Zirui Yan
- I moved from China to the US when I was 19 to go to college.
- One of the biggest differences I’ve noticed between the two countries is the food.
- Some of the American foods I’ll miss the most include Southern fried chicken, bagels and cream cheese, and omelets.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Three years ago, I moved from my hometown of Guiyang, China, to North Carolina to attend college.
My experience in the United States exposed many of the cultural differences between China and America.
But ever since I returned to China for summer vacation, I’ve realized an even more glaring difference between the two countries: the food.
From Southern-style fried chicken to bagels and cream cheese, there are several foods I tried in America that are very difficult, if not impossible, to find in China.
Although I’ll be back state-side by the end of the summer, I’m already craving certain foods that became a regular part of my diet in the US.
Here are 15 common foods in America that I’ve missed the most.
Southern-style fried chicken
Flickr Creative Commons
In the South, where I go to college, there’s nothing tastier than a classic piece of juicy, crispy fried chicken.
Fried chicken is popular in China, and fast food chains like KFC and McDonald’s offer fried chicken that is more savory and spicy than you’ll typically find in America. But it’s nothing compared to the extra crispy and crunchy texture of Southern fried chicken.
Omelets
ray_explores/Flickr
Unless you stay in a luxurious hotel that offers Western-style breakfasts, it usually takes some effort to find a restaurant that serves omelettes in China. Although China has oyster omelets, a popular street food, I miss the typical American omelet with cheese and bacon that you can find in pretty much any diner or brunch place.
Sweet tea
Shutterstock/Teri Virbickis
Other than fried chicken, sweet tea is another thing I love about the South. At first, when I had sweet tea with pork barbecue, I found it too sweet. But now I’m to a point where I’ll order it no matter what type of food I’m eating — even with lamb calzone or a bowl of pho. I sometimes put a slice of lemon to it to give it a little tanginess.
China is certainly a place for tea lovers, especially if you like boba. You can find "sweet tea" everywhere in China (think sweetened green or oolong tea), but it is hard to find true Southern-style sweet tea.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (Zirui Yan)