The Story Of American Chinese Food: From Gold Rush To General Tso’s

It’s sweet, it’s deep-fried, and it’s unmistakably American upon closer inspection. This is the story of how a community of Chinese immigrants taught America how to crave something new.

Lately, I’ve fallen down the rabbit hole of hybrid cuisines. Now, I don’t mean fusion cuisine, which is the intentional combination of elements from two or more distinct culinary traditions. What I’m referring to instead are cuisines that were born of one culture settling into another and bringing their food traditions to their new homes, evolving over time to become distinct culinary traditions in their own right.

Some examples of what I’m talking about are Nikkei, a style of cuisine that arose from Japanese immigrants adapting their cooking to Peruvian ingredients and sensibilities, as well as Tex-Mex, which saw the foodways of the Tejano people drawing inspiration from Mexican fare.

One such genre I’ve been reading about in particular is American-Chinese cuisine. You see it on TV all the time and, though they just call it Chinese food over there, a lot of the dishes aren’t actually found in China or, indeed, anywhere else. No, they were invented right there in the US of A, and virtually nobody else eats them. I think what drew me to it in the first place is that I happened to find it absolutely hilarious. Why? It’s just that the names and the ingredients and everything else scream American.

For example, the dish crab rangoon is so funny to me. It sounds exactly like an American person making up a Chinese dish. And then you look at the ingredients: fried wonton skins stuffed with artificial crab meat and cream cheese. Like, why does it have cream cheese in it, of all things? Isn’t it supposed to be Chinese food? I just love how ridiculous that is. And then what about chop suey? I can’t hear that and not think of System of a Down. Fortune cookies, as well, weren’t even a thing in China. In fact, they were invented in California as a Westernised version of the Japanese omikuji senbei. Japanese.

While what drew me in initially was the comedic value I derived from it, this eventually gave way to a most engrossing fascination. There’s actually quite an interesting story behind it, and it all starts with the California Gold Rush of the mid-19th century. This was a period of time that saw the mass immigration of Chinese labourers to America in search of work as gold miners and railroad workers.

As more Chinese began to arrive, the state then introduced laws preventing immigrants from owning land, which forced the Chinese to gather in cities, where they started small businesses, including restaurants and laundromats. These smaller restaurants took Chinese food and adapted it to fit the tastes of their American customers, such as the miners and railroad workers of the day.

The location of the first Chinese restaurant is a matter of debate, with some citing Macau and Woosung as the inaugural establishment, while others say it was the Canton Restaurant instead. The only reliable information we have on those two places is that they were both founded in San Francisco in 1849.

These places and other such restaurants played an important role in the daily lives of the Chinese immigrants, providing a semblance of connection to home and serving as a go-to for the many bachelors who didn’t necessarily have the knowledge or resources to cook for themselves. More than just eateries, they also functioned as gathering places and cultural centres for the Chinese community.

Eventually, these restaurants spread and made their way to towns where Chinese food had previously been unknown. The late 19th century saw some Chinese restaurants in San Francisco grow from their humble beginnings to become more luxurious affairs, though these were still mainly frequented by Chinese customers. By the late 20th century, tastes began to change once more to accommodate domestic residents. At this point, the clientele for these restaurants had ceased to be mainly just Chinese.

Now, in the present day, Chinese food has become part and parcel of American life, and getting a Chinese takeout is about as common as anything else. While I’ve spent a decent portion of this article poking fun at these dishes, I must admit that they actually do seem rather appetising to me. Think Chinese food, but with characteristic American excess. That means bold sauces, turning the sweetness up a notch, and a fair bit of deep frying to boot.

While we’re spoilt for choice with the Chinese food we have over here, I’d be lying if I said I don’t look forward to the day I get a chance to dig into a plate of moo goo gai pan or General Tso’s chicken. Maybe I’ll even chase it down with a bucket of soda and watch the “football” while I’m at it.

Opening photo: John Margolies Roadside America Photograph Archive (1972-2008) | Picryl