Two dishes that I absolutely must have are chicken wings and Chinese food.
I need my fix at least once a week. And Chinese food is undoubtedly an American passion. But how authentic is the Chinese food we choose? PopCrush.com and Business Insider have provided some insightful facts.
Since I live in Tuscaloosa, I prefer Mr. Chen’s. But am I ordering the “right thing”?
Americanized Chinese food is OK, but if you really want to eat authentic, read on for some good information.
Crab Rangoon: A personal favorite, but it has nothing to do with Chinese. Fried pouches of cream cheese are fake Chinese food, according to PopCrush.com. Business Insider recommends ordering xiao long bao, which are dumplings.
Spring rolls: Say that’s not true. Egg rolls aren’t Chinese either. Order spring rolls if you want more authentic Chinese, says Business Insider.
Sesame or Orange Chicken: To eat as authentically as possible, order Peking Duck. And skip General Tso’s Chicken if you like it authentic.
Dumplings: The only real thing is shrimp dumpling soup, not wonton soup, says Business Insider. For me, it’s a hot and sour soup.
Egg Foo Young: According to HuffPo, it was developed in the US as a way to use up leftovers.
Fortune cookies: Forget it. It’s all American.
The bottom line is: Order what you like best. But now you know that you might like American food best, not authentic Chinese food. Even if you use chopsticks.
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Gallery credit: Meg Dowdy