Page 58 - South Korea & Japan: Temples, Shrines & Seaside Treasures

Meals in China

Chinese food is one of the world’s great cuisines, and part of the joy of traveling to China is
a chance to sample the diversity of real Chinese food. Each region has its own specialties and
style, often taking advantage on local produce. (For example, in the wheat-growing North,
noodles and steamed bread are more common than rice, which is grown in the South.)

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But on some days a simple Chinese-style breakfast will be served instead.

• Lunch and dinner usually comprise of regional specialties served in local restaurants
and hotel dining rooms. Since there can be up to 13 dishes in a given sitting—some
meat, some vegetarian—there is usually something to please every palate! Most of our
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to at home.

• During included meals, included beverages are local soft drinks, beer, and bottled water.
Coca-Cola or other soft drinks cost approximately $1.50. When eating on your own,
western-style meals will cost about $20, and Chinese-style meals will be less. Sweets are
uncommon in China, where dessert is usually fruit. But chocolate, cookies, and candies
are available at all hotels, airports, and Friendship Stores.

• It is extremely common in China for meals to be served family-style—large platters
are brought out to the table, and placed on a central Lazy Susan. Each person then
helps themselves from the platter, putting what they want on their individual plate.
This means that when dining on your own, you may be ordering dishes for the table,
not individual a la carte meals. (You’ll know by the presence of a large Lazy Susan in
the middle of the table.) Because dining out is typically done with family or friends, the
restaurant many not automatically provide serving utensils; if you want some, just ask.

• And on the subject of utensils—you may want to practice your chopstick skills before you
arrive. Most restaurants can provide western utensils on request, and even small local
places will have Chinese-style spoons (broad “scoopers” used for soup with dumplings).
But chopsticks are the norm, and may be the only utensils provided when visiting a
family home.

7L^_Wd [WPL^P VPP[ TY XTYO _SL_ O`P _Z N`W_`]LW OTʬP]PYNP^ special meal requests are not
guaranteed in China. If you have a special meal request, we will do everything possible to
assist, but standards in China are not the same as in the U.S. See the Health chapter for
more details.

Shopping

There may be scheduled visits to local shops during your adventure. There is no requirement
to make a purchase during these stops, and any purchase made is a direct transaction with
the shop in question, subject to the vendor’s terms of purchase. O.A.T. is not responsible for
purchases you make on your trip or for the shipment of your purchases.

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