有很多美国人跟我说过：“我很喜欢吃中餐！”每次我都会好奇地问他们：“你喜欢哪些中国菜呢？”他们的回答大都是这几个菜：芙蓉蛋(Egg Fu Young)、捞面(Lo Mein)、左宗鸡(General Tso’s Chicken)……我会告诉他们：“我在来美国之前，都没吃过这几个中国菜呢。”听了这句话，他们往往会很惊讶地看着我，说：“你是中国人吗？”

我当然是土生土长的中国人，可是，中国真的太大了，中国菜的种类也太多了，所以，每个中国人对于“中国菜”都有自己的定义。就拿一些传统食物来说吧，过年的时候，有的地方吃饺子，有的地方吃汤圆，有的吃年糕，还有的鸡鸭鱼肉什么都吃。甚至对于同一道菜，不同的地方也有不同的做法。之前就有很多网友对“豆腐脑到底应该是甜的还是咸的”展开过激烈的讨论。至于地方菜，那就更是五花八门了。我来自中国西南，我老公来自东北，我们做的家乡菜，常常是对方从没吃过的。

说到外国人喜欢的中餐，有位中国作家曾经说：请老外吃饭不需要太讲究食材和做法。比如我们认为很好吃的清蒸全鱼，他们大都不喜欢。他们最爱的是中国菜中的重口味：麻婆豆腐、松鼠鱼、宫保鸡丁、烤鸭……反正普通食材油炸、煎烤、麻辣、糖醋就好，再加上生菜和酸辣汤，他们一定满意。

你同意他的说法吗？你喜欢什么中国菜？

Many Americans say to me: “I really like Chinese food!” And every time they do, I weirdly ask: “Which Chinese meals do you like?” Most times they will reply with these few dishes: ‘Egg Fu Young’, ‘Lo Mein’, and ‘General Tso’s Chicken’… Then I tell them: “Before I came to America, I hadn’t eaten any of these dishes.” More often than not, when they hear me say this they look at me with surprise and say: “Are you Chinese?”

Of course I’m Chinese born and bred, but China is massive, and so too is the variety of Chinese dishes, which means that each Chinese person has their own definition of ‘Chinese Food’. To illustrate, let’s look at some traditional foods eaten during the Chinese New Year: In some places they eat dumplings, in some they eat tāngyuán (glutinous-rice dumplings served in soup), in some they eat New Year cake (sweet, steamed cake made with glutinous rice flour), and all over the country all kinds of meat are eaten as well. And even when you have the exact same dish, different places have different ways of making it. For example some time ago the question “Is ‘Tofu Brain’ supposed to be sweet or salty?” opened up a feirce debate amongst Chinese netizens. As for local dishes, well there lies the greatest variety of all.

On the subject of which Chinese dishes foreigners like to eat, there are a few authors who have said that “when treating a foreigner to dinner, there’s no real need to be particular about ingredients or the the way in which it is cooked. For example, we consider whole steamed-fish to be very delicious, but they generally do not. They like the more intense flavours found in Chinese cuisine: Mapo tofu, Squirrel Fish, Kung Pao chicken, roast duck… At any rate common ingredients that are deep fried, shallow fried, with mala spice, or sweet and sour will do. Add to this some vegetables dishes and sour-and-spicy soup, and they will definitely be satisfied.”

Do you agree with their theory? Which Chinese dishes do you like?