For many Americans, there is often nothing better than ordering in Chinese food and eating it in front of the television. The United States has become very accustomed to trying foods from other countries. We are the melting pot, after all. What many Americans do not know is that there is a major difference between Americanized and authentic Chinese food. Here are some of the things that you may not know about this popular type of food.
Less Meat
Americans typically base almost their entire meal on meat and only eat a very small portion of vegetables. This is the reason that most Americanized Chinese food contains a lot less vegetables than authentic Chinese food does. In Asia, meals are based almost entirely on meat. This means that vegetables play a very large role in authentic Asian cuisine. Although there are some Chinese menu items that contain a decent amount of vegetables, many contain much more meat than you would find in Asia.
More Seafood
Authentic Chinese food typically consists of seafood. Although they sometimes do eat other types of meat, seafood is known to be very popular in Asia and other countries throughout the world. In addition to shrimp and lobster, it is also very common for authentic Chinese food to contain meat that is considered to be a delicacy. Shark fin soup and dishes which consist of jellyfish are known to be very popular among authentic Asian cuisine, for example.
Rice
In the United States, many of us eat Chinese food with fried rice. In China and throughout other parts of Asia, it is more common to eat only white rice. It is also very common for authentic Chinese food to skip out on rice altogether. Authentic Chinese cuisine may also consist of Low Mien instead of rice.
Popular Dishes
Many of the dishes which are very popular have only come to be in the United States. General Tsao’s chicken, egg drop soup, and chicken and broccoli are just two examples of these dishes. It is much more common for authentic Chinese cuisine to consist solely of sautéed mixed vegetables.
Spices
Traditional Chinese food contains spices that are much different than those used to prepare Americanized food. In the United States, we tend to prefer food which is saltier. Authentic Chinese is known to consist of seasonings that are both spicier and sweeter. Of course, spices will greatly vary according to the specific cook who is preparing the Chinese food, whether it is in the United States or China.
There are some cities throughout the United States, such as New York City and San Francisco, which are known to serve authentic Chinese food. Most of the restaurants that Americans visit on a regular basis cater to the United States population, however. While it may seem as though you are eating food which is eaten in another country, it is important to remember that most Chinese food has been so Americanized that is hard to get the taste of another culture aside from our own.
