&gt; <i>I&#x27;ve been told from my Chinese friends they find our penchant for salads and raw food to be barbaric</i><p>I&#x27;m no expert, so please correct me if I&#x27;m wrong.  My understanding is that they need to cook their vegetables in China to make sure they are safe to eat.  Tap water isn&#x27;t generally potable there, or is that just in cities?