American Chinese food developed as it’s own thing based on what ingredients they could get. Immigrants from Guandgong (Canton) were the first major wave arriving in the US, so American Chinese has a definite Cantonese influence. Sichuanese is probably the most common “authentic regional Chinese cuisine” in the US now. A lot of Chinese restaurants in the US are actually run by immigrants from Fujian now.
The buffets in particular are a specialty of Fujianese, apparently the thousands of people across the US running them almost all come from the same small town.
Can confirm, I legit go out of my way to drive a good bit to pickup Sichuan food if folks are hosting a get-together and propose Chinese. Thanks Rick and Morty for making regional differences in Chinese cooking more popular with the Szechuan sauce reference.
Lo Mein is Cantonese, but most of what’s called Lo Mein in the US is really Chow Mein, I think (which is also Cantonese).
Isn’t most Chinese food in the US Cantonese?
American Chinese food developed as it’s own thing based on what ingredients they could get. Immigrants from Guandgong (Canton) were the first major wave arriving in the US, so American Chinese has a definite Cantonese influence. Sichuanese is probably the most common “authentic regional Chinese cuisine” in the US now. A lot of Chinese restaurants in the US are actually run by immigrants from Fujian now.
The buffets in particular are a specialty of Fujianese, apparently the thousands of people across the US running them almost all come from the same small town.
Yeah, there is a silly amount of Chinese restaurant owners/employees in the US who all come from Fuzhou.
Can confirm, I legit go out of my way to drive a good bit to pickup Sichuan food if folks are hosting a get-together and propose Chinese. Thanks Rick and Morty for making regional differences in Chinese cooking more popular with the Szechuan sauce reference.
Yea, there’s been more northern food recently though. Mostly Shanghai and Sichuan and Chongqing I’ve seen
It’s the opposite. Americans, especially on the west coast, use the term “chow mein” for what is properly called “lo mein”.
Maybe that’s a west coast thing, but on the east coast and in the south, chow mein is usually called lo mein.
What I’m saying is that on the west coast, the term “lo mein” isn’t really used. The dish “lo mein” is served under the name “chow mein”.