This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Nottingham chapter.

When you think of Chinese food, chicken chow mein and sweet and sour often come to mind. For all you prospective students going out to China next year, you may think your weekly Friday night Chinese takeaway has got you covered in the food department, but you’d be surprised. Not only is the food different but also the customs.

Expect pieces of chicken, not chicken balls

Chicken balls do not exist in China, they are very much a western thing. If you try to order chicken balls, you’re bound to confuse the waiter.

Expect a variety of vegetables

Broccoli is more accessible in the UK, so Anglo-Chinese food often uses this veggie. But the majority of Chinese dishes are not cooked with broccoli. More bitter vegetables are favoured such as gai lan.

Expect to see egg and tomato everywhere

What is essentially scrambled egg with tomatoes is a classic Chinese dish. Many westerners often leave China and crave it when they are back home.

Expect your food sliced not shredded

Not a lot of food is shredded in China. Most famously, Peking duck is sliced in front of you, rather than you being served a plate of shredded duck.

Expect to share food

The only thing that is yours and only yours is a bowl of rice and maybe a bowl of soup. Everything else is up for grabs, so make sure you get chance to eat all the good stuff before your friends finish it all.

Expect to have a sore throat

Unlike restaurants in England, there is a distinct lack of a relaxed atmosphere. Restaurants are often buzzing and you’ll end up shouting across the table to one another just to have a conversation.

Expect no toilets

If you need to make a trip to the bathroom, it is rare for the restaurant to have one. Instead, you’ll have to walk to the closest public toilet.

Image Sources

http://www.choiskitchen.com/images/slideshow/Sweet%20&%20Sour%20Chicken%20Hong%20Kong%20Style.jpg

https://whisksandchopsticks.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/gailan2.jpg

http://www.seriouseats.com/images/2012/06/20120629-chichis-chinese-tomato-egg-post.jpg

http://jamielynnolson.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/dsc02601.jpg

http://studyinchina.universiablogs.net/files/Chinese-Banquet-Food.jpg

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Man-shouting-on-Shutterstock-800×430.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gCXQ-baCWG0/TKu0sc2FT-I/AAAAAAAAAjE/JE-o69x1DZE/s1600/no_toilet.gif

Edited by Mackenzie Orrock