Chinese food
A meal in Chinese culture typically consists of two or more general components which will be: a carbohydrate such as rice or noodles plus an accompanying dish of vegetables, meat, fish, or other items. This is often in contrast to cuisines of Northern Europe and the USA, where meat or animal protein is often considered the primary dish and analogous to the one of most Mediterranean cuisines, which is usually based on wheat-derived components like pasta or cous cous.
Rice is a critical part of much of Chinese cuisine. However, in many parts of China, particularly northern China, wheat-based products including noodles and steamed buns predominate. This is in contrast to southern China where rice is dominant. Despite the importance of rice in Chinese cuisine, at extremely formal occasions it is normal for no rice to be served at all. In this case, rice would only be provided when no other dishes remained, or as a token dish in the form of fried rice at the end of the meal. Soup is usually served at the start of a meal and at the end of a meal in Southern China.
Chopsticks are the primary eating utensil in Chinese culture and soups and other liquids will be enjoyed using a wide, flat-bottomed spoon (traditionally made of ceramic). It is reported that wooden chopsticks are losing their dominance due to recent logging shortfalls in China and East Asia and many Chinese eating establishments are considering a switch to a more environmentally sustainable eating utensil, such as plastic or bamboo chopsticks.
More expensive materials used in the past included ivory and silver. On the other hand, disposable chopsticks made of wood/bamboo have all but replaced reusable ones in small restaurants.
