When I first came to England, I was very confused when people asked me how many meals per day do Chinese people usually have. I would simply reply: "obviously three, but don't you have the same?".

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Later on I found out that I wasn't right. Of course, different cultures have different eating habits (in Spain, people usually eat five times a day). Don't even mention how different each meal could be.

Realizing the differences in terms of food culture between China and Western countries is probably what first made me aware of cultural identity issues. Find out more I have been thinking of writing about this for a long time.

The bold statement "three meals per day in Chinese culture" is really not precise, especially considering how many different ethnic groups and different regions there are in China. People belonging to different ethnic groups or living in different areas have slightly different eating habits.

For example, in the very south of China, people would usually have an additional meal in the very late evening, after supper. But in the North, we usually have three meals: breakfast between 6.30am-7.30am (depending on people's work schedule), lunch at 12pm to 1pm, and dinner around 7pm.

Common Chinese breakfast in Northern provinces could consist of congee with pickles, soya milk with 'Youtiao' (a kind of fried pastry), or Chinese steamed 'bread'. In restaurants that open in the morning for breakfast, you can also get noodles or 'bao zi' (steamed bread with fillings).

Lunch normally involves proper dishes and comes with stable food like rice. In Northern provinces, pastries with different fillings are also very common buys for lunch. Students could take lunch boxes and working people would either go home or eat in small restaurants. In any case, lunch is commonly followed by a short nap.

I read an article somewhere a while ago about German businessmen having meetings with Chinese in Shanghai. At 12pm, Chinese people would stand up and said, "it's lunch time now, let's go to have lunch, we can keep on talking on the dining table." Germans were very surprised, because they were in the middle of a meeting. This shows how important food is in Chinese culture.

Dinner is normally prepared properly at home, although, nowadays, with lots of family run restaurants at very reasonable price, people have started buying food or dining out often. Home cooked dinner normally involves a meat or fish dish, and several vegetable dishes.

There is another saying in Chinese: "walking 100 steps after dinner can make you live till 99 years old". Although this is obviously a metaphor, in China you will see crowds of people having a stroll in the streets or gardens around 7.30pm or 8pm, right after dinner.

In the first quarter of 2006, the Chinese economy grew 10.2%. With the increase in growth in the Chinese market and the constant continued growth being forecast for the future, it's wise for western businesses to research what the Chinese market wants and needs before dipping their toe into the Chinese market. Here are the current trends in the Chinese marketplace:

Food

With such masses of people in China and a steadily growing population, it's no wonder that food and food service is one of the biggest markets in China. From fine dining to fast food to supermarkets and specialty food shops, pretty much every kind of food is available in China. The biggest western names in food have all delved into the Chinese market already, including Walmart, Pizza Hut, KFC and, of course, McDonald's. There is also a huge market for all types of food and even catering services.

Banking & Financial Services

Many foreign financial companies including Merrill Lynch and The Royal Bank Of Scotland have already bought stakes in Chinese banks. With the lifting of more restrictions on foreign financial companies in 2006, the banking industry should see even more foreign investment.

Luxury Goods

High end goods, including foreign brand name watches, clothing, jewelry, electronics and autos are markets that continue to grow. The rise in the amount of wealthy people in China continues to fuel the demand for high end and luxury goods of all kinds.

Cellular

With an estimated 440 million cell phone users in China, there is a huge market for cell phones, cell phone service and cell phone accessories.

Malls

Massive sized malls and shopping centers are popping up all over China, most offer a wide range of imported products, particularly stores from the US and Europe, including Chanel, Papa Johns Pizza, Gucci, Burberry, and Ralph Lauren. Retail sales in China have increased a staggering 50% in the last four years, with much credit going to the boom of mall building. Over the last six years, over 400 malls have been built in China and that number will only increase. In Dongguan, you'll find what is now the largest mall in the world, the South China Mall. It boasts 6.5 million square feet of total floor area and room for 1500 stores.

Western Brands

More than ever, the Chinese crave the most famous Western brands. From fast food joints to soft drinks to coffee to clothing to shoes to entertainment, many of the biggest Western names already have a big presence in China or are researching how to jump in. Walmart, the largest US retailer, already has dozens of stores in China, including three Sam's Clubs and Neighborhood Markets. Coca-Cola is already ubiquitous in China and McDonald's intends to have over 1000 stores open nationwide by 2008.

Whatever industry you're in, you must be careful to do proper research before delving into the Chinese market.