It's easy to learn to cook Chinese food, though it may be difficult to master the cuisine. Among the essentials products you'll need are rice, bok choy (Chinese cabbage), cornstarch (for stews and marinades), green onions, rice wine (for flavor), vegetable oil, sesame soy sauce, and ginger.

Monosodium glutamate -- better known as MSG -- is commonly used as a flavoring for Chinese food. However, some people are allergic to it. If you're dining out and have an MSG allergy, be sure you ask whether there's MSG in the dish you're interested in. Don't assume it's not there just because it isn't mentioned.

If you're cooking Chinese food and a recipe calls for MSG, think twice before using it, especially if you're cooking for strangers. Some people are very allergic to MSG. You can use a dash of sugar to replace the MSG in a recipe, or you can use Accent food flavoring instead.