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American Chinese cuisine is a unique style of cooking served by Chinese Restaurants in the United States . This new type of cooking was created for Western tastes, but Westerners exposed only to this variety may not realize that it differs from the Cuisine Of China . Some restaurants advertise their status by writing "Western food" on their signs in Chinese , or by using the term ''Chinese-American'' in their signage. It alerts those who seek more traditional dishes, while still attracting those who are either unable to read Chinese or are looking for westernized fare. Canadian Chinese Cuisine is quite similar to American Chinese cuisine. HISTORY In the 19th century, Chinese restaurateurs developed American Chinese cuisine when they modified their food for American tastes. First catering to Railroad workers, they opened restaurants in towns where Chinese food was completely unknown. These restaurant workers adapted to using local ingredients and catered to their customer's tastes, in the process inventing numerous new dishes such as Chop Suey . As a result, they developed a style of Chinese food never seen in China. These "chop suey houses" are now increasingly rare, as modern Chinese restaurants in the United States are now more likely to be run by more recently immigrated generations of Chinese. The influx of immigrants in the late 20th century disdained the Americanized dishes, preferring more traditional Chinese food. More authentic classical Chinese cuisine now dominates major cities with large Chinese populations like San Francisco and New York . Modern American Chinese cuisine targetting non-Chinese customers, found in especially in places with few Chinese American s, typically offers cuisine adopted from traditional Chinese dishes to suit American tastes, along with classic staples of Chinese American cuisine, such as Fortune Cookies . One finds this type of Americanized cuisine in " Mom And Pop " Restaurant s, "tourist trap" Diner s, and small town restaurants. Panda Express and Manchu WOK are popular franchise restaurants that offer Westernized dishes in shopping malls. AMERICAN VERSUS TRADITIONAL MENUS American Chinese food treats vegetables as garnish while authentic styles emphasize vegetables. Authentic Chinese cuisine makes frequent use of Asian leafy vegetables like Bok Choy and Gai-lan , and puts a greater emphasis on Seafood . American Chinese food is usually less pungent than authentic cuisine. American Chinese food tends to be cooked very quickly with lots of oil and salt. Many dishes are quickly and easily prepared, and require inexpensive ingredients. Stir-frying , Pan-frying , and Deep-frying tend to be the most common cooking techniques which are all easily done using a Wok . The food also has a reputation for high levels of MSG to enhance the flavor; the symptoms of MSG sensitivity have been dubbed " Chinese Restaurant Syndrome " or "Chinese food syndrome". While there is heated scientific debate over whether or not MSG is harmful, market forces and customer demand have enouraged many restaurants to offer "MSG Free" or "No MSG" menus. Most American Chinese establishments cater to non-Chinese customers with menus written in English; if Chinese menus are available, they typically feature ethnocentric delicacies, like Liver or Chicken Feet , that might deter Western customers. The following items, however, generally appear on both menus: Chinese American dishes
Americanized versions of traditional Chinese dishes
REGIONAL VARIATIONS ON AMERICAN CHINESE CUISINE San Francisco Since the early 1990s, many American Chinese restaurants influenced by the Cuisine Of California have opened in San Francisco and the Bay Area . The trademark dishes of American Chinese cuisine remain on the menu, but there is more emphasis on fresh vegetables, and the selection is vegetarian-friendly. The new cuisine has exotic ingredients like is often offered as an optional alternative to White Rice . Chop Suey is not widely available in San Francisco , and the city's chow mein is different from Midwestern chow mein. Authentic restaurants with Chinese-language menus may offer 黃毛鶏 ( chicken, as opposed to typical American mass-farmed chicken. Yellow-hair chicken is valued for its flavor, but needs to be cooked properly to be tender due to its lower fat and higher muscle content. This dish usually does not appear on the English-language menu. Dau Miu (), literally Bean Grass but actually snow pea vines, is a Chinese vegetable that has become popular since the early 1990s, and now not only appears on English-language menus, usually as "pea shoots", but is often served by upscale non-Asian restaurants as well. Originally it was only available during a few months of the year, but it is now grown in greenhouses and is available year-round. Hawaii Owing to the different history of the Chinese In Hawaii , Hawaiian Chinese food developed a bit differently from the continental United States. Owing to the diversity of ethnicities in Hawaii, Chinese cuisine forms a component of the Cuisine Of Hawaii , which is a Fusion of different culinary traditions. Some Chinese dishes are typically served as part of Plate Lunch es in Hawaii. Some names of foods are different like '' Manapua '' from Hawaiian meaning ''chewed up pork'' for the dim sum ''bao'', not just the pork variety. As is typical in Hawaii, Chinese food in Hawaii is also noted for its use of SPAM , much to the puzzlement of outsiders. Springfield, Missouri . It was invented at Leong's Tea House in Springfield and is responsible for the large numbers of Chinese restaurants in the city. The dish has spread to several other cities, where it is sometimes known as "Springfield-style cashew chicken". AMERICAN CHINESE FAST FOOD CHAINS
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