Chinese food varies from restaurant to restaurant.
Chinese food features a myriad of flavors that are world-renowned whether for buffet dining, take-out or authentic experiences. Aside from the usual items like egg rolls, chow fun, Mongolian beef and orange chicken, the desserts served in Chinese eateries are delicious and various as well. Knowing about some of the different desserts served in Chinese restaurants gives you the ability to order with confidence the next time you're out for a meal.
Bing
Moon cake is a common variety of bing.
Bing is a variety of Chinese pastry that is cooked in lard. Comparable to puff pastry, bing varieties use wheat flour and are prepared in a variety of ways to create moon cake, wife cake and other types. Bing is a versatile dessert that is featured as a specialty dessert in sit-down Chinese restaurants. It is sometimes served plain, filled or with sauces.
Fortune Cookies
Fortune cookies are common after-dinner Chinese desserts.
Most commonly enjoyed is the fortune cookie, which is traditionally eaten after a meal in Chinese culture. The fortune cookie is essentially a vanilla wafer type cookie that is shaped to hold a small paper message. Easy to make and economical, nearly every Chinese restaurant in the world gives them away as part of a meal.
Gao
Gao is comprised of a steamed rice base that gives it a jiggly consistency like flan. It is cut into slices and served as cake, customized in a wide, seemingly endless range of ways. These "cakes" are often flavored with fresh fruit, herbs and honey among other sweet items to give them more flavor. Gao varieties can be ordered in special Chinese restaurants.
Miscellaneous
Chinese desserts vary, but are quite simple in presentation. For example, plates of assorted fresh fruits are common, sweet and usually available in Chinese restaurants. In some sit-down establishments, one could order a sweet treat of candied seeds of the lotus flower. Honey-drizzled pastries and rice-cookies are also seen in Chinese restaurants.
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