What’s your favorite Chinese food?

Did you know that some of your favorite Chinese food on the menu were not authentic to China? Yes! Some of the food you’re used to having did not originate there.

The Chinese have many regional cuisines. Two of what most Americans may be familiar with are Sichuan and Hunan cuisines. Most commonly spicy, sweet, savory, and in red or brown sauce. In southeast Asia, and where I grew up (the Philippines), we’re mainly used to the Cantonese regional cuisines. These are mostly braised, savory, and in white sauce. These are just some of their many regional cuisines with all the same yummy goodness.

Food, they say, is a universal language. It is a language of many different varieties, and it is always evolving. It is constantly adapting.

Everywhere, foods are invented and prepared in a manner that people are used to. Some dishes are enhanced or practically customized to fit the palate.

One of the many types and most adapted cuisines are of the Chinese. Some ingredients are modified, adjust the looks and taste to fit a particular culture. General Tso’s and Orange chicken are probably one of your favorites, but those two dishes are only invented here.

Like language, food is constantly evolving based on what sources and ingredients are available on hand or based on what will appeal to the people in its locale.

Some would argue about a food’s authenticity, but food, like language, has many forms. Some would say it can only be authentic from its origin and that you can’t compare how authentic one’s cuisine is until you’ve had a taste of it from where it originated. But one can most definitely recreate a dish using all its original ingredients and still call it authentic.

Certainly, you have your preference. It’s like debating who’s southern fried chicken is more authentic. Or questioning Hawaiian-style pizza cause pizza is from Europe; hence no one can put pineapple in it. Food, like language, is made to adapt.

But food has one sole purpose, other than (okay) to nourish us. It is to draw people together. Wherever we’re from, whatever our culture is. However, we look like whatever flag we’re waving - we speak one language that we all understand - food.