Throughout history, there has been a strong pattern of American ideals that can both positively and negatively influence ethnic food as it migrates to Americans and their lifestyles. This is most evident through the adaptation of Chinese food to fit American culture, especially analyzed within the documentary, The Search for General Tso. Furthermore, additional readings such as The Future is Expensive Chinese Food and Appetites and Anxieties: Food, Film, and the Politics of Representation emphasize the argument of an influence on ethnic food and the adaptation post-migration. Moreover, as these two cultures collide, you begin to witness a clash of ideals between one another. This will ultimately lead to the general tension, as to how the ethnic
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This dish was an attempt to reach to the American consumers by mixing common and recognizable meats with so called exotic vegetables that held little to no flavor. In association with this, these same restaurants that offered chop suey appealed to everyday Americans by offering menu items that they were more familiar to such as a clubhouse sandwich and steaks (Murray, 2014). Another example of the adaptation being shown throughout history as explained in the film would be from the Chinese restaurant located in Louisiana. This restaurant specifically caters to the population in the south as it offers unique dishes involving alligator and crawfish as well as a Louisiana Chinese gumbo (Murray, 2014). From the examples provided by the film, it is evident that there is a strong impact and influence on Chinese cuisine due to these restaurants being forced to cater and suit the needs of American lifestyle to stay in business and make …show more content…
This dish that changed Americans’ perception of Chinese food, can best be seen through the analysis within the Journal of Transnational American Studies. Author Haiming Liu provides his readers with the ideal that as the growth of Chinese restaurants continued, owners and employees took full advantage of this craze that swarm through the United States (2009). These consumers found their perfect combination in this dish as “it embodied Chineseness as imagined by Americans” as well as remained true to the characteristics of average Americans who desired an easy to order and go meal (Liu, 2009, p. 11). Liu also recognizes that the dish of chop suey was not meant as an attempt to introduce Americans to authentic Chinese food as he states, “As the alleged ‘inventor’ of chop suey, Sen emphasizes that he was born in the United States, had never been to China, and had intended to ‘manufacture some weird dish that would pass as Chinese.’” (Liu, 2009, p.
This dish was an attempt to reach to the American consumers by mixing common and recognizable meats with so called exotic vegetables that held little to no flavor. In association with this, these same restaurants that offered chop suey appealed to everyday Americans by offering menu items that they were more familiar to such as a clubhouse sandwich and steaks (Murray, 2014). Another example of the adaptation being shown throughout history as explained in the film would be from the Chinese restaurant located in Louisiana. This restaurant specifically caters to the population in the south as it offers unique dishes involving alligator and crawfish as well as a Louisiana Chinese gumbo (Murray, 2014). From the examples provided by the film, it is evident that there is a strong impact and influence on Chinese cuisine due to these restaurants being forced to cater and suit the needs of American lifestyle to stay in business and make …show more content…
This dish that changed Americans’ perception of Chinese food, can best be seen through the analysis within the Journal of Transnational American Studies. Author Haiming Liu provides his readers with the ideal that as the growth of Chinese restaurants continued, owners and employees took full advantage of this craze that swarm through the United States (2009). These consumers found their perfect combination in this dish as “it embodied Chineseness as imagined by Americans” as well as remained true to the characteristics of average Americans who desired an easy to order and go meal (Liu, 2009, p. 11). Liu also recognizes that the dish of chop suey was not meant as an attempt to introduce Americans to authentic Chinese food as he states, “As the alleged ‘inventor’ of chop suey, Sen emphasizes that he was born in the United States, had never been to China, and had intended to ‘manufacture some weird dish that would pass as Chinese.’” (Liu, 2009, p.