Is Chinese food popular in Europe and America?

(Interior picture of the Chinese restaurant opened by my friend in Bucharest, the capital of Romania, which only sells authentic Sichuan food)

It happens that my best friend opens a Chinese restaurant in Romania, Eastern Europe, so this question I'm still qualified to answer.

Compared with the miraculous "how popular Chinese food is with foreigners" that was blown up on the Internet in the past few years, as the number of friends traveling abroad has gradually increased in recent years, everyone also knows that Chinese food is not popular in foreign countries. Not that popular.

But recently it seems to be a bit overkill, thinking that foreigners don’t like Chinese food.

In fact, relevant data released by various commercial organizations can prove that the popularity of Chinese food (including improved Chinese food) around the world is as popular as French food and Japanese food. The three major catering powers in the world Well-deserved reputation.

(Romanian waiter in his restaurant)

Of course, the vast majority of Chinese restaurants around the world are Chinese food modified according to local tastes; what we Chinese consider authentic Chinese food It's really not that popular with foreigners.

Foreigners in Europe and the United States are mainly used to fried food, so Chinese restaurants in Europe and the United States, especially in the United States, are essentially no different from McDonald's. Almost all dishes are fried, including dumplings and spring rolls. ; And now there are more Mexicans than Chinese in American-style Chinese chefs in the United States.

However, this does not mean that "authentic Chinese food" is necessarily unpopular in foreign countries.

I went to Bucharest, the capital of Eastern Europe, Romania many years ago to work as a Chinese chef and a Sichuan chef. In 2010, he opened his own restaurant in Bucharest. Currently, he has opened several branches in Romania. .

(Waiter in his restaurant)

He has been cooking authentic Sichuan cuisine in Romania, which has not been improved at all, but Romanians just like to eat it. When I went to visit him in Romania, I saw that the occupancy rate in his restaurant was quite good. During dinner on non-working days, customers even had to wait for a table.

You must know that the prices in his restaurant are not low. Four dishes and one soup, not including drinks and tips, cost about 15-20 euros. It does not look expensive, but you must know that the average salary in Romania does not exceed 600 euros. 20 euros is a lot to spend on a dinner.

Of course, then again, the reason why Romanians like to eat Sichuan food is still related to Romanian food habits. In 2009, China Youth Daily published an article titled "Romanian food is a bit different from Chinese food." Like "; said that Romanian people's eating habits are relatively similar to Romanian food and Chinese food.

Therefore, whether authentic Chinese food is popular with foreigners mainly depends on whether the local people accept the taste of authentic Chinese food.

I have been in Slovakia in Europe for a long time and should have a say. In the city center mall where I work, there is a Chinese restaurant, a Japanese restaurant and a local restaurant. I support Chinese restaurants basically every day. Occasionally I also go to Japanese restaurants and local restaurants. But in terms of the popularity of Chinese food in this country, local restaurants are basically more popular than Chinese restaurants and Japanese restaurants, but basically the business of these three restaurants is very good. I asked the owner of the Chinese restaurant and he said that he has two other restaurants in this city that are doing very well. The boss himself immigrated here! I've seen the car he bought, which is a Mercedes-Benz SUV that costs more than 1 million in China. I can't remember the specific brand. Anyway, it should be doing well! It can also be seen from this that he earns a lot by cooking Chinese food here, which reflects the popularity of Chinese food abroad! However, I feel that the Chinese food here does not want to be traditional Chinese dishes. They are basically improved varieties, leaning towards European style. There is no dish that has all the color, aroma and taste of Chinese food in the traditional sense. Speaking of which, if we were to officially make traditional Chinese dishes, I guess it wouldn’t last this long. So basically people who cook Chinese food abroad will more or less make some improvements based on the local people’s habits and preferences! Finally, I will post some pictures of the Chinese fast food that I usually eat here.

China has been a country of gourmet food since ancient times. China’s food is the most complex and diverse. Food in the United States, New Zealand, Australia, etc. is relatively simple. There are three times as many Chinese restaurants as McDonald's in the United States.

Chinese food ranks second among the foods that most Americans order most frequently.

3 facts you need to know

1: Why are there many Chinese restaurants in the United States

After the introduction of the "Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882", unexpected results One is the influx of Chinese restaurant owners into the United States. Despite a 10-year immigration ban on Chinese laborers, the law stipulates that some people can enter the United States as businessmen. After restaurant owners were given this special status, the United States The number of restaurants started to rise.

2: Where was the first Chinese restaurant opened?

In 1849, the first Chinese restaurant, the Cantonese Restaurant, opened in San Pan. At its peak from 1848 to 1849, thousands of immigrants came to northern California, most of whom came As for Guangdong, China, they also became the earliest entrepreneurs in Sanpan. This Cantonese restaurant is not the only Chinese restaurant opened in Sanpan today, but it is undoubtedly the largest one, with a capacity of 300 people at a time.

Three: How many years is the oldest Chinese restaurant in China?

Pekin (Beijing Noodle Shop) in Butte County, Montana announced its 100th birthday in 2011, and the store still serves steak "chop suey."

Chinese food in Europe and America is mainly for low-income people. Because those who opened the first batch of Chinese restaurants were mainly southern workers and illegal immigrants. At the beginning, it was positioned as low-end consumption, and then it gradually formed a concept, coupled with the common style of European and American Chinese restaurants that are simple and have poor service. Gradually it became less popular.

As a Chinese who has lived in the United States for several years, the Chinese food I see is far less popular than reported. In order to cater to the tastes of foreigners, Chinese food has been modified according to local eating habits. It is no longer the same thing as traditional Chinese food. Of course, you can still call it Chinese food.

The popularity is unknown elsewhere. In the United States, Chinese food can only be said to be one of various cuisines. There are various cuisines here, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Malay, Italian, Mexican, Salvadoran, Brazilian, Turkish, Russian, Greek, Pacific style...etc. There are so many choices. I really don’t see how Chinese food has much advantage over other food. Furthermore, what we consider delicacies are not the same in the mouths of many foreigners. Just like other delicacies, no matter how delicious they are, in the end we still love the local taste the most. It's hard to change a habit. Whether Chinese food is popular with foreigners, we just have to keep a normal mind. Whether people like it or not, it will not affect whether Chinese food is our favorite.

They think it is trendy

Chinese cuisine is broad and profound

The differences in food culture may not be mentioned if you say you like them very much. Most of the time, it is probably just for the sake of freshness. , of course, if the taste matches, we will go there more times, which is no different from when we go to eat Western food

It should have a certain degree of popularity, but most of them are Chinese.

When it comes to food, Chinese people must not have wishful pride. It is an absolute reality that it is difficult to agree with one another and that hundreds of people have different opinions. Don’t be fooled by a few articles or videos into thinking that foreigners are crazy about Chinese food. There are many foreigners who are not used to eating Chinese food, hate Chinese food, and hate Chinese food.

This is actually normal. Just like Chinese people in a certain area are not used to or disgusted with the tastes in other parts of China. It's just a difference in taste habits.

Chinese people want to be recognized by the world so much that sometimes they really try to hide their opinions. Be more confident, as long as you like to eat, it’s okay for foreigners to like or not.