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The Legend of American Chinese Food: 8 Dishes and Their Authentic Counterparts
RADII ^ | 6/25/20 | Adan Kohnhorst

Posted on 12/07/2023 8:19:39 AM PST by DallasBiff

Growing up in the United States, “Chinese food” usually meant American Chinese food. You know it’s not the real deal, but those words still conjure images of white takeout boxes, egg rolls, and fortune cookies.

And yet time-honored American Chinese classics such as General Tso’s Chicken would be unrecognizable to most people in mainland China. So where do these dishes actually come from?

American Chinese food has deep roots in Cantonese cooking from China’s Guangdong province (formerly referred to as Canton). Before the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 effectively halted immigration to the US, immigrants from Guangdong arrived in droves during California’s Gold Rush, forming communities that would come to be known as “Chinatowns.”

(Excerpt) Read more at radii.co ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Food
KEYWORDS: china; chinesefood; food; foodies
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Can't find a good Egg Foo Yung anywhere these days, best was a small restaurant on Pittsburgh's Market Square in the 70's and throw in an eggroll.

I know, I know the modern day Chicomms gave the world the Wuhan virus.

1 posted on 12/07/2023 8:19:39 AM PST by DallasBiff
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To: DallasBiff

Go into a Chinese restaurant and see very few white people and lots of Asians chances are the food will be good. If the few whites in there have on a Fedex or UPS uniform on chances are food will be very good. Those guys tend to be ex-military stationed in Asia.


2 posted on 12/07/2023 8:26:49 AM PST by 03A3 (If we can defund the police, we sure as hell can defund the FBI)
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To: DallasBiff

Don’t order Number 3. It tastes like Number 2.


3 posted on 12/07/2023 8:27:42 AM PST by ElkGroveDan (My tagline is in the shop.)
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To: 03A3
We used to say the same thing about Mexican restaurants.

Go to the ones with the landscaping trucks parked out in front, loaded with lawnmowers and weed eaters.

-PJ

4 posted on 12/07/2023 8:37:48 AM PST by Political Junkie Too ( * LAAP = Left-wing Activist Agitprop Press (formerly known as the MSM))
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To: 03A3
There is a Chinese restaurant near us that is like that. Are go to for Chinese food.

There is even a separate menu you can ask for to get the real deal.

5 posted on 12/07/2023 8:41:39 AM PST by Tommy Revolts
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To: DallasBiff

Reminds me. I’ve never been to the Hall of Fame in Guangdong, Ohio.


6 posted on 12/07/2023 8:41:45 AM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire, or both.)
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To: Political Junkie Too

When I was travelling for my job, I would look in the parking lot for cop cars, Buicks and pickups.

Cops know where the good food is.
Buicks are driven mostly by older local folks and don’t want to spend too much on a meal.
Pickups with ladders and tools is another good sign.


7 posted on 12/07/2023 8:42:13 AM PST by Texas resident (Biden=Obama=Jarrett=Soros)
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To: DallasBiff
American Chinese classics such as General Tso’s Chicken would be unrecognizable to most people in mainland China.

I'll bet that's so. Ours is made from chicken, not stray dogs or rats.

8 posted on 12/07/2023 8:43:15 AM PST by SamuraiScot
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To: DallasBiff

I went to a “Chinese” restaurant in Greenwood, SC that was run by Mexicans. Not a Chinese man or woman to be found. Food sucked...

Went to another in Cantonment, FL where the person at the register was a kid who could not have been more than ten years old. He took my order, repeated it back in perfect English, called the order to the cooks in Chinese, ran my card, got my receipt, made sure the order was correct and sent me on my way. While I was there, he tuned up one of the cooks... had to be the owner’s kid because the cook literally bowed to the kid in apology.


9 posted on 12/07/2023 8:45:10 AM PST by Mathews (I have faith Malachi is right!!! Any day now...)
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To: 03A3

Also, if they have a menu in mandarin or Cantonese, it’s probably good. Get someone to translate.


10 posted on 12/07/2023 8:46:01 AM PST by Fuzz (. )
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To: All

Enjoy Chinese and eat healthy broccoli at the same time.

11 posted on 12/07/2023 8:47:25 AM PST by Liz (Women have tremendous power — their femininity, because men can't do without it. Sidney Sheldon)
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To: DallasBiff

If the menu includes frog legs, it is legit. We have over 1500 people from China/Taiwan in a town of 36,000. We have some legit Chinese places but I prefer the Americanized versions.


12 posted on 12/07/2023 8:49:32 AM PST by AppyPappy (Biden told Al Roker "America is back". Unfortunately, he meant back to the 1970's)
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To: All

The ultimate Chinese cuisine----Peking Duck and the little pancakes.

13 posted on 12/07/2023 8:53:27 AM PST by Liz (Women have tremendous power — their femininity, because men can't do without it. Sidney Sheldon)
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To: DallasBiff

Same thing with Mexican Food.

Our ‘Mexican’ food here in Texas is nothing like what you get down there. Back in the 70’s we knew some people that had a small chain of Mexican restaurants in the US, and then opened on in Bogota, Colombia, S.A.

It was a big hit, since it was so different than what they ate down there.


14 posted on 12/07/2023 8:58:23 AM PST by chaosagent (Remember, no matter how you slice it, forbidden fruit still tastes the sweetest!)
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To: ElkGroveDan

On their honeymoon, the husband asks, “So what do you want to do?”

The wife replies, “I think I want 69.”

The husband is shocked.

“You want Beef and Broccoli now?!!!


15 posted on 12/07/2023 9:05:42 AM PST by al baby (I know its the way the measure the cooling capability )
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To: al baby

LOL!


16 posted on 12/07/2023 9:08:06 AM PST by Vendome (I've Gotta Be Me https://youtu.be/wH-pk2vZG2M)
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To: DallasBiff
JIOFSwu.md.jpg
image hosting websites

17 posted on 12/07/2023 9:08:59 AM PST by Dr. Marten (Cogito ergo armatus sum.)
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To: DallasBiff

I used to go to a dim sum place with some people from my church which included a person native to china. We would get to explore all kinds of interesting things. Once i took mexican girlfriend there and all they brought by was sugary glop coated bland stuff.

Another restaurant i used to visit with chinese coworkers had a 7 or so page menu. I went myself once and got a 1 page menu.

where are my reparations /s


18 posted on 12/07/2023 9:11:09 AM PST by posterchild
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To: DallasBiff

After living in China for a few years, I no longer care for Americanized Chinese food. Unfortunately, truly authentic restaurants are few and far between in the Midwest.


19 posted on 12/07/2023 9:13:38 AM PST by Dr. Marten (Cogito ergo armatus sum.)
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To: DallasBiff

“Fire ‘77” finds Yemana earnestly stirring a Japanese delicacy called shabu shabu, which stinks up the precinct the longer it simmers.

When Wojo indicates that it smells like garbage, Nick lists the ingredients- fish heads, cabbage leaves, cucumber rinds, and celery tops (Yemana: “come to think of it, that is garbage!”).


20 posted on 12/07/2023 9:16:01 AM PST by Chode (there is no fall back position, there's no rally point, there is no LZ... we're on our own. #FJB)
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