Like most Americans, my expe-rience with stateside Chinese food was limited the stuff we get delivered in cleverly folded cardboard tubs. Although I enjoyed my weekly mu-shu fix, I did harbor suspicions that it was not, perhaps, the most authentic culinary experience. Thus, I came to China ready for unfamiliar ingredients, determined to develop a taste for real Chinese cuisine. But my first glimpse of Chinese cooking culture actually came about a year prior to hopping my trans-Pacific flight. Like most Americans, my expe-rience with stateside Chinese food was limited the stuff we get delivered in cleverly folded cardboard tubs. Although I enjoyed my weekly mu-shu fix, I did harbor suspicions that it was not, perhaps, the most authentic culinary Experience. Thus, I came to China ready for unfamiliar ingredients, determined to develop a taste for real Chinese cuisine. But my first glimpse of Chinese cooking culture actually came about a year prior to hopping my trans-Pacific flight.