Food Trivia Question from the Oriental Oasis Newsletter
TRIVIA QUESTION: I am famous for being the quintessential American-Chinese dish. Common belief is that I was invented in the 1800's by Cantonese immigrants. Another story is that I was the last-minute creation of a Japanese chef who threw together some leftovers late one evening in a desperate effort to satisfy a visiting general. Few people realize that my true origins can be found in China. What am I?
TRIVIA ANSWER: Chop Suey. Many people are aware that chop suey is the English pronunciation of the Cantonese words "tsap seui" (tsa-sui in Mandarin), which means "mixed pieces." However, most think this dish was created by early Chinese immigrants.
In fact, according to anthropologist E.N. Anderson, the idea of combining leftover vegetables and noodles into a single, stir-fried dish originated in Toisan, a rural area south of Canton. Since many of the original immigrants were from this region, they naturally prepared the type of food they were familiar with.
Recipe: Chop Suey
