Part I - Chinese Foods and Chinese Restaurants in America

The Development of Chinese Food

When we think of Chinese food, we think of rice based savory dishes, but desserts and light pastries are also a major part of Chinese cuisine. Chinese pastry was being made in the Neolithic Age with the advent of the corn grinder for flour. Steamed honey cake and fried pastry delicacies were the early offerings. As utensils and cooking ranges were developed, many more light refreshments were created.

As time went on, dumplings, noodles and pancakes were introduced to the masses. In South China, spring rolls became popular and they are still a firm favorite today. Zhongzi, which are rice dumplings shaped like pyramids and wrapped in bamboo leaves, and deep fried dough called youtiao were cleverly developed.

Chinese food is eaten with a pair of wooden chopsticks, so Chinese cooks generally serve the food in ready-prepared bite-sized pieces. Pork is traditionally used in Chinese dishes rather than beef, as pigs were easy to raise and were not used for farm labor. Traditionally every Chinese home would have a pig under its roof which it reared for meat.

Chinese food is a favorite cuisine with vegetarians and Buddhists as it contains a large selection of vegetables. Mushooms, beansprouts, corn and bok choy are traditionally used along with rice. Authentic Chinese cuisine has only added meat in larger quantities in the latter part of the 20th century with the more affluent times. Silver Spring

Chinese Restaurants in America

It is estimated that there are over 41,000 Chinese restaurants in America, which is more than the number of McDonalds, Wendy’s and Burger King outlets combined! Chinese cuisine was introduced to America as an exotic taste from the Orient, but it is now a thoroughly American concept. In a survey of children’s food, 9% of children aged 10-13 said American food was their favorite, compared with 39% who chose Chinese food.

Chinese menus in American restaurants nowadays bear little resemblance to the traditional Chinese cuisine of the home country. Crab Rangoon, chop suey and sweet and sour dishes were all developed in America for the American taste. The adaptability and versatility of the Chinese restaurateurs has led them to create a popular cuisine that suits the New York City palettes just as well as the immigrant communities in small rural towns. Chinese entrepreneurs were quick to see what Americans wanted to eat in their restaurants, and they responded by adapting their dishes to suit.

Every American town has a least one Chinese restaurant and more entrepreneurs every year borrow capital, commit to long hours and low wages and go into business. The exotic script, eastern décor, black lacquered furniture and place mats depicting the Chinese year symbols all add to the pleasurable experience of eating out in a Chinese restaurant today.