Today, my partner and I are starting a new tradition: Celebration Cinco de Mayo with Chinese. Hope it catches on.
Just curious…I would imagine the Chinese food Americans eat is a far cry from what they eat in China?
It’s about as close as Taco Bell is to Mexican food.
From what I understand from the people who work there, it’s nothing like real Chinese food. Too much fat and sugar.
Cinco de Mayo is mostly an American holiday (and in Puebla, but it probably didn’t start there), so Taco Bell is the most appropriate meal today.
And of course, authentic != better.
Oddly enough my family eats Mexican food for Christmas, well, our homemade interpretations of Mexican food, anyway. Probably closer to Taco Bell than real Mexican food. It started as making chili to replace the fussy, formal turkey or ham meal my mother wanted and evolved from there.
Chinese sounds good, though. Maybe next year.
Correct. I haven’t been to the mainland, but I’ve been to Taiwan a couple of times. There’s not much comparison between Western Chinese food and what is eaten in the East.
Leaffan, what can you tell me about the differences?
Back when I was married we had some friends who were estranged from their family on both sides. So the husband and I would go for dinner at a Chinese restaurant while our wives did whatever the hell they ended up doing.
According to Fran on The Nanny, it doesn’t count when it’s Chinese food. 
When Fran first brought Chinese food into the Sheffields’ home, the younger daughter (Gracie) asked about the grease stains on the bag.
“Mmm, extra flavor!” Fran replied.
A lot more seafood and a lot more, or at least different, spice. At lunch with suppliers one day they ordered a bowl of spicy baby octopus, I think in hopes of shocking us. But me and my colleague had no problems digging into it, and eating it with chopsticks. Needless to say the supplier was impressed.
You won’t find anything like sweet and sour chicken balls, or garlic spare ribs. Again, much more seafood oriented.
Rice is on the side and just steamed rice. No chicken fried rice or anything.
Chicken feet are common.
There are always dipping sauces: some soy based, some hot sauce, even wasabi in some cases.
It’s been, what, 16 years since I was there last so I don’t remember everything, but sweetness was not a flavour, and seafood was abundant. I don’t even recall beef or pork, just sea creatures of all types, and chicken.
My family is Christian and we celebrate Christmas. Our Christmas-night tradition is to eat Chinese food and watch “A Christmas Story” which, funny enough, ends at a Chinese restaurant.
Like several others, never on Christmas day, but occasionally Christmas Eve. This past one, for example.