Hello People,

I will be traveling to China in February and will be staying in Shanghai at the University of Donghua for about a year and I am wondering about the issues people have with adopting to Chinese food. I hear horror stories where people get sick for weeks, or that your stomach will be upset for weeks. This is something that is constantly in the back off my head since i will be leaving the states on February 20th. I am usually very good with eating spicy food and I like to eat all kinds of foods. I love all kinds of foods and I just want to be prepared in case i suffer some sort of sickness because off food or upset stomach because of spices or oils. What has been the experiences for some of you with food and your stomachs when you first arrived in Shanghai or China? What should I take to counter react some of the effects? Any help would be appreciated as this keeps me a little worried. I hate being sick from the stomach more than anything.

Thank you for all your help,

Jens

Make sure your hep A and B shots are up to date. (Never too late to start - get your first TwinRix shot now and have the follow-ups in China.) Tetanus too.

When you first arrive, avoid very spicy food or very cheap places which fry their food. Those places often use recycled oil the provenance of which would make you sick just from hearing the details.

Watch what you touch, and try to avoid putting your fingers in or near your mouth. (The average person does this several times per hour without realising.) This is probably more important than stressing about what you eat.

tylerdurden wrote: try to avoid putting your fingers in or near your mouth.

At the risk of being indelicate, I suggest you consider the same guideline with nose and eyes. Frequent hand washing will save you a lot of grief in China. And always carry your own tissues. You never know when you'll need them - in the toilet, for example.

My wife, daughter, and I have been here since July and have experienced no issues with getting sick and/or food related digestive disorders. We eat from both western and local restaurants, including food carts on the street. Much of the food at our house is purchased from places such as Fields, City Shop, and Fei Dan, but we also routinely purchase from local markets as well. Also I go to many work-related dinners and lunches at non-western restaurants, and have no problems (as long as I avoid drinking baiju !!!).

I am not advocating for the lack of caution, and particularly agree with the the hand washing and tissue carrying suggestions above. However I do want to state that you should not be overly worried about this and have this lead you to avoiding many experiences of tasty foods. Two of my favorite things to eat are guo tie from a "hole-in-the-wall" (four for 2.5 kuai) one block from our house, and spicy noodles with pork from a food cart the comes to our corner after 9pm (6 kuai).

I'm sure Tyler and Ricketty would generally agree with this advise as well.

Great! Thanks for the info guys. Also i been keeping an eye on the weather it seems to be usually in the high 30's to high 40's these last couple of weeks. Until what month does the cold weather last In Shanghai? Also I was advised to take a water purifier for the sink water and maybe a purifier for the shower head. I will be staying on the campus in the international dorms. Should I buy a water purifier? What other tips do you suggest.
What about banks? I am thinking about opening a bank account in Shanghai? What is the best way to transfer money from say bank of america to a Chinese bank? Least cost effective?
@tylerdurden I will be going this week to get my hep A and B shots started. Are there any other shots I should take, besides Tetanus?

Thanks for all the info
Jens

First two posters gave you good advice. I want to add to the tissue topic, that you should also carry sanitized wet tissues with you.

As for food, well I have a Chinese American friend who can't resist eating meat skewers form Xinjiang street vendors and is hospitalized or a week. (Happened twice to him) TylerD had a good point as well...ease your way into eating spicy. BTW the black little kernels are not your regular black pepper, but Sichuan pepper. Bitting them will numb your tongue for the rest of the lunch.

On a certain price level you will not be able to avoid recycled oils and MSG... no matter if you tell them not to put MSG in your food or not.

Beginning in 1969 and for the next thirty-eight years I suffered excruciating, diet-related intestinal pain from Crohn's disease at least once a year. I moved to China in 2007. . . and it hasn't bothered me since.

Once we all get ill after visiting an restorant in very touristic place close XiHu lake, Hangzhou.

After that, we try to avoid "turist traps" and visiting places filled with local citizens, it's cheaper

and proven been reliable. If restorant EMPTY - be sure, there an skeleton you don't know about YET.

jschubis wrote:Great! Thanks for the info guys. Also i been keeping an eye on the weather it seems to be usually in the high 30's to high 40's these last couple of weeks. Until what month does the cold weather last In Shanghai? Also I was advised to take a water purifier for the sink water and maybe a purifier for the shower head. I will be staying on the campus in the international dorms. Should I buy a water purifier? What other tips do you suggest.
What about banks? I am thinking about opening a bank account in Shanghai? What is the best way to transfer money from say bank of america to a Chinese bank? Least cost effective?
@tylerdurden I will be going this week to get my hep A and B shots started. Are there any other shots I should take, besides Tetanus?

Thanks for all the info
Jens

First thing is to stop with the Fahrenheit and feet and inches and learn metric , you will confuse the hell out of everyone.

it seems to be usually in the high 30's to high 40's

That would be summer temperatures in August and its extremely humid and hot, not kidding either. You can do crotch pot cooking in Shanghai in the late summer.

I'm an recovering American and the transition to metric is quite painless easy and makes you wonder why this never happened like it was supposed to 40 damn years ago.

Water purifiers in Shanghai are not really needed. Yes there will be tons of people responding with charts and photos but really, Shanghai water is not that bad for washing, for cooking and coffee / tea I'd use bottled water.

Btw recycled cooking oil was mentioned... this is it

“Sewage oil“, also known as “gutter oil” or “drainage oil”, is the leftover and discarded oil collected from the drains and gutters near restaurants that has been “refined” to be reused and resold as cheap cooking oil. “Slop oil” or “swill oil” is the oil that can also be processed from thrown away food garbage that normally would be fed to pigs. Many street vendors throughout China who cook snacks (especially fried foods) may use “sewage oil” or “slop oil” to save money and keep their costs low.

http://www.chinasmack.com/2009/pictures ... g-oil.html

I'd be careful of the cheapo and street restaurants

The problem with Shanghai water is not bacteria, but heavy metals. There are devices that will remove these (not with filters, but some other means) but they are expensive.

Bottled water is fairly cheap. Again though, you must stick to known brands. I used to get 10 litre bottles for my fountain for 12rmb. It tasted fine. However, it was probably just as full of heavy metals as tap water. In China, you never really know for sure.

Take all the various advice you get, add it to what you read, and consider your own eating experiences in your home country or in prior travels.

Most people will have some bouts of lower GI fun in their first few weeks or months. Some will have none. Others will have more long term issues (I picked up a nice little stomach ulcer after 3 months... 5 months later am still fighting it... Finally had a test for H Pylori bacteria, hoping that was cause)

You know your system. Proceed accordingly.

Also suggest you take along some loperimide (for diarrhea) and some ranitidine (generic Zantac, for stomach acid relief) - local sources may be scarce and/or unreliable.

Banking in China is very doable, really required, but can be complex - suggest you start a new thread on that topic.

Thank you all for the tips and information about eating and what to watch for. I just came out of a case of H Pylori bacteria and went through all the crazy medicines(13 pills a day for 10 days) and I feel a lot better. So I don't want to go back to being sick again.

tihZ_hO, that is one crazy piece of information you posted and the pictures, wow. That is insane. I will definitely watch what i eat. I will take some medicines like the ones jquincy mentioned and prepare in case i am one of those persons that gets sick. Hopefully not, I did good with food in Mexico and Germany, but after my battle with stomach pains, who knows.

Thanks a bunch for the help,

Jens

I ended up with Giardia a month after landing here and had it for a year without proper diagnosis. If your ill for a prolonged amount of time get medical attention, and a second opinion of issues don't resolve. Wash everything!

jschubis wrote:Thank you all for the tips and information about eating and what to watch for. I just came out of a case of H Pylori bacteria and went through all the crazy medicines(13 pills a day for 10 days) and I feel a lot better. So I don't want to go back to being sick again.

tihZ_hO, that is one crazy piece of information you posted and the pictures, wow. That is insane. I will definitely watch what i eat. I will take some medicines like the ones jquincy mentioned and prepare in case i am one of those persons that gets sick. Hopefully not, I did good with food in Mexico and Germany, but after my battle with stomach pains, who knows.

Thanks a bunch for the help,

Jens

Your welcome Jens

One thing to remember, and this is not meant to be a slur, Chinese are lacking in empathy. If they can save a dollar by reusing old food they will and never give it a thought that someone can be sick. The old timers here will concur there are too many examples of what we would think is unscrupulous, but they think is just smart business. Think: most Chinese are like Donald Trump, don't give a damn for the next guy haha

OOo one more thing...its extremely likely after a couple of weeks (or sooner) you will get a sore throat and start coughing. Its not you catching a cold, you are reacting to the very polluted air you are now breathing.

The joke is one day in Shanghai is like smoking a pack of Marlboro's

My advice is to bring some antibiotics such as Cipro or Zithromax for diarrhea. Saved me a few times after getting sick eating out. I never had any problem eating home cooked meal in
Shanghai, can't say that about eating out.

jschubis,

Peppermint tea, Imodium, and Tums.

jquincy wrote:Take all the various advice you get, add it to what you read, and consider your own eating experiences in your home country or in prior travels.

Most people will have some bouts of lower GI fun in their first few weeks or months. Some will have none. Others will have more long term issues (I picked up a nice little stomach ulcer after 3 months... 5 months later am still fighting it... Finally had a test for H Pylori bacteria, hoping that was cause)

You know your system. Proceed accordingly.

This.

MadeInPoland wrote:

jquincy wrote:Take all the various advice you get, add it to what you read, and consider your own eating experiences in your home country or in prior travels.

Most people will have some bouts of lower GI fun in their first few weeks or months. Some will have none. Others will have more long term issues (I picked up a nice little stomach ulcer after 3 months... 5 months later am still fighting it... Finally had a test for H Pylori bacteria, hoping that was cause)

You know your system. Proceed accordingly.

This.

Seconded. I am maybe not the best person to talk about it this minute, as I seem to be engaged in a minor bout of food poisoning myself at my moment. I must say that this is not something that happens (to me) often and I am pretty cavalier and eat street food from time to time, am not nearly as fastidious about hand washing as possibly I ought to be, etc etc. So as has been suggested, keep some Immodium and rehydration sachets on hand in the event that you need them - and you almost certainly will at some point, but if you are not normally especially 'delicate', then don't be too worried. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go buy some more loo roll.

once i had lamb placenta with soup.. my stomach was ok with it but not my consciousness.

Wow, guess it just depends where you eat from and how unlucky you get. I will definitely carry some immodium and tums. I think the fact that I will be in China for one year and the biggest worry for me is my stomach and food, makes my current co workers at ATT laugh at me. I just dont want to be in class in the morning and my stomach decides to start unleashing hell, so to speak. I have prepared a small amount of medicines, hand sanitizer, wipes, and other things that have been recommended. I feel a lot better with all the advice that i have received and I think ill keep an eye on the food i eat.

i have only gotten food poisoning from western places here. steer clear of low-traffic western restaurants or even lunchy places later in the day.

There are no compulsory shots a foreigners needs when he enters China and when he does the physical
Shots recommended are Hep A and Typhoid
Hep A needs 2 shots separated by 6 monts, immunity is good for 10-20 years
Typhoid is one shot and good for 3-5 years.
Hep A and Typhoid are water and food borne illnesses
Get these 2 shots

Hep B is blood borne and body fluid transmitted
No way you can get it from food or water
Get the shot from the point of view that it is a COMPULSORY childhood vaccination

Tetanus again is soil borne
No way you can get it from food or water
Not critical to get this shot

^Depends on where your plane lands in China.

OP, apparently, most westerns are sick for the first six months to a year of arriving in China (seems you will be here only over that period?) Sanitation is the biggest difference you will probably find, coming from a western country. Here, often no dishwashing liquid is used to wash cutlery/crockery, and even those pre-packed utensils at some of the local restaurants have not been cleaned properly. Restaurants use tap water for cooking and tea, so you'll get the metals into your body whether you want to or not.

Carry wet wipes with you, and tissues, because only the luxurious hotel toilets/non-mainland malls around the city will provide them.

As others have stated, be careful where and what you eat, and wash your hands frequently (usually no soap in public toilets).

Although, being as careful as possible, you could still end up with a bug in your system, which is what happened to me, after years of being here. I bought food from the wet market, cooked it myself, and still ended up getting sick.

blondesands wrote:^Depends on where your plane lands in China.

OP, apparently, most westerns are sick for the first six months to a year of arriving in China (seems you will be here only over that period?) Sanitation is the biggest difference you will probably find, coming from a western country. Here, often no dishwashing liquid is used to wash cutlery/crockery, and even those pre-packed utensils at some of the local restaurants have not been cleaned properly. Restaurants use tap water for cooking and tea, so you'll get the metals into your body whether you want to or not.

Carry wet wipes with you, and tissues, because only the luxurious hotel toilets/non-mainland malls around the city will provide them.

As others have stated, be careful where and what you eat, and wash your hands frequently (usually no soap in public toilets).

Although, being as careful as possible, you could still end up with a bug in your system, which is what happened to me, after years of being here. I bought food from the wet market, cooked it myself, and still ended up getting sick.

Dish-washing liquid and hand soap costs money and Chinese seldom, if ever, wash their hands even after a poop.

Bring de-worming medicine and take them every few months or so.

After getting really sick twice already and feeling bad in general since arriving in Shanghai only one month ago, I've decided to get an ayi to cook everyday for me. After spending most of my time in this beautiful and exciting city exploring the inside of my hotel bathroom, I don't want to eat anything fried again for at least a month! I'm afraid if I don't eat healthier, I might not be able to stay... I had anorexia in the past and if I cook or wash dishes, I can't eat. Hubby loves to cook, but travels a lot. Does any of these helpful souls here in this forum know how I can find an ayi who speaks basic English? Help pleeeease!!!!

jschubis wrote:What has been the experiences for some of you with food and your stomachs when you first arrived in Shanghai or China?

I have been lucky and in 29 months I have been in China I have not had even once food poisoning.

First you need to carry ALWAYS soap, wipes and cleanex as MOST public bathrooms in China don't have toilet paper or soap and many restaurants don't give you napkins (no even paper), I mean even inside a Shopping mall.
It will be great if you get the recommended vaccines for China prior to arrive (I think they are 3 or 4).
Chinese food is extremely oily in general and packed with MSG, however there are always dishes that are healthier or steamed,etc. The biggest problem is if you got lots of business trips where you can't escape from nasty Chinese food.
If you are a person that normally suffers from food poisoning back home or you have a 'delicate' stomach well in China it will be WORST but I know lots of people who have not had any problems like me.

condesa wrote:

jschubis wrote:What has been the experiences for some of you with food and your stomachs when you first arrived in Shanghai or China?

Chinese food is extremely oily in general and packed with MSG, however there are always dishes that are healthier or steamed,etc.

Sorry for my ignorance, but I've just arrived and am green as grass to Asian culture... I don't get this MSG thing... What is it exactly, why do the Chinese use it and why is it bad for you? Most importantly, what does it taste like????

iminshanghai wrote:

condesa wrote:

jschubis wrote:What has been the experiences for some of you with food and your stomachs when you first arrived in Shanghai or China?

Chinese food is extremely oily in general and packed with MSG, however there are always dishes that are healthier or steamed,etc.

Sorry for my ignorance, but I've just arrived and am green as grass to Asian culture... I don't get this MSG thing... What is it exactly, why do the Chinese use it and why is it bad for you? Most importantly, what does it taste like????

Do you see that Everest looking mountain directly in front of you...?



...that's your China learning curve.

Hmmm MSG

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a flavor enhancer commonly dumped into Chinese food, and added to canned vegetables, soups and processed meats. Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified MSG as a food ingredient that's "generally recognized as safe," the use of MSG remains controversial because Chinese dump a lot into the food. For this Chinese reason, when MSG is added to food, the FDA requires that it be listed on the label.

MSG symptom complex — include:

Headache
Flushing
Sweating
Facial pressure or tightness
Numbness, tingling or burning in face, neck and other areas
Rapid, fluttering heartbeats (heart palpitations)
Chest pain
Nausea
Weakness

However this may also be caused by watching how Chinese eat and what they eat.

Here is a link for further info http://bit.ly/sWsw8o

If you don't believe Chinese dump a lot of MSG into the food; next time you are at Chinese supermarket have a look at those really large bags of what looks like it could be sugar...that's MSG son. Back home MSG would be sold in a small spice sized bottle.

There was a really interesting article about MSG last year in the NY Times Sunday Magazine section called something like "If MSG is so bad for you, why doesn't all of Asia have a headache?" or something similar. It kind of turns the 'common knowledge' about MSG on its head. Well worth seeking out I think, have a google for it.