Can anyone cook authentic Chinese food?

[TCooperWFI]

I travel to China about every six weeks.
There's a big difference in the types of Chinese food.
Hot and sour soup is different in almost every city.
Typically the further south you go in the country the spicier it is.
Anything south of Nanjing and Shanghai usually includes diced or thin sliced Chinese peppers, extremely hot (think habaneros on steroids).
I love to cook Cajun, so I love the extra spicy Chinese and Korean dishes.
I have the benefit of spending enough time there to try a lot of dishes.
Most of what we consider Chinese in the US is typically not found in Chinese restaurants in China. You should see some of the stuff I consume when in Asia!

 

[Natasha]

TC:
Thanks for the info. I have never been to China. I wonder how the fortune cookie thing got started. Any ideas?

 

[TCooperWFI]

Yep, it's a US invention.
The Chinese thinks it funny and they like to get them when in the US.
I host Chinese companies in the US about 4 times a year.

 

[Mako Mark]

The thai version of hot and sour is called Tom Yam and is ridiculously easy to make.

clear chicken or fish stock,
Three or four large prawns (per person) w/out heads and butterflied.
lots of lime juice
some lemon grass and three or four fresh hot green chilies cut lengthways in quarters (the mexican serrano chili is perfect)

One tomato quartered (per person)
quarter of an onion (per person)
and some straw mushrooms sliced.

Heat the broth, throw in the onions, lime, prawns and lemongrass untill the onion is clear, then add the chili and tomato and serve.

chuk dee naa kaap (good luck)

 

[Zippsy]

And fortune cookies are only given out after dinner in the west huh? The things you can learn on scuba board. Tell me more!

"Chinese" fortune cookies were invented by Makato Hagiwara in San Francisco for use in his restaurant, the Japanese Tea Garden. They sounded exotic to his customers and before long, Chinese restaurant all over the US started serving them too. I have seen one or two places in Asia that give them out but they are called American Fortune Cookies here. Go figure! Now, the story of French Fries.....

 

[pisces]

Ummmm. Egg foo young only has gravy in the West. No "authentic" Chinese that I know would would put gravy on it. Then again, i still can't find any Chinese thata have heard of fortune cookies either.

Yeah.... I was trying to figure out which province egg foo young might have come from.... And the weird thing is that when I go to, uh, less "diverse" parts of the US and feel those cravings for asian food, I have no choice but to go one of the two chinese restaurants in town.... I always try to order stir-fry dishes without the brown gravy sauce, and oftentimes they tell me that they can't do that.... huh?! So, I started wondering if there were parts of china where that was acutally the style of cooking....

 

[Dee]

It's the same thing with 'Mexican' food in Mexico. Go to a 'real' mexican restaurant, not one in a tourist area, and they may not even know what enchiladas and refied beans are. And nachos? They just give you a blank look....those that speak enough english to understand what you said!

 

[ReefGuy]

I can do a pretty good cashew chicken and beef/brocolli. I think the real secret with Chinese is that everying has to be fresh and room temp. A good wok helps, too.