The Fortune Cookie Chronicles by Jennifer 8. Lee

[kyuuketsukirui.livejournal.com]

Title: The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food
Author: Jennifer 8. Lee
Number of Pages: 309 pages
My Rating: 4.5/5

A while back I watched Lee talk about some of the stuff in this book and found it really interesting. The book was not quite what I'd expected based on that. I thought it would have a little more about Chinese food around the world, but the focus was mostly American Chinese food with one chapter about other countries. There was also way more about fortune cookies than necessary, I think. She spread that part out really long. But overall it was a really interesting book and a neat look at the history of American Chinese food and Chinese immigrants in America.

I was surprised by what are considered the most common menu items in the US. I really haven't eaten Chinese food outside of LA much (once in Indiana and once or twice in the Bay Area), so my idea of what was normal was pretty skewed, I guess. For example, apparently General Tso's Chicken is like the number one most common item, but I have only had it once and I thought it was unique to the place I'd had it at, because I've never seen it anywhere else I've eaten.

Comments

[rosehiptea.livejournal.com]

I live in L.A. and I think I also only saw General Tso's chicken on the menu once.

It sounds like an interesting book though; I might check it out.

[kyuuketsukirui.livejournal.com]

It's a really good read. :)

[sumofparts.livejournal.com]

I saw that video too. Thanks for reminding me to check out the book.

Re General Tso's chicken: I live in Toronto and I've only seen it on the menu at places that don't serve a mostly Chinese clientele.

[kyuuketsukirui.livejournal.com]

Yeah, she talked about it being a very not-Chinese thing. I don't usually eat at super Chinese-Chinese places, but I guess they're more Chinese than General Tso's Chicken. XD

[holyschist.livejournal.com]

I can count on one hand the number of Chinese restaurants I've been to with a significantly Chinese clientele (the places I've lived have mostly had Thai-, Vietnamese-, and Mexican-American communities, although finding authentic Mexican restaurants is pretty tough as well).

So I've mostly been to very Americanized Chinese places, ranging from pretty nice (P.F. Chang's) through various non-chains down to Panda Express. And those all tend to have some version of General Tso's.