Many foreigners find that one of the most interesting parts of Chinese culture is food. Foods that are normal in China like chicken feet and duck tongue, are often very strange to foreigners. In fact, some of the biggest culture shocks are the kinds of animals that are eaten.

I was once invited to a special meal in China. When I arrived at the meal, I was happy to eat everything that was given to me. I did not want to be rude. I ate a meat dish that tasted rather strange, but I still wolfed（狼吞虎咽地吃）it all down. After the meal to my great surprise, I was told that I had eaten a dog. In European countries, it is a very strange idea to eat a dog. My Chinese friends explained that the dog meat is very useful for warming the body during winter and is often eaten in the north of China.

In England we call dogs “man’s best friend”. It would be against the law to eat a dog in England. In China, it is a big shock when we hear of people eating dogs, or, as I did, end up eating them ourselves.

Afternoon tea is quite a new tradition in England. Drinking tea dates as far back as 3,000 BC in China, yet it made its first appearance in England in the mid 17th century.

Afternoon tea was introduced in the country by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, in the year 1840. The Duchess would become hungry around four o'clock in the afternoon. The evening meal in her family was usually served late at eight o'clock, thus leaving a long period of time between lunch and dinner. The Duchess asked that a tray（盘）of tea, bread and butter and cakes should be brought to her room during the late afternoon. This became a habit of hers and she began inviting friends to join her.

Traditional afternoon tea is made up of a choice of nice sandwiches, scones served with cream and jam. Cakes and pastries are also served. Tea grown in India or Ceylon is poured（倾倒）from silver teapots into bone china cups.

Nowadays, however, in the average suburban home, afternoon tea is likely to be just a biscuit or small cake and a cup of tea, usually produced using a teabag.

For those hoping to try an afternoon tea, there are many tea rooms up and down the country. The UK has a variety of holiday destinations, and whether you choose a stay in the villages of Yorkshire or the coastal resorts of the south, afternoon tea is never far away.

Hidden in a small street in the south end of Springfield，not far from buildings torn apart by the tornado earlier this year，Frigo’s is an Italian restaurant right in our own backyard.

Frigo’s is not a tiny place.It provides different kinds of Italian food.There are refrigerator cases full of prepared foods and desserts，and shelves filled with olives and various pasta.

There’s some traditional Italian music and the smell is of olive oil and garlic(大蒜).Above the largest refrigerator case，there’s a chalk board covered with descriptions of more Italian sandwiches than I could remember.

I stepped into Frigo’s almost by accident when I had to stay in Springfield into the evening for an open house at the school where I work.Frigo’s is the perfect place to find something quick to go.There are no tables，so all food is taken out.I also thought it would be a great place to pick up some already­prepared food to bring home for dinner.I ordered the easiest meal possible：a chicken sandwich and a salad.It cost $4.75 for the sandwich.The salad was $4.99 and didn’t have salad dressing on it.I must have missed the choice of salad dressing on the way out.The sandwich was great—great chicken，excellent tomato sauce and not too much cheese.

I wish I had tried one of the many other sandwiches which include Joe’s Favorite($5.25～$6.75) and the Dante(King) which is made of turkey breast，roasted red   peppers，Asiago cheese and choice of dressing.

I have a feeling that I’ll be picking up dinner for me and the kids at Frigo’s soon.