American or Chinese: Can You Guess These Foods?

Think you know your food? Most of us have eaten these delicious dishes, but you might be surprised at their origins.  

Peking Duck

Peking duck is a delicacy with presentation and style. The dish can be found in the states, but it traces its origins to imperial China. It is now considered the national dish of China, and with the crackling skin on the meat, scallions and hoisin sauce blend of flavors, it’s no wonder why.  

Crab Wontons

Deep friend dumplings filled with crab meat and cream cheese are popular side dishes at American Chinese food restaurants, but you won’t find them in traditional Chinese cooking. Chinese food doesn’t incorporate dairy into its recipes, opting for bean paste or duck’s blood instead. You can also see the Southern influence in the fried dough.  

Chow Fun

This rice noodle dish is made up of stir-fried noodles, vegetables and seafood. It’s a staple of traditional Cantonese cooking, and a popular favorite in Chinese restaurants. In American restaurants, you can find variations of this dish with sweet-glazed pork or beef.  

Extra Credit: Ramen

What’s a Japanese dish doing in a list of traditional Chinese foods versus Americanized foods? It turns out that this popular noodle soup can trace its roots back to Chinese expansion into Japan. They brought tea and noodles to the land of the rising sun, and the Japanese claimed the dish for themselves with their own variations.