Nanyang:Heartland Rocks

The southern Henan city of Nanyang is shaking off its industrial past with festivals,green space and a huge collection of dinosaur eggs.

Getting the Wrap on‘Chinese Burritos'

I spent almost my entire life growing up in southern California,where our version of comfort food is either sushi or Mexican.My god,we LOVE Mexican food.And being so close to the border,southern California has its share of new takes on Mexican classics.

Bowels to Bowls of Blessings:Laba Porridge

There's a type of porridge in China that's flled with tradition and celebrated for its delicious taste.Unfortunately,to my mind(which is perpetually in the gutter),it also has a funny name.Every year during the Laba Festival,which takes place on the eighth day of the 12th lunar month,Laba porridge is the food traditionally served.

Steamed Surprises: Henan's Humble Zhengcai

I love it when my friends come to visit.As I picked up one of my closest friends from Zhengzhou Railway Station in Henan Province's capital and started on our drive to Kaifeng,we were all giddy about the cool places that she would be seeing in the coming days-and the local foods that I had already planned for her to taste.

Making Heads and Tails of Dining Etiquette

Did you know there's a very intricate set of rules when it comes to table manners in China?While in the West,it's easier to distinguish status by who sits at the head of the table.But in China,where round tables are more common,it's a bit more difficult to tell.(Quick note:if you're dining in a private room,it's the seat that's facing the door.)

Wedding Bills

Growing up,little girls are brainwashed into believing that their wedding is the most important day of their lives.Your"big day"as they called it.You're supposed to dream about it since childhood and when that day finally arrives,walk down the aisle like a princess with all your friends and family dressed to the nines,watching adoringly in the audience.

Your Summertime Chill Pill: Mung Beans

"You're too heaty"is one of those confusing phrases that newbies to traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)will often hear.The first time you encounter the concept you'll likely be as confused as I was.“I'm too heaty?What does that mean?”But before you chalk it up to a mistranslation,“heatiness”is a real concept in TCM,playing an important role in one's health.According to TCM.

“Youu Look Like Sh*t”

Let me start with a little flex.Recently I lost 10 kilos and the difference is drastically good,if I dare say so myself.But my sudden slim down is also what led me to remember this odd cultural revelation that I noticed years ago but had come to forget.I started hearing a lot of people tell me things like"Wow you lost a lot ofweight!"which is pretty normal.But what was less normal for an American is stuff like"You've lost weight,you look so tired."

Sweet Sensation: Snowflake Crisps

Have you ever eaten something that brought back floods of childhood memories?Well,recently that happened to me.I had been walking past boxes of snowflake crisps at my local bakery for months without giving them a second thought.In fact,I had assumed that they would taste horrible.Somehow in my mind,they looked like they'd taste like overstuffed nutty mooncakes to me-savory and overwhelming with way too many flavors all happening at once.

Savoring the Rich History of Beggar's Chicken

In the realm of Chinese culinary treasures,where simple dishes are given extravagant names to sound fancy(and upsell to diners),there's one that chose a different route-Beggar's Chicken.This is an iconic dish with roots deeply embedded in folklore that take us on a flavorful journey through time and tradition.Legend has it that Beggar's Chicken traces its origins back to the banks of West Lake in Hangzhou,Zhejiang Province during the Qing Dynasty(1644-1911).It might very well be true,because if you take a trip to Hangzhou,almost every restaurant has Beggar's Chicken on the menu,and every restaurant along West Lake claims theirs is the most authentic.

Connecting over Bridge Crossing Noodles

Yunnan Province in southwestern China is renowned for its stunning landscapes,diverse ethnic cultures and,of course,its unique cuisine.Among the many culinary treasures of Yunnan,one dish stands out as a must-try for any visitor:Bridge Crossing Noodles(guo qiao mi xian).

Blood-Based Foods for Every Type

Halloween may be over,but I'm still feeling the Dracula vibes.I'm talking about the bloody good food that's readily found in Chinese cuisine.Sound weird?Perhaps only if you didn't grow up with it.I remember during one of my first visits back to China,my family and I went for a hot pot dinner and my mom ordered blood tofu.For 13-year-old me,that was not only confusing but also gross.

Old Town Vibes

For a taste of traditional Naxi culture as well as stunning scenery,get high on a visit to UNESCO-listed Lijiang,perched at the end of the Himalayas.

Slumber Office Party

In the realm of modern workplaces,a remarkable disparity exists between China and the US when it comes to the prevalence of napping in the office and the legality and facilities associated with it.Growing up in the US,I had it drilled into my head that if you fall asleep at work,you're going to get fired!You saw it in TV shows,heard about it in schools,were told about it by your parents,and when you finally started your first internship,got lectured about it by your HR.I never questioned it.Why would I?

Gel-licious:How Dongbei's Meat Jelly Sticks with Tradition

When I think of jelly,what comes to mind is the bright-colored mix from the supermarket that you dissolve in warm water to end up with a big bowl of artificially flavored Jell-O.But for my cousins who grew up in Harbin,in China's northeastern region known as Dongbei,jelly means something entirely different.

Suck on a Rock. Really, It's Good!

How about we talk about a dish that really rocks!Like,literally,rocks...It's also low in calories and 100-percent eco-friendly.It's called suodiu.Back in the olden days on the coasts of Hubei Province,fishers would be stuck on shipping vessels in port for long periods waiting for their turn to dock.When their food ran out,they came up with the creative and unconventional idea of cooking up smooth river rocks to pass the time.

Grain Worth Its Weight in Gold

Have you ever received an absurd yet incredibly awesome gift?I recently did,and it came in the form of a small leather box filled with what appeared to be gold bars.Now,I WISH they were giant gold bars.However,upon opening them,I discovered they were actually bricks of rice.I know what you're thinking,why be so extra about rice?It's cheap and you can literally find it anywhere in the world.But no.Not this rice.This is China's elusive 100-percent pure Wuchang rice.

Big Bowls of ‘Morning Coffee’

I love spicy food,but man,first thing in the morning?That's a tough one to swallow.I had never tried hot pepper soup until I moved to Kaifeng,Central China’s Henan Province,where it's a specialty.Locals eat it for breakfast on a pretty regular basis.Drive down the streets in Kaifeng in the morning and you’ll see stall after stall selling local breakfast foods,many of which brag they’ve got the best hot pepper soup in town.

Sweet as Folk:Sugar Painting

If you've ever watched any dessertmaking shows on TV,some chef is bound to use a sugar-coated dome to make their dessert look much fancier and outdo the competition.While impressive,it's not a skill that French pastry chefs invented all on theirown.

Conscious Coupling

For the longest time I thought that it doesn't matter where you were raised,if you're raised,by Chinese parents,you're Chinese...Let me rewind a tad first.Both my parents are Chinese,I was born in China,and grew up in the US from the age of 7.I still identify as Chinese-American.I look like everyone else here and I speak the language like everyone else(most of the time).So,it wasn't until I started dating my now husband that I realized that even if we're both Chinese and have similar shared experiences like tiger moms and studying abroad,him in the UK and me in Switzerland,things are not always the same.