Like most Americans. my expe-rience with stateside Chinesefood was limited the stuff weget delivered in cleverly foldedcardboard tubs. Although Ienjoyed my weekly mu-shu fix, I did harborsuspicions that it was not, perhaps, the mostauthentic culinary experience. Thus. I cameto China ready for unfamiliar ingredients,determined to develop a taste for realChinese cuisine. But my first glimpse ofChinese cooking culture actually cameabout a year prior to hopping my trans-Pacific flight.