Chop suey, USA : the story of Chinese food in America / Yong Chen.

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American diners began to flock to Chinese restaurants more than a century ago, making Chinese food the first mass-consumed cuisine in the United States. By 1980, it had become the country's most popular ethnic cuisine. Chop Suey, USA offers the first comprehensive interpretation of the rise of Chine...

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Bibliographic Details
Uniform Title:Arts and traditions of the table.
Main Author: Chen, Yong, 1960-
Language:English
Published: New York : Columbia University Press, [2014]
Series:Arts and traditions of the table.
Subjects:
Cooking, Chinese.
Chinese > Social life and customs.
Food habits > History.
Physical Description:xvii, 292 pages, 12 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, charts, facsimiles, photographs ; 24 cm.
Format: Book
Contents:
  • Introduction : chop suey, the big mac of the pre-McDonald's era
  • Why is Chinese food so popular?
  • The empire and empire food
  • Chinese cooks as stewards of empire
  • The cradle of Chinese food
  • The rise of Chinese restaurants
  • The makers of American Chinese Food
  • "Chinese-American cuisine" and the authenticity of chop suey
  • The Chinese billat-savarin
  • Conclusion : the home of no return
  • Afterword : why study food?