Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020

Diet pepsi and chocolate

Country forums / North-East Asia / China

My boss is leaving Saturday, March 3 for a 12 day trip to China. Does anyone know if she can purchase Diet pepsi and M&M's in China or if you can bring them into the country? Thank you

Anyone who can't live without Diet Pepsi and M&Ms for 12 days in China shouldn't bother getting on the plane.

It depends on where your boss is headed in China. I don't recall seeing much chocolate in China.

1

I have seen M&M's throughout China (peanut and regular M&M's can be found even in Tibet).

Not too sure about diet Pepsi. I don't really remember seeing it, though it might be everywhere and I just haven't noticed it. Seems like I have seen diet Coke more often than diet Pepsi.

2

Bringing M&Ms into the country is death by firing squad.

3

Yes, you can get both M&Ms and diet Pepsi. There's more diet Coke though if your boss can lower to that standard.

4

but tell her not to be tempted to try local Chinese chocolate... a warning: theres a reason why its cheap

5

I would wholly agree with #1.
Where is your boss going in China? M&Ms widely available but diet Pepsi/Coke isn't really common at all.
Cheers!

6

I wholly disagree with #1.

<blockquote>Quote
<hr>I don't recall seeing much chocolate in China. <hr></blockquote> #1, have you actually been in China? There's bad Chinese chocolate everywhere, but follow #5's warning and avoid it if you don't like the taste of wax. Grocery stores and the occasional mom and pop store have Dove chocolate bars and M&Ms. Large grocery stores have more choices.

A business traveler shouldn't be faulted for wanting comfort foods. Actually, I don't think anyone should be.

7

If you stop eating chocolate you wouldn't need to drink "diet" pepsi. Chocolate is avail. everywhere. Diet softdrinks not so sure.

8

Actually, I think there's a possibility that this is a troll.

What would you say, a 10% possibility?

9

Diet Pepsi, Diet Coke, and Diet Coke w/ Lemon are all widely available; m&m's even more so.

<blockquote>Quote
<hr>I don't recall seeing much chocolate in China.<hr></blockquote>

This is even funnier than the original post.

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Maybe it's #1 that's a troll.

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Actually, #7 I have been to China but only for a couple of weeks. I'm not fixated on looking for imported candy so that's probably why I didn't see M&Ms in Hunan in 2001. More importantly, I never saw an ATM in Changsha either. I lived in Taiwan for 2 years and most Taiwanese don't eat much chocolate and the local brands were pretty bad.

"A business traveler shouldn't be faulted for wanting comfort foods. Actually, I don't think anyone should be."

Only fat people use the term "comfort food" where I come from. That would explain the link between eating candy and drinking diet pop.

It's only 12 days according to the OP. If the availibility M&Ms and Diet Pepsi are the most important things your boss wants to know about China then your boss is not very flexible. . .for a troll.



12

I've seen Diet Pepsi only in Beijing, and Diet Coke is still rare/non-existent where I live, in a small-ish city. Bottles of Diet Coke are lemon flavored.

Plain and peanut M&M's are pretty common in larger grocery stores.

13

LOL, I think it better post on the food branch ask for substitute.

14

Perhaps I should have qualified that by saying "Diet Pepsi, Diet Coke, and Diet Coke w/ Lemon are all widely available anywhere the vast majority of travelers will be in China; m&m's even more so."

<blockquote>Quote
<hr>Actually, #7 I have been to China but only for a couple of weeks. I'm not fixated on looking for imported candy so that's probably why I didn't see M&Ms in Hunan in 2001.<hr></blockquote>

Perhaps this original assertion should have been qualified by saying, "I don't recall seeing much chocolate in China...at least when I was there for a couple of weeks 6 years ago."

It's actually not imported either; Mars (Dove, Snickers, M&M's, et al.), Nestle (Kit Kat, et al.), Cadbury, very soon Hershey, and I think Ferrero (Ferrero Rocher, Nutella, Mon Cheri, Kinder Bueno) all manufacture in China.

Only fat people use the term "comfort food"? Which branch of the English language do you speak? I hope your tongue is firmly planted in cheek; otherwise, why all the hostility? This is supposed to be fun...at least it is for me when I imagine a business exec travelling with their laptop, PDA, and a suitcase full of M&M's and Diet Pepsi.

15

alienlovechild, haven't I seen you insulting people on the WT branch? Yes, I think I have. Hope you're not branching out your insults to this one, as we try to keep it friendly here.

16

Let me add my 2 cents.
I want Nacho chips and Warsteiner pale ale.
Available meiyouweiyou?
If not I will cancel this whole thing and take the bus to Bakersfield.

17

Here's some facts on chocolate consumption in China from the China Daily website.

"Statistics indicate Chinese citizens annually consume less than 50 grams of chocolate per person.
While in Western Europe, the per capita chocolate consumption is 8 kilograms per year.
The Swiss are the world's largest consumers of chocolate, with an annual per capita consumption of 10 kilograms.
Even in China's neighbouring countries such as Japan and South Korea, average per capita chocolate consumption is more than 1.4 kilograms a year, much higher than that of China."

Again, chocolate isn't a big favorite in China despite what some posters have asserted.

"Which branch of the English language do you speak?"

chengdude, try clicking on my profile. It clearly states country: United States. Is that a big enough clue for you?

"alienlovechild, haven't I seen you insulting people on the WT branch? Yes, I think I have. Hope you're not branching out your insults to this one, as we try to keep it friendly here."

ZHET, wrong again. I have never posted there so please get your facts straight before start accusing other people of anything. If this is a friendly branch, why are you posting here?

18

If it's such a big deal and it's only 12 days, then why doesn't your boss just pack 12 bags of M&Ms?

I wonder what other things this boss asks her secretary to arrange. Probably it's just to get her out of her hair. "When you're done researching the availability of blue M&Ms in those 9 Chinese provinces, can you draw up a list of hotels in Reykjavik which have a total number of between 19 and 32 rooms, and which also have wifi. If anyone calls, I'm out to lunch."

19

<blockquote>Quote
<hr> I want Nacho chips and Warsteiner pale ale<hr></blockquote>

I've eaten nachos - even 10 years ago when there was a very tiny expat community in China. And you can find Warsteiner is some german bars.

what's that? you weren't serious? oh. nevermind.

I should've known you were joking with the crack about Bakersfield. No one goes to anyplace in Central California willingly. Not even as a joke. Modesto, Fresno, Stockton - even Kettleman City.

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