Why is the West obsessed with Chinese food?

@sstronaut well that's mainly East Asians and Middle East, but other Asians can and do adapt quite well

They do that to suit local tastes in order to make more money, as they know authentic food isn't appealing, at least not until the last I'd say 2 decades where young people prefer authenticity.

And you're right about Americanized Chinese food mainly being from 1 province, which would be Guangdong. That's where major cities like Hong Kong and Shenzhen are located, and where most earlier Chinese immigrated from to the West.

Guangdong is also where Cantonese is more dominant than Mandarin, yet the people there are still assimilated to the rest of the Chinese identity, unlike Tibet, Xinjiang, and Inner Mongolia.

@CrazyMusicLover there's too much variety of Chinese food, at least anything that's not Westernized. but if you've had Dim Sum before, then that's 100% Chinese (ok maybe not)

@uikakarotuevegeta I never had that. Last time I had something called "Chinese styled chicken" and it was pretty spicy from black pepper. I don't know if that rooted in any traditional recipe or it was just local invention of the Vietnamese who have this bistro. It was quite good (for a bistro). It's just with these foods it always feels like some generic Asian food (most probably westernized), typically using lots of vegetable in a sauce that most probably contains stuff like soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic and idk what else. I rarely see real Chinese names of foods.

@CrazyMusicLover ginger and garlic aren't uniquely Asian, or at least not to me

ok nevermind, ginger is native to Asia

@MartinTheFirst Thai food is a unique blend of culinary traditions from both the East and the West, reflecting the country's strategic location at the crossroads of Asia and its history of cultural exchange. Here are some ways in which Thai food combines elements of both Eastern and Western cuisines:

1. *Influence of Chinese cuisine*: Thai cuisine has been heavily influenced by Chinese cuisine, particularly in the use of stir-frying, steaming, and braising techniques. Many Thai dishes, such as pad thai and tom yum soup, have Chinese origins.
2. *Use of Indian spices*: Thai cuisine has also been influenced by Indian cuisine, particularly in the use of spices such as cumin, coriander, and turmeric. Many Thai curries, such as green curry and massaman curry, use a blend of Indian and Southeast Asian spices.
3. *Adoption of Western ingredients*: Thai cuisine has adopted many Western ingredients, such as tomatoes, potatoes, and chili peppers, which were introduced by European traders and colonizers. These ingredients have been incorporated into traditional Thai dishes, such as tom yum soup and pad thai.
4. *Influence of French cuisine*: Thai cuisine has also been influenced by French cuisine, particularly in the use of techniques such as baking and roasting. Many Thai desserts, such as crème brûlée and tarte tatin, have French origins.
5. *Use of Southeast Asian ingredients*: Thai cuisine has also been influenced by other Southeast Asian cuisines, such as Indonesian and Malaysian cuisine. Many Thai dishes, such as nasi goreng and satay, have origins in these cuisines.

@uikakarotuevegeta all in general, egg rolls, noodles,,rfried rice ,shrimp, lot i have never ate yet,

@jackrabbit10 shrimp isn't uniquely Asian

@uikakarotuevegeta I live in the southern part of the U,S,A, to me if they cook it sell it ,I will enjoy it,,what do I know,

@attyhenrytuason MSG just enhances flavour; there's nothing inherently addicting about it

@SpudMuffin ok maybe not as obsessed as American fast food...

@FreestyleArt that mainly applies to Chinese fast takeout, which is basically a Westernized form of Cantonese food as most earlier Chinese immigrants left Guangdong (where Hong Kong and Shenzhen are) for the West

@pancakeslam do they also get sick of eating hotdogs, hamburgers, pasta, etc?

@uikakarotuevegeta uh huh

@Thrust lol your comment is hidden

@Ferise1 Eastern people are tasty?