I frequently cook with tofu. If you're living in a small town, you may find that the tofu isn't restocked as frequently as it should be. Unusual ingredients Many Chinese vegetables are hard to find in the US, and some are only available in metropolitan areas. However, Chinese cuisine can easily adapt to locally-available ingredients as long as you have the essential things in your pantry. A Typical Meal China has dramatic regional variations in its cuisine.
Northern regions use wheat more frequently than other parts of the country.
Chinese cuisine also morphs to take advantage of local ingredients in countries to which large numbers of Chinese have emigrated, such as Malaysia, Thailand, and so on. Breakfast can be a rice porridge served with pickles or, sometimes, Chinese red dates. Breakfast is usually savory rather than sweet. Lunch is frequently a generous bowl of noodle soup with pickled vegetables and other condiments to accompany. In the North, you might choose from a number of steamed buns with myriad fillings.