American Chinese cuisine
American Chinese cuisine (什碎館) is a style of cooking served by many Chinese restaurants in the United States and not considered authentic Chinese cuisine by ethnic Chinese, but geared towards Westerners. Such cuisine is often misperceived as 'real' Chinese food.
Restaurants serving American Chinese cuisine are mainly run by the descendants of early Chinese immigrants (dating back to the 19th century), and cater to the taste of non-Chinese Americans. With more and more new immigrants arriving from China and Hong Kong to the US and Canada, more diverse selections of authentic Chinese cuisines are available in major cities such as San Francisco and New York, especially in the older and newer Chinatowns. However, so-called 'mom and pop' restaurants and diners in smaller towns still offer dishes not found in China. The menu typically includes:
- chop suey - in Chinese connotes leftovers, is usually a mix of vegetables and meat in a brown sauce
- chow mein - in the American variant, is fried or boiled cabbage, with bits of fried noodles sprinkled on top
- egg foo young
- fortune cookie - was an American invention from these restaurants. However, fortune cookies are so popular in the US that even authentic Chinese restaurants serve them as end of the meal snacks. On the other hand, most but not all authentic Chinese restaurants tend to serve free oranges or red bean soup as dessert to Chinese-speaking patrons. Non-Chinese are served either fruit or fortune cookies.
Some dishes are indeed Chinese dishes, but the American versions are quite different and not considered very authentic.
- egg roll - while Chinese spring rolls have a thin crispy skin with mushrooms, bamboo and other vegetables inside, the American version with a thick, fried skin and cabbage inside is an American invention
- lo mein - American versions don't use the same types of noodles or flavorings
- sweet and sour pork or sweet and sour chicken - the Chinese version is a lighter more subtle flavor, while Americanized versions typically use bright red food coloring and use lots of sugar or corn syrup.
- moo shu pork - Chinese version uses more authentic ingredients (mushrooms and other fungus) and thin flour pancakes while American one may use more common vegetables and a thicker pancake
American Chinese food has a reputation for containing high levels of MSG, which is used for flavoring. Because of this, the symptoms of MSG sensitivity have been dubbed "Chinese restaurant syndrome" or "Chinese food syndrome". While there is no conclusive evidence that MSG is harmful, many restaurants have taken the initiative for "MSG Free" or "No MSG" menus.
In addition to full-service restaurants, American Chinese food is also available in mom-and-pop Chinese buffets. Fast food joints (usually located in shopping or strip malls) such as Panda Express and Manchu WOK are also quite popular. They are often found in areas with a lower or even non-existent population of Asian-Americans.
As most American Chinese cuisine establishments cater to non-Chinese customers, menus are usually in English only and some may be in Chinese. Such establishments are often patronized by way of take-out.
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See also: Chinese cuisine
American Chinese Fast Food Chains
- Ho-Lee-Chow - Locations in the Toronto area of Ontario.
- Leeann Chin - Locations in Minnesota.
- Manchu WOK - Nationwide in Canada and some in the USA.
- Mr. Chau's Chinese Fast Food - Locations in the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley.
- Panda Express - Nationwide in the USA.
- Pick Up Stix - Located throughout California, Arizona, Illinois, and Nevada.
- Tasty Goody - Locations in Southern California.