FOOD NEWS
Chinese-American Dishes That Aren't Prevalent In China
BY MONA BASSIL
Egg Rolls
Many dishes labeled Chinese in Western countries aren't traditional, such as egg rolls, which were likely created by Chinese immigrants in New York City.
This popular Chinese American dish was likely created by Henry Low or Lum Fong in the 1920s and has since become a popular crunchy appetizer.
Beef With Broccoli
Made of thinly sliced beef stir-fried with broccoli in a savory sauce, beef with broccoli was likely created in the U.S. by Chinese immigrants in the 1950s.
In fact, pork is a more common meat option in China, and since broccoli doesn’t even grow there, they use gai lan, a kale-like vegetable with thick stems.
General Tso's Chicken
With a tangy, sweet, and spicy flavor, General Tso is a popular Chinese American dish, but you won’t find it in traditional Chinese cuisine.
The dish was popularized in the '50s in Taiwan by a Hunanese immigrant chef named Peng Chang-kuei, who later opened a restaurant in NYC in the '70s.
Orange Chicken
You might be surprised to learn that orange chicken was created by none other than Panda Express, the renowned Chinese American fast-food chain.
The dish was first introduced in 1987 and was inspired by a Chinese dish made of chicken in a citrusy sauce that wasn’t as strong, sweet, or thick as orange chicken.
Crab Rangoon
Also called crab puffs, cheese wontons, or cream cheese rangoons, crab rangoons aren't found in China. Rather, they were likely created by restaurateur Victor Bergeron.
Bergeron was the founder of Trader Vic’s, a global Polynesian-themed restaurant chain, which was serving crab rangoon as early as the 1950s.