Why is Chinese food so completely different in America from China?

Question

I know it's obvious it is going to be different and geared more towards western tastes but after living in Thailand and traveling in Asia for the last 7 years I have eaten real Chinese food many times and it is far better then what we get here and more healthy,plus a 1000 things to eat that are not on the menu.Yes,like the Thais they eat some things we generally wouldn't eat but even in Thailand,Chinese restaurants are authentic but ours is an equivalent to an Chinese food version of McDonald's.New york to California they taste the same .Why is this?

Answer 1

It's simply to cater for the American tastes. And also as the others have said due to the lack of ingredients and resources to cook with. Now days you do find the occasional Chinese Restaurant in America that do sell some authentic Chinese cuisine especially Sichuan food. But since American tastes are so accustomed to the sugary, oily and salty Americanized Chinese dishes it is a challenge to introduce newer dishes and make money out of it - because no one seems to want to dare try them!

Answer 2

Those are american styled chinese food , if they dont do it this way then there would be only a few american ppl will accept the traditional chinese food and so they wont make enough money, the chinese restaurants in nyc china town they are all traditional but u can tell that there is hardly any american ppl go there they all went to the one that are american styled chinese food

Answer 3

Different culture make different food.

chinese food has a long history as the country.

I like it so much.

Answer 4

Because the americans dont know how to make chinese food right

Answer 5

because the chefs at Chinese restaurants or take away are Americans thinking the can make Chinese food.

Answer 6

This is true of all foreign foods....Mexican, French, etc. Almost impossible to find authentic foreign food of any kind in the U.S....or in any country outside of the country of origin.