# A question for Chinese people. What do you think of American Chinese food? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 28, 2023, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-chinese-people-what-do-you-think-of-american-chinese-food/992237 "2023-10-28T19:01:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2023, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-chinese-people-what-do-you-think-of-american-chinese-food/992237/41 "2023-10-29T15:40:08Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > I was wondering the other day about Chinese cheese. It is not a prominent feature in their food, I know few Chinese dishes which use it and don’t know how easy I could buy it in Canada. Many other people have lactose intolerance or different livestock so this doesn’t explain much; not like you can’t find pizza, other dairy or Italian food in Chinese cities. Lactose tolerance is much more common among people with Northern European ancestry; people from other ancestries (such as Asian) are much more likely to be lactose intolerant. This article cites that 90+% of East Asian adults suffer from lactose intolerance. > **[Why lactose-free is going to be massive in Asia | DSM Food & Beverage](https://www.dsm.com/food-beverage/en_US/insights/insights/dairy/why-lactose-free-is-going-to-be-massive-in-asia.html#)** > > Why is lactose-free dairy going to be massive in Asia? Here are some interesting arguments from our expert, Global Business Manager Milk at DSM, Ben Rutten ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2023, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-chinese-people-what-do-you-think-of-american-chinese-food/992237/42 "2023-10-29T15:46:57Z")
Sure, but lactose intolerance is common in many places. It’s not like it can’t be overcome or mitigated. Or that Asians everywhere don’t enjoy pizza or other dairy. Or that there is no Chinese cheese (a Google suggests four common types but I had not heard of all of them.) In medical school we learned of differences in how various people metabolize alcohol. It was still pretty popular the last time I checked. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2023, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-chinese-people-what-do-you-think-of-american-chinese-food/992237/43 "2023-10-29T15:52:45Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > Sure, but lactose intolerance is common in many places. It’s not like it can’t be overcome or mitigated. Or that Asians everywhere don’t enjoy pizza or other dairy. Or that there is no Chinese cheese (a Google suggests four common types but I had not heard of all of them.) I think that lactose-free dairy products (and medications like Lactaid) are a fairly recent development (i.e., within the last few decades), as is the availability of western dairy-based food products (like pizza) in China. The historical fact that the vast majority of Chinese were lactose-intolerant likely explains why cheese was not a popular ingredient in the various traditional Chinese cuisines, which is what you seemed to be asking about: > [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > I was wondering the other day about Chinese cheese. It is not a prominent feature in their food, I know few Chinese dishes which use it ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2023, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-chinese-people-what-do-you-think-of-american-chinese-food/992237/44 "2023-10-29T15:54:04Z")
I offered our Chinese waiter a taste of our wine (we’d known him awhile). He frowned and said, “Chinese people do not drink”. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2023, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-chinese-people-what-do-you-think-of-american-chinese-food/992237/45 "2023-10-29T15:56:08Z")
Cheese, except for cottage cheese, is quite low in lactose. Most of the lactose is in the whey, a byproduct of cheese making process, and not the curds, which are formed into cheese. This probably explains why eating cheese is more popular than drinking milk in some places where rates of lactose intolerance are high. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2023, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-chinese-people-what-do-you-think-of-american-chinese-food/992237/46 "2023-10-29T15:59:55Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > Cheese, except for cottage cheese, is quite low in lactose. Most of the lactose is in the whey, a byproduct of cheese making process, and not the curds, which are formed into cheese. That may be, but if pretty much everyone in a population is lactose intolerant, it might explain why a dairy industry (including the production of cheese) never really took off. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2023, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-chinese-people-what-do-you-think-of-american-chinese-food/992237/47 "2023-10-29T16:58:36Z")
Fair enough. And thanks for the interesting link. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2023, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-chinese-people-what-do-you-think-of-american-chinese-food/992237/48 "2023-10-29T18:25:27Z")
Mongolian cuisine has a lot of dairy and cheese. So that goes for Inner Mongolia as well. China is a diverse place. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2023, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-chinese-people-what-do-you-think-of-american-chinese-food/992237/49 "2023-10-29T18:39:53Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Not sure why that seems to bug you. I think the point is knowing the name of a dish but not knowing the culture might be less than optimal. Imagine a visitor from China puzzling over ‘Denver omelette’ or ‘toad in the hole’. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2023, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-chinese-people-what-do-you-think-of-american-chinese-food/992237/50 "2023-10-29T18:53:23Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Imagine a visitor from China puzzling over ‘Denver omelette’ or ‘toad in the hole’. But…they can ask about it if they can read it. A menu in Chinese is inscrutable to most Americans unless they have been taught the language. But, I can use translation tech which will show me there is a Beijing Egg on the menu. I have no idea what that is but now I can ask the waiter. Without that tech I would never even know to ask. That said, I have used it on Chinese menus and they do better than you’d think. The names are…descriptive. Not saying it is perfect but it helps some. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2023, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-chinese-people-what-do-you-think-of-american-chinese-food/992237/51 "2023-10-29T18:56:03Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Imagine a visitor from China puzzling over ‘Denver omelette’ or ‘toad in the hole’. They may get the Hot Dog all wrong and never think to ask because it seems so evident. Would they be disappointed? Probably. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2023, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-chinese-people-what-do-you-think-of-american-chinese-food/992237/52 "2023-10-29T19:04:36Z")
A couple of times, while travelling, I have been in a situation where the restaurant workers and I had zero languages in common. At that point, miming can distinguish, say, vegetables from meat, but you have to be prepared to pick something randomly and be surprised. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2023, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-chinese-people-what-do-you-think-of-american-chinese-food/992237/53 "2023-10-29T19:08:56Z")
FWIW here is Google Lens translating a Chinese menu. I admit, I’d have many questions. But I am further along than with the menu I cannot read at all. First pic is the original menu. Second pic is the Google translation: [![](https://www.fluentinmandarin.com/content/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/IMG_1471.jpg) ](https://www.fluentinmandarin.com/content/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/IMG_1471.jpg) [![](https://i.imgur.com/ISpSmTX.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/ISpSmTX.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2023, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-chinese-people-what-do-you-think-of-american-chinese-food/992237/54 "2023-10-29T20:35:05Z")
Hot waist flower sounds interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2023, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-chinese-people-what-do-you-think-of-american-chinese-food/992237/55 "2023-10-29T20:36:23Z")
I kinda liked “Shoot the Cucumber.” Definitely want to know more about that dish. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2023, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-chinese-people-what-do-you-think-of-american-chinese-food/992237/56 "2023-10-29T21:33:27Z")
Too salty. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2023, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-chinese-people-what-do-you-think-of-american-chinese-food/992237/57 "2023-10-29T21:43:50Z")
Gotta say, one of the most memorable meals I’ve ever had was a 4th of July picnic when I was in college. I was in a Bible study group that did a lot of outreach to the Chinese students, and they were all eating our food, and we were all eating their food, which had all identifiable ingredients and it was all delicious. ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2023, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-chinese-people-what-do-you-think-of-american-chinese-food/992237/58 "2023-10-29T22:56:25Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > Cheese, except for cottage cheese, is quite low in lactose. Most of the lactose is in the whey, a byproduct of cheese making process, and not the curds, which are formed into cheese. This probably explains why eating cheese is more popular than drinking milk in some places where rates of lactose intolerance are high. This has always been my assumption, but for some reason I never really dug into it… if I drink a glass of milk, I’m in for an unpleasant remainder of my day, but I can eat a half-pound of cheddar/swiss/mozzarella cheese with no problem. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2023, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-chinese-people-what-do-you-think-of-american-chinese-food/992237/59 "2023-10-29T23:37:41Z")
I’m most curious about the “Saliva chicken” or the “Gluttonous Bullfrog”. Not saying I want to eat either, but the names are spectacularly intriguing. Or the “Couple’s Lung Slices”, which is obscured by that black square in the screenshot. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2023, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-chinese-people-what-do-you-think-of-american-chinese-food/992237/60 "2023-10-30T00:07:30Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I’ve been to Chinatown in Chicago and more than a few restaurants there have a predominantly Chinese clientele (and this is right in the middle of it all). So much so that when I went in one place with my brother I got a feeling we were not really welcome. To be clear, no one harassed us and the restaurant served us same as anyone (if a bit slower). The waiters seemed to barely understand English. The food was very good. > > I have also been told some Chinese restaurants in the US might have two menus. One for Americans and one for Chinese people who come in that has more authentic Chinese dishes on it. I’ve never had the nerve to ask though. There are several restaurants in Chicago’s Chinatown that have the two-menu system. I went to them with people who were in on the “secret menu” thing, I had the impression the average non-Chinese tourist probably would never know the other menu even existed in most cases. The second menu is entirely in Chinese which makes ordering very interesting. At the time I had been eating enough Chinese food to be able to identify characters for certain items but it was a pretty crude understanding on my part. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-chinese-people-what-do-you-think-of-american-chinese-food/992237.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-chinese-people-what-do-you-think-of-american-chinese-food/992237.md?page=4)