, large pieces of meat while breads, noodles and potatoes are some times present.

The change has been drastic but I have been doing well. I have indulged in some Western food (Pizza Hut, McDonalds) but every day I enjoy some type of Chinese cuisine. I have found my favorite dish to be beef and onions. It's a simple combination that is packed with flavor.

Another interesting difference in culture I noticed when I ate at McDonalds was the locals don't touch their sandwiches. Instead of unwrapping the item and diving in, they use the wrapper to eat it. I know some people do this in the States but 90 percent of the people in the restaurant were doing it.