Although many China Pictorial readers are within China’s provinces and regions (even the English version), this English version has distribution in over 180 countries worldwide. While some subscribers must be intimately familiar with China, many English readers residing abroad may not be aware of some of the more endearing nuances of modern Chinese culture.

1.    Chinese people rarely drink cold water

If you’re going to order water at a restaurant, be prepared to ask for it cold. Most Chinese people believe that cold water is unhealthy, so it’s almost always served hot.

2.    Chinese people have never heard of fortune cookies

Like billions of people throughout the world, I enjoyed “Chinese food” in my home country, and while living in Los Angeles, I frequented the Chinese fast-food chain known as Panda Express. The restaurant is famous for its delectable “orange chicken,” which is surely one of the most common “Chinese” dishes in America. When I arrived in China, I was excited to experience real orange chicken, but quickly found that even when asked for such a dish in perfect Chinese, waiters at every restaurant will be baffled. I eventually discovered a couple somewhat similar dishes of sweet chicken (some do it with pineapple like bolou ji kuai), but still Chinese people almost consider it a children’s dessert. Of course “Beef with Broccoli” is available at any Chinese restaurant in California, but most restaurants in China don’t even keep broccoli in the kitchen. The truth is that the Chinese people living in America since the railroad days developed a new, unique cuisine that appeals to more Western tastes than real Chinese food. Those American Chinese people even invented the “fortune cookie” gimmick to attract more customers curious about odd Eastern customs. The vast majority of common Chinese dishes are extremely foreign to the Western tongue. Scrambled eggs with tomato can be found in almost every normal restaurant in China.

At more formal dinners, rice is either served late, or not at all. Although Chinese people certainly inject a decent amount of rice, their cuisine is far more diverse in bases than you will find in the West. In addition to a zillion kinds of noodles, Chinese people often eat a variety of dumplings, hot pot, and kebabs all without rice.