In the eyes of the Westerners, the basic food that is the closest contact with China is rice. For a long time, rice in Chinese people's diet has occupied a very important position so that there is a proverb saying, “Even a clever woman cannot make a meal without rice”. Rice is mostly grown in South China and people usually take rice as the staple food. While in North China because of the cold weather or the dry land, rice cannot be grown. Instead, people grow wheat. In China, some people make bread with flour, but for most people, they use flour to make steamed bread and noodles.
Traditional Chinese hospitality requires that meals be rich and varied and guests cannot finish eating them. The typical menu at a Chinese banquet includes a series of cold dishes and the following hot ones, such as meat, chicken and duck, vegetables, etc. At most banquets, a whole fish is considered essential, unless there has already all kinds of seafood. Today, many Chinese people like to put Western special dishes and traditional Chinese dishes on the same table, so it is not uncommon to find steak on a Chinese table. Salad is also popular now, although traditionally the Chinese do not eat any of the dishes not cooked. The banquet usually has at least one soup, served as the first or the last course. Dessert and fruit usually mark the end of the banquet.
