Different countries have different food customs. You may have tried Chinese food in your country, but China is different. If you are planning to travel to China, this article will help you understand the basics of Chinese food.

■ Chinese people use chopsticks to hold food, not knives and forks.

■Noodles are the staple food in northern China, while rice is the staple food in the south. Noodles are also served in restaurants in the south, but are usually rice noodles.

■Rice is served separately (shared meals): in small bowls. Meat/vegetables are served on plates or in larger bowls and placed in the center for sharing. Unlike in the West where each person gets a plate (unless eating fast food)!

■ Cuisines vary throughout China. Chinese cuisine is rich and varied, with different flavors: spicy, sweet, sour, heavy, and so on. Learn more about regional Chinese cuisine.

■Restaurants usually provide a round table that seats four or more people. There may be a tempered glass turntable in the center of the table that can be rotated for easy access to each dish.

■Chinese cuisine has a wide variety of ingredients that sometimes even shock foreigners (e.g. frogs, chicken claws, pig ears, pig intestines, dog meat, etc.). Take a look at some of the less common ingredients in Chinese cuisine.

■There are usually no salt and pepper shakers or ketchup bottles on the dinner table. However, you may find some soy sauce bottles, vinegar bottles, and chili sauce bottles.

■Some Chinese restaurants can be quite noisy and smoky, and people do not control the volume of their conversations or smoking; although some areas have recently implemented smoking bans in public places.

■Tipping is not required in Chinese restaurants. The service charge is included in the cost of the meal.

■If a Chinese friend you are eating with puts food on your plate, it is to show closeness and friendliness, not because they don’t want it or think you can’t do it. Nowadays, this is much more common at family dinners, where young people pass food to their elders as a sign of respect.