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3.33 AVERAGE
3.33 AVERAGE
Another surprisingly good read on Chinese food. I'd expected Chop Suey to delve into the origins of such well-loved American standards like moo goo gai pan, egg fu yong, General Tso's chicken and well, chop suey. Not unlike the Fortune Cookie Chronicles which was, unfortunately, a rather ghastly book. But Chop Suey surprised me by starting its exploration of the history of Chinese Food in the US with the Americans' first contact with China, when the Empress of China sailed to China in 1784 on a trading mission. Chop Suey is much more than a study on the origins and evolution of Chinese-American food; it also discusses American attitudes towards China and the Chinese over the centuries.
Interesting history of the intersection of American culture and Chinese food. Rushes through contemporary history near the end though.
informative
relaxing
slow-paced
informative
medium-paced
Interesting overview of the topic, and I loved the anecdotes and narrative style
This is a must read cuz u need to learn the facts about Asian culture and food, and why not start with a very common Asian cuisine that most of us have probably ate at least once in ur life.
informative
slow-paced
I absolutely adored this book. I'm Chinese-American from a community with more Asian people than white, but I never fully appreciated the access I had to top quality Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and other food growing up where I did. It wasn't until I moved to college to an area full of culture but devoid of authentic Chinese food that I got a glimpse of what the majority of Americans saw as Chinese food, and it was a sad shock to my suddenly rice deficient self. Reading this book brought me back to those first months away from home.
I will say that this book more accurately should be a cultural history of American PERCEPTION of Chinese food, since only half or so of the book was dedicated to Chinese food in the U.S. I really wish the author had kept going with his research, it seems like after writing up Nixon's visit to China he ran out of steam, giving only the briefest of mentions to Flushing and the San Gabriel Valley, when recently those areas have had a steady river of recent immigrants from all areas of China and Taiwan, creating a whole new culture of food that the book is sadly lacking. There were also large stretches of the book that I found mildly upsetting for the unrelentingly get racism of white people, but I suppose the author couldn't have done much about that except report it as it was. This book was a total pleasure otherwise to read.
I will say that this book more accurately should be a cultural history of American PERCEPTION of Chinese food, since only half or so of the book was dedicated to Chinese food in the U.S. I really wish the author had kept going with his research, it seems like after writing up Nixon's visit to China he ran out of steam, giving only the briefest of mentions to Flushing and the San Gabriel Valley, when recently those areas have had a steady river of recent immigrants from all areas of China and Taiwan, creating a whole new culture of food that the book is sadly lacking. There were also large stretches of the book that I found mildly upsetting for the unrelentingly get racism of white people, but I suppose the author couldn't have done much about that except report it as it was. This book was a total pleasure otherwise to read.
A well-done and lively general overview of American-Chinese food. 3.5 / 5 stars.
informative
medium-paced
wish had more chinese american perspective & touch on more modern stuff earlier than it did but
but fun!
but fun!