American Chinese Recipes

American Chinese cuisine evolved from Chinese immigrant adaptations to American tastes and available ingredients, beginning in 19th-century California. Sweet, saucy, and deep-fried preparations define the genre, with dishes like General Tso's chicken, orange chicken, chop suey, and fortune cookies having no direct Chinese equivalent. Egg rolls, lo mein, and fried rice are ubiquitous. This cuisine has become a distinctly American tradition, served in thousands of restaurants nationwide.