Why You Probably Won't Find Beef And Broccoli In China

Chinese food has been wildly popular in the United States since before the Civil War; it's an integral part of the fabric of the American culinary landscape. Only there are a lot of dishes that are staples on American Chinese menus that you likely won't find in China. Some of these you can probably guess, like General Tso's chicken (as disparate a dish to authentic Chinese food as spaghetti and meatballs is to Italian food) and fortune cookies (actually created by the Japanese, then modified and adopted into American Chinese food).

But it goes further than, that to staple dishes like beef with broccoli. You'd be hard-pressed to find an American Chinese restaurant menu without it, a simple, non-spicy mixture of meat, vegetables, and a light brown sauce that even picky eaters generally won't shy from. But you'll probably never come across it in China, for the simple fact that its primary ingredients aren't as common there. Western broccoli, for example, barely exists within the country despite first being introduced there around the beginning of the 20th century.

It's important to note that there are numerous differences between Chinese cuisine cooked in China and American Chinese food. You see this with a lot of Americanized immigrant cuisines — real Italian food vs. Olive Garden comes to mind — and in the case of Chinese cooking, oftentimes it's not just the preparations that vary, but many of the ingredients themselves.

Americans love beef and consume more of it in raw numbers than any other nation, but it isn't nearly as popular in a lot of other countries, China included. Beef was long taboo in large parts of China thanks to the presence of Buddhism (the same was true of Japan), and it still hasn't really taken off in those regions (mainly the south) relative to other proteins. Northern China eats more beef than Southern China, though consumption of the red meat is rising nationwide, according to a study from McKinsey & Company.

Western broccoli is harder to find. The closest analog is probably gai lan, sometimes referred to as "Chinese broccoli," despite the fact it's more comparable to a leafy green vegetable on a broccoli-like stem. American Chinese restaurants actually started using broccoli in the early 20th century because they couldn't get gai lan.

While beef and broccoli may not be one of them, certain American Chinese menu staples are legitimately traditional dishes that you wouldn't have a hard time finding in China. Peking duck is made using a roasting technique that has been refined over four centuries. Perfect for special occasions, it makes for a delicious centerpiece. Scallion pancakes are one of the more common Chinese appetizers, and they're similarly popular as a starter on American Chinese menus.  And while Fried wontons might sound like an American creation, they're also historically popular in China.

So, although you might not easily find beef with broccoli in, say, Zhanjiang, that doesn't mean you can't walk into most restaurants in the country and find Chinese dishes with which you'd be well familiar. If you've got your heart set on beef, look for traditional Cantonese dry fried noodles. While they're a mainstay of casual eateries in the region, fancier versions abound, like the one that CNN reports landed chef Kwok Keung Tung the gig running the kitchen at Michelin-starred restaurant The Chairman in Hong Kong.