Upon arriving in China, there was probably a restaurant’s worth of dishes that you thought originated in your new hometown, and chances are, you might still think that. However, I’m here to tell you that more than a few of them aren’t actually Chinese at all! In fact, numerous cultures have created their own versions of “Chinese food.” So, without further ado, I bring you, six Chinese food imposters.
#1: Crab rangoons
Who doesn’t love freshly-fried wantons with crunchy skin and creamy crab filling? They’re excellent appetizers on many a Chinese restaurant dinner table. However, it’s a far cry from authentic Chinese cuisine, since rangoons were invented by Victor Bergeron, founder of US-based Chinese food restaurant and tiki bar chain, Trader Vic’s in the late-19th century.
#2: Orange chicken
This dish may be a favorite amongst many foreign communities but you won’t find it in any authentic Chinese restaurant! Although there are similar Chinese dishes with that signature blend of sweet and sour flavors (see every foreigners’ other favorite dish, kung pao chicken), this combination of fried chicken and orange is still something unfamiliar to most Chinese people.
#3: General Tsao’s chicken
This dish is very similar to orange chicken in terms of preparation and worldwide popularity. It consists of fried chicken tossed in a tangy, sweetly spicy sauce, and named after Zuo Zongtang, a Chinese military leader and statesman from the late Qing dynasty. Admittedly, the chicken itself doesn’t have much to do with him other than the name.
#4: Jjajangmyeon
Ask a Korean to name a Chinese dish and there’s a 99.9 percent chance that the answer is jjajangmyeo. Its name is similar to Beijing’s zhajiangmian, as is the dish itself! Honestly, just looking at the two side by side reveals very little difference. But when you tuck into the noodles, hmmm…zhajiangmian tends to be quite salty, whereas jjajangmyeon isn’t savory at all, but sweet! The funny thing is that if you try to find jjajangmyeon in Beijing, it’s only available in Korean restaurants.
#5: Fortune cookies
A fortune cookie itself is a simple, crispy cookie made out of ingredients such as flour, sugar, vanilla, and oil. What makes it so special, however, is the little piece of paper inside: the fortune, which usually bears some sort of aphorism or prediction.
#6: Beef and broccoli
Yet another dish that’s found on the menu of just about every Western Chinese restaurant! It originated from a Chinese dish called gai lan, a type of vegetable and beef stir fry. However, when early immigrants failed to find gai lan in the US, broccoli became the substitute and thus this dish was born.
KEEP READING: You Say Mandu, I Say Jiaozi! Food Doppelgangers From Around the World
Photos: Unsplash
