Sweet and Sour America

By Brad Mogavero, Eric Williams, Gabe Mickey, Samikshya Pandey, Wenshan Li

Today, America seems to enjoy Chinese cuisine just as much as the classic cheeseburger or a juicy steak. When and how did we get this taste of China? It may be one of America’s favorites in its diverse ethnic melting pot of foods, but is the Chinese food Americans are eating as authentic as the real stuff? Even if the so called “Chinese food” Americans are enjoying is not authentic, what are some ways that they can make it so? China is a rich and vibrant culture teaming with foods that have an explosion of flavor. According to Andrew Zimmern, a popular travel channel host, the cuisine in Chengdu, the capital of the Sichuan province, “rivals the world’s greatest food capitals” and “belongs at the top of the charts” (Travel Channel). Americans have adopted this Chinese food culture, but that being said, when adopting another country’s food, it should be done right.

How did Chinese cuisine reach almost every corner of the U.S.? According to Chinatown, Asian American society, Chinese people first came to the west coast of the U.S. to fulfill the demand for labor. However, this immigration was halted because of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882. After the ban on Chinese immigration was lifted in 1943, the U.S. saw a rise in the number of Chinese workers in the U.S.

Chinese laborers were then involved in various labor activities. “ ‘Chinese immigrant laborers then moved into new roles as domestic servants, some began to be prized as excellent cooks’ ” (Fisher, how did Chinese become America’s favorite cuisine). And soon after, U.S. citizens became attracted to Chinese food. With the rise in living standards of the middle class in the early 20th century, people wanted to try exotic foods and to eat foods “prepared by others for them.” This lead to a sudden increase in demand for Chinese culinary. With the facilitation of easy delivery and an increase in the availability of different regional foods from China due to increased immigration, the U.S. now has access to many regional Chinese cuisines (Fisher, how did Chinese become America’s favorite cuisine). But are the Chinese meals we enjoy so much in restaurants really authentic Chinese or have they been manipulated to fit Americans preferences?

From across the ocean, the Chinese have won over many Americans with their delicious meals such as sweet and sour chicken and dumplings, but the question is how authentic are these dishes that we see on every Chinese restaurant menu in America. The fact is, American Chinese restaurants are inauthentic and the culture of the Chinese has become so diluted in these restaurants that even some of the items have no Chinese roots at all. This is the case of chop suey, which was a popular dish served in Chinese restaurants during the steady growth of these establishments in the 20th century. The real and authentic Chop Suey from China was a meal consisting of cooked pig intestines. This is completely different from the mix of ingredients that we get in the Americanized version of it (Chop Suey as Imagined). The fact of the matter is that as Chinese food came to America, it was thrown into the melting pot and was transformed to satisfy the extremely sweet, salty and American taste buds, which in turn, take away many of the Chinese aspects of the cooking.

One of the main reasons Chinese food tastes so delicious is because of its freshness (Western Folklore).  The Chinese have a very different way of getting their ingredients for their meals, especially their meat. In America we go to the store, buy the frozen chicken and then go home and prepare it. This is not how the Chinese obtain their meat.  When people cook meals in China, they usually go to a vendor beforehand to pick out their ingredients and meat.  It is not uncommon for merchants to kill animals right before the consumers eyes to sell the meat.  (Dunlop) This is one of the ways Chinese food is being diluted. For example, in the American Restaurant business you simply cannot have enough supplies on demand to be able to meet the speedy demand of food. It is just unheard of because it is not cost efficient to maintain the freshness of the Chinese culture in America. Also, in general, Americans are completely satisfied with food being pre-made and ready to order. Chinese cooking takes time and a lot of preparation goes into each meal because each dish is unique and made when ordered (Western Folklore). This isn’t the way it is done in America. The U.S. mass produces our food such as frozen meats and other ingredients which are full of preservatives.  As a result, American individuals use sauces, salt and pepper to put on their food. This is not as common in China because the food already is so delicious and flavorful.  Overall, Americans do not truly think about the preparation of the food we eat in the same way as the Chinese do.

One of the blog writers, Wenshan Li, is from China, and she has lots of Chinese food cooking experience. Based on her personal experience, she provides some suggestions for people who wants to make authentic Chinese food. Despite what people say, it is a fairly easy process to make authentic Chinese food at home without knowing much about Chinese culture. “ ‘Chinese food is defined by a flavor principle of soy sauce, ginger, garlic and green onions.’ and methods including stir-frying and steaming” (New York Times). Although Chinese food seems to be very complicated and time-consuming for most Americans, the method is traceable. Cooking Chinese food is like solving a mathematical problem: once you remember the equation, nothing will be too difficult.

The first step is heating oil. Chinese people usually use soybean oil or peanut oil, but it is totally fine to substitute with canola oil or olive oil, since it will not affect the taste. Heated oil creates a perfect environment with the aroma overtaking a room and even a home. Then, throw garlic, ginger, and green onions that have been cut in to pieces into the oil until the temperature of the oil reaches about 250 degrees. Next, stir them until you can smell spiciness, and then add whatever that is needed to be cooked into the pan. Although Chinese people do most cooking in a wok, there is actually not a big difference between it and a pan. Although, with a wok, an oven is not hot enough to provide the right flavor you are looking for. No matter what kinds of stir-fry that you want to make, just remember to cook the meat first. Relative to vegetables, meat needs more time to cook. When the meat is half-cooked, then it is time to add the vegetables. The last step is to add salt and other seasonings into the pan, and then stir it five to six times and finally an authentic Chinese dish is ready to eat. One suggestion for the seasoning is to buy authentic Chinese sauces at a local Asian Market. Chinese sauce is the savior for beginners. It provides perfect flavor to the food, so you do not need to struggle in choosing what kinds of seasonings to add. If anyone is interested in cooking authentic Chinese food and needs more information, here is a link for Chinese recipes: http://www.eatingchina.com/recipes.htm.

American Chinese cuisine is different from truly authentic Chinese food. It boils down to the preparation and style of cooking. The Chinese have different ways of obtaining their ingredients especially meat from Americans and have different essential ingredients such as ginger, garlic, green onions, spices and sauces. Subsequently, for American Chinese food to become more authentic, these ingredients and practices need to be adopted. Moreover, Americans need to be more open to try unique dishes, and the food should be prepared exactly how the Chinese make their meals.

Works Cited
“A Culinary Tour of Chengdu.” Travel Channel. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://www.travelchannel.com/shows/bizarre-foods/video/a-culinary-tour-of-chengdu>.

“Chinatowns”. 2014. In Asian American Society: An Encyclopedia, edited by Mary Yu Danico. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. https://login.libproxy.furman.edu/login? url=http://search.credoreference.com.libproxy.furman.edu/content/entry/sageasisoce/Chinatowns /0.

“Chinese Food.” News. Accessed April 1, 2015. http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/c/chinese_food/index.html.

Chop Suey as Imagined Authentic Chinese Food: The Culinary Identity of Chinese Restaurants in the United States. EScholarship, University of California, 2009.

Dunlop, Fuchsia. Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Pepper: A Sweet-sour Memoir of Eating in China. New York: W.W. Norton, 2008. Print.

Marla Jo Fisher. “ how did Chinese Become America’s Favourite ethnic cuisine.” Orange Country register. December 25, 2014.Accessed; march 3, 2015. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/chinese-646329-chen-food.html

Li, Li. “Cultural and Intercultural Functions of Chinese Restaurants in the Mountain West: “An Insider’s Perspective”” Western Folklore 61, no. 3/4 (2002): 329-46. Accessed April 13, 2015.

See Also:

https://blogs.furman.edu/chinamyths/2015/04/15/the-colonel-infiltrates-china/

https://blogs.furman.edu/chinamyths/2015/04/15/talk-noodle-to-me/

https://blogs.furman.edu/chinamyths/2015/04/14/americanized-chinese-food-invades-china/