Chinese Food Is Not Chinese (restaurants, russian, vegetables, tastes)

[WoodstockSchool1980]

I went to an Indian restaurant in Bend, Oregon (or I should say the Indian restaurant, since there's only one), and the food wasn't very authentic but it was tasty.

What really gave us a laugh was the belly dancer! We asked what part of India belly dancing was from (it isn't from India)

[Naturen]

Originally Posted by Rubi3

I know that with any subject, everyone does not know about it. I have no idea how many people may know about ethnic foods being Americanized, but I'm certain everyone doesn't know it. I know it, but there was a time in my life I didn't and tomorrow there will be more who don't know it and some who learn it.

I agree Rubi3. For the adage: 'learn something new everyday' this Thread may be that something new for someone.

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by weltschmerz

Not news to anyone, but I was surprised that most of veggies used here are not found in China at all.

My daughter spent a semester in China, and she liked a lot of the vegetables they eat there but that we don't have here. There was one she really likes, a green leafy thing with a hollow stem. I forget what the Chinese name is, but she told me that the translation is "empty green vegetable". LOL.

[George Chong]

Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801

My daughter spent a semester in China, and she liked a lot of the vegetables they eat there but that we don't have here. There was one she really likes, a green leafy thing with a hollow stem. I forget what the Chinese name is, but she told me that the translation is "empty green vegetable". LOL.

Sounds like she had ong choy or water spinach Permaculture Plants: Water Spinach or Kangkong | Temperate Climate Permaculture



It is very yummy

[cindersslipper]

As an Australian person who loves Chinese food, I couldn't wait to get over there myself and try the authentic version.

I swear, I nearly starved to death.

The food was uniformly disgusting (sadly I didn't go to the street markets, perhaps I should've but my kids were there too) and I almost literally starved to death. The kids always found something fried to eat but every meal I ordered I couldn't finish.

I had to eat at the hotel. They did a decent BLT.

The REAL Chinese food is greasy, greasy, greasy.

Reason being - they traditionally use every part of the animal and cram in every calorie they can.

Avoid the deep fried chicken beaks at the next table, a curry made of the rest of the chicken has enormous gobules of fat floating on it.

Chinese need the calories, Americans and Australians DON'T, as a result I eat fresh/low fat every day without even thinking about it. I would remove as much of the chicken fat I could as part of the process.

Not so the Chinese or other parts of Asia.

They also rely heavily on processed goods (not so much mainland China but in HK they do) so everything is gluggy, glutinous and half of it's out of a can.

I love Chinese food, just not the CHINESE Chinese food!

[weltschmerz]

Originally Posted by George Chong

Sounds like she had ong choy or water spinach Permaculture Plants: Water Spinach or Kangkong | Temperate Climate Permaculture



It is very yummy

Kong Xin Tsai
It IS yummy!

[JrzDefector]

I grew up with a lot of Asian friends, so I never really had any illusions about "authentic" Asian cuisines. I've always viewed the food in most American Chinese restaurants as Chinese the way Pizza Hut or Papa John's is considered "kind of" close to pizza in New Jersey. When people rave about "authentic" Chinese food at a particular place, I tend to become very wary because sooner or later it's going to involve an animal or part of an animal I would never consider viable food unless I was starving. I freely admit to being a spoiled American.

[MSwartz]

Chinese food is incredibly varied by region of origin. It is unfair to group it all under a singular umbrella then have a debate about authenticity. I've had some food in China that somewhat resembled dishes I've ordered at Chinese restaurants in the United States, but I agree that the image Americans have of Chinese food isn't at all 'Chinese'. It's more like, you could go to China and pick out 1/1000th of the dishes served there, and bring them back, and that might be able to pass as 'Chinese' food in a US restaurant, but the small sample isn't representational of the larger picture.

[TabulaRasa]

Most countries of any geographic size have regional cuisine. It's like calling something "American Food." Or, worse, the popular foodie moniker, "New American." As if that has some universally understood meaning (outside of, typically, carefully styled with fussy ingredients and with small portions).

[weltschmerz]

Sounds like she had ong choy or water spinach Permaculture Plants: Water Spinach or Kangkong | Temperate Climate Permaculture

So, 'choi' means 'leafy green'? As in Bok Choi?
(Love that, too)