Yes, but there is a standardized version of Chinese food found throughout America that is not found in China. That is the aspect that I am referring to.
Inauthentic Chinese food can be found throughout the world, but the fact that “authentic American Chinese food” exists is quite interesting.
Ever heard of a British curry house, though? They are pretty standardized too. And unlike the food sold in India.
Restauranteurs cater their menus to the local tastes in many countries.
Yes, and I would say that that is a very interesting aspect of British cuisine, as well.
I am not saying that America is unique in this regard, but rather that American cuisine is essentially a collection of different ethnic cuisines that have been modified in this way…to the point that Americans abroad pine for the Americanized versions of these.
I’m just going to leave this here.
Indeed, it is a proper cuisine. It’s just different from what is found in China; that’s all. But it is damn good. (What I wouldn’t give for a crab Rangoon right now…)
There is so much more to food than just authenticity.
I think Xiran’s¹ point is that American Chinese food is authentic. It’s just that it’s its own thing, so judging it on the standards of it not being authentic to Chinese Chinese food is like judging Cantonese food because it’s not authentic to Sichuan.
[1] I think Xiran is their given name and Zhao their surname, but I’m not expert enough to tell whether they’re using Anglophone order (personal family) or Chinese order (family personal).
But that’s my point. That’s what I’ve been saying all along.
I think you have our two points mixed up. I am not the one stressing the importance of authenticity. I have simply pointed out that they are very different while saying that the difference is interesting, but I mean interesting in a good way.
ETA: My quotations around “authentic American Chinese food” were not intended as sarcasm, but simply to denote that I was sticking these four words together as a single phrase. I apologize for the confusion.
ETA2: Oh my goodness, I just realized how my initial “I have been to China many times” must have sounded. I did not mean to come off as one of those people who goes to a Chinese restaurant in America and complains that it’s not authentic. I just wanted to point out that I have experienced both and found them to be very different but loved both (while finding the differences fascinating). I am so embarrassed by how that sentence looks reading over it again.
“I think you’re agreeing with me.”
“On the contrary, you’re agreeing with me.”
“Look, this looks like an argument, but you’re agreeing with me.”
Heidelberg before and Weinheim currently.
Heidelberg isn’t big at all but is oddly international since it’s a giant tourist trap and has a couple of institutions that draw people from different countries.
Heidelberg is an interesting place, and one I have no personal experience with. I heard that the university also contributes massively to the international community there. The US Army base also did quite some good on that, but is gone since 2015.
For students, this is definitely a good place to come to from the US, I think.
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