Earlier this week, Panda Express, the Chinese-American fast food chain peppered through shopping malls across the United States, announced that they have plans to expand their chain to a larger market: China. This is an interesting decision given that most of the “Chinese” food sold at the chain is an American invention. Items like General Tso’s chicken, Chop Suey – which appetizingly translates to “leftovers” in Chinese – and even fortune cookies will be foreign items on the Chinese menu.
In a recent interview with NPR, writer Jennifer 8. Lee recounted a trip to the hometown of General Tso in the Hunan province of China, where over 300 members of his family still live: “I showed [the family members] pictures of General Tso’s chicken, and I said, ‘Do you know this dish?’ And they looked at it and they were like, ‘Huh, we’ve never seen this!’ And then they would squint and say, ‘Is this Chinese food?’ Because it doesn't look like Chinese food to them.”
Which would lead most people to wonder why on earth Panda Express thought it would be a good idea to bring their American fast-food to China. Ming Tsai, owner of the Blue Ginger Restaurant in Wellesley, Massachusetts recently told CNN that Chinese-American cuisine, like the food sold at Panda Express, is “dumbed-down” Chinese food. “It’s adapted for the wrong reasons, to be blander, thicker and sweeter for the American public.” With the success of fast-food chains like McDonalds and KFC in the economically expanding land, Panda Express is likely hoping for the chains’ success simply because the food is so American.
For some, the idea of bringing Chinese-American food to China is as ludicrous as sending Pizza Hut to Italy. Only time will tell if Panda Express finds success in its "native" land. In the meantime, if you’re looking for some authentic Chinese grub, a far cry from food court fare, Lee hands out one final tip: “No American, fully American-Chinese restaurant would serve jellyfish. So if you find somewhere with jellyfish on the menu, you're in for a truly Chinese taste treat.”
No restuarants in town serving authentic Chinese cooking? Then check out this great recipe for an exotic jellyfish salad, taken from The Babbo Cookbook by Mario Batali and wow your friends all by yourself.
