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Chinese cuisine is a truly unique dining experience, not only in its taste but also in the diversity of flavors and colours. This diversity is often a reflection of the various styles of cooking that exist in China and can be used as an aesthetic concept to highlight the variety of dishes on the menu (Counihan & Estenik, 2013). However, it should be pointed out that these elements are not to be made obtrusive, but rather, they should be used in subtle ways to represent the cultural aspects of Chinese culture Panda Express Menu
Traditional
Chinese-American cuisine has evolved over time. While many dishes have been adapted to suit the American taste, traditional dishes remain popular. For example, chop suey remains an iconic American dish and can still be found in most Chinese restaurants in America.
A traditional Chinese meal consists of grains, vegetables, fruit, and meat. The ingredients should be fresh, as this is essential to ensure that the food is prepared correctly and not spoiled before it is served.
The food must also be delicious and not bland. A good Chinese restaurant will not only offer dishes that taste good but will also be aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Often, this means incorporating subtle touches to new dishes. In addition to this, it is important for a restaurant to present the traditional tropes of Chinese cooking without being too obvious. This way, the audience can enjoy a more authentic experience of Chinese cuisine while at the same time gaining knowledge about the rich culture behind it.
Modern
The resurgence of Chinese restaurants in New York has been nothing short of spectacular, and many of the newcomers have recast classics as rice or noodle bowls. Still, the city’s heyday of authentic, regional cuisine isn’t over yet. A number of the city’s best Chinese restaurants are small carryout joints that continue to delight their local customers.
A surprisingly large proportion of the modern Chinese-American menu is devoted to the Sichuan cuisine of China’s southwest. This region is known for its chile peppers, but it’s also home to some of the finest seafood in the country, including pig trotters in chile oil and Nanjing salted duck. This is also the home of the snazzy most expensive dish in New York, a ma po tofu with lobster. In fact, it’s the most expensive Chinese dish in the world, a price tag that’s more than double what you’d pay at any of the top restaurants in the city.
Fusion
When Panda Express was first opening, in 1983, Chinese food was still seen as a bit of an exotic cuisine. Today, the chain is America’s biggest Chinese fast-food restaurant and has more than 1,900 locations worldwide.
Chief marketing officer Andrea Cherng spends a lot of time thinking about how mainstream America perceives Chinese food. And she’s aware that for a lot of Americans, Panda Express is their first taste of Chinese cuisine.
Cherng’s strategy is to make more traditional dishes like ma po tofu and congee a part of the chain’s repertoire. She works with chef Jimmy Wang to develop dishes that are familiar enough for Americans but still authentically Chinese.
Authenticity
As American palates evolved over time, a blend of recipes from different Chinese regions began to shape the cuisine we know as Chinese-American. Immigrants from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan adapted traditional recipes for American tastes.
They brought over dishes like chop suey, General Tso’s chicken and crab rangoon that would likely never make it onto an authentic Chinese menu. They also tweaked traditional family recipes to meet American taste – and that’s when Chinese-American cuisine started to take shape, says Harley Spiller.
These Americanized versions of Chinese cuisine aren’t as far removed from what’s available in China as it might seem. For example, kung pao chicken has a home in Sichuan; boba slushies have a spot in Southern California; and sweet-and-sour pork is found on the menu of mom-and-pop diners and upscale restaurants alike.
