Internet celebrity Thomas Derksen, from Germany, acts as his Chinese mother-in-law on a TV show.[Photo provided to China Daily]

It was a hit. The success encouraged them to make more videos.

"My childhood dream was to be a cook," says Zhang Dou, who moved to the US from Shanghai at age 14. "I guess it helped when we were preparing Chinese food for our US friends."

He also invited his US friends to try spicy hotpot, different-flavored instant noodles and pidan, or preserved eggs.

"The US students aren't acting in the clips. Their reactions to the food are natural," Zhang Dou says. He believes that's part of the appeal, and that audiences are smart and want authenticity.

The duo realized when each video got more than 1 million views that they could go even bigger.

"We wanted to become a bridge between American and Chinese culture," Zhang Dou says. "Young audiences embrace the differences."

They believe Chinese audiences love these videos because they're fun and the people in them are good-looking.