Every culture has its own stories about how food is made, but Chinese food kala food truck is typically associated with something much different. The food itself is recognizable as a type of stew or soup made from various vegetables and boiled meats called “congee.” But in terms of the origin, most people are misinformed.
In fact, the term “Chinese Restaurant” or “Chinatown” refers to US-based restaurants that originated from the Cantonese region across from China in Los Angeles. The Cantonese immigrant community opened these restaurants which eventually became chains like Panda Express and California Pizza Kitchen.
1. Fried rice is sweet
The truth is that fried rice– a type of rice cooked in oil and served with thinly sliced meat or tofu– was originally a popular dish in the Cantonese region of China. In fact, this dish is so synonymous with Cantonese food that it is commonly referred to as “Cantonese” style. When immigrants who previously cooked southern Chinese food started arriving in America, they adapted the fried rice recipe to American tastes. In the second half of the 20th century, restaurants in Los Angeles mixed up this Cantonese fried rice with what was then a new type of Chinese food: Americanized Chinese food such as egg rolls and sweet and sour chicken.
Burger King, the American fast food chain, was at its prime in the 1970s. The Burger King Corporation even filed a lawsuit against Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) for trademark infringement and unfair competition, but lost the case. This is one reason why KFC is known as “chicken” while Chinese-style fried rice is still called “fried rice” across America.
2. Chinese food has only been around for 100 years
For many Americans, Chinese food became a type of cuisine that they associated with home cooking or special occasions like birthdays and holidays. However, this is not how it always has been. Chinese food has been around for as long as recorded history, at least since the Han Dynasty 5,000 years ago. However, even though Chinese food was often included in the cuisines of neighboring countries in China’s geographic area like Korea and Japan– areas that are similar to the original culture of the Cantonese—it didn’t start to become popular outside China until more than 100 years ago.
3. Chinese immigrants invented Americanized Chinese food
The origins of Americanized Chinese food can be traced to Los Angeles where many Cantonese immigrants opened restaurants that served American-style dishes such as egg rolls, fried rice and fried chicken. The first restaurant that was founded by Cantonese immigrants and opened in North America was in San Francisco, which opened in 1899.
More than 1 million Chinese came to the United States from 1848 to 1942. However, this came at the expense of the country’s Chinese population who were driven out by discrimination and other forms of violence. In 1915, there were an estimated 10,000 Chinese residents in all of Los Angeles County alone. In the late 19th century, Chinese people were prohibited by anti-Chinese laws from working in mines, laundries and garment factories. As a result, Chinese immigrants often opened restaurants as the only option for employment.
By 1915, there were an estimated 10,000 Chinese residents in all of Los Angeles County alone.
4. Chinese food is unhealthy
Many Americans are familiar with this phrase: “Chinese restaurant syndrome” which was coined by a visiting professor of biochemistry who was horrified by the amount of MSG that was used in dishes like Kung Pao Chicken.
5. Chinese food is the same everywhere in the world
While there are similarities in how different cultures cook their food, there are also many differences. For example, while Chinese people might eat rice with minced meat or other types of rice with poultry, Koreans often eat rice with tripe. In Japan, “chicken” can be breaded and fried as “kebab” while it is more often raw or pan-fried as “hakujin shabu-shabu.” In addition, to the wide variety of time and temperature differences in the recipes, some dishes might be eaten raw while others are cooked.
6. Fried rice is sweet
The truth is that fried rice– a type of rice cooked in oil and served with thinly sliced meat or tofu– was originally a popular dish in the Cantonese region of China. In fact, this dish is so synonymous with Cantonese food that it is commonly referred to as “Cantonese” style. When immigrants who previously cooked southern Chinese food started arriving in America, they adapted the fried rice recipe to American tastes.
7. Chinese food is not healthy or good for you
As mentioned above, a common belief about Chinese food is that it is unhealthy. However, most dishes are made to be eaten in moderation which means that they don’t typically have high fat or sodium content. In Americanized Chinese dishes, these often make their way into the recipe such as MSG, which can sometimes cause health problems.
