Desserts

　　One part of the meal that isn't as much trouble is the dessert: Chinese dessert menus are short compared to their Western counterparts.

　　"Most Chinese like eating fruit after meals," says Liang. It's a healthy local custom to adopt. For those who can't pass up something sweet, a more traditional Chinese dessert option is nan gua bing, a cupcake-like treat made from corn flour and fruit. It's deep-fried, making it a decadent choice, but the cakes are small so one shouldn't hurt, says Liang. She suggests rubbing off any excess oil on a napkin before taking a bite.

　　Ordering Made Easy

　　Clip and keep this guide to make eating out in China a healthier experience

　　Steam zheng 蒸

　　Boil zhu 煮

　　Stir-fried chao 炒

　　Deep-fry zha 炸

　　Simmer ao 熬

　　Braise dun 炖

　　Please use little qing shao fang 请少放

　　Please use a half qing fang yi ban 请放一半

　　Please do not use qing bu yao fang 请不要放

　　Oil you 油

　　Salt yan 盐

　　MSG wei jing 味精

　　Please steam/boil/stir-fry the vegetables

　　qing ba shu cai zhu /zheng /chao yi xia

　　请把蔬菜煮/蒸/炒一下

　　Please stir-fry the vegetables in broth/vinegar

　　qing jia gao tang /cu fan chao

　　请加高汤/醋翻炒

　　Please steam the fish lightly for 6 minutes

　　qing ba yu shao wei zheng liu fen zhong

　　请把鱼稍微蒸6分钟