Canadian Chinese cuisine or Can/Chinese is a popular style of cooking exclusive to take-out and dine-in eateries found across Canada. It was the first form of commercially-available Chinese food available in Canada. This cooking style was invented by early Cantonese immigrants who adapted traditional Chinese recipes to Western tastes. This usually required altering cooking times, ingredients, and preparation methods so that the dishes were more agreeable to the Canadian palate. This cuisine developed alongside a similar version in the United States. The History of Chinese cuisine is, in China, traced back to the Peking Man and his use of fire, and the invention of cuisine some 400,000 years ago. ... Anhui cuisine (Chinese: 徽菜) is one of the Eight Culinary Traditions of China. ... Cantonese (Yue) cuisine originates from Guangdong Province in southern China, or more precisely, the area around Canton (Guangzhou). ... Fujian cuisine is derived from the native cooking style of the province of Fujian, China. ... Hunan Cuisine, sometimes called Xiang Cuisine (湘菜 pinyin xiāng cài), consists of the cuisines of the Xiangjiang region, Dongting Lake and western Hunan Province, in China. ... This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... Cuisine of Shandong. ... Szechuan cuisine is a style of cookery originating in the Sichuan province of western China which has an international reputation for being spicy and flavorful. ... One of the major eight schools of cooking in China, Zhejiang cuisine offers combined flavors of Hangzhou, Ningbo and Wenzhou. ... Beijing cuisine (Chinese: ; pinyin: jÄ«ngcài; lit. ... Chinese imperial cuisine is is derived from a variety of cooking styles of the regions in China, mainly Shandong cuisine and Jiangsu cuisine. ... Chinese aristocrat cuisine traces its origin to the Ming dynasty and the Qing dynasty when the imperial officials stationed in Beijing brought their private chefs and such different variety of culinary styles mixed and developed overtime and formed an unique breed of its own, and thus the Chinese aristocrat cuisine... Tianjin cuisine is derived from the native cooking styles of the Tianjin region in China, and it is heavily influenced by Beijing cuisine. ... Liaoning cuisine is derived from the native cooking styles of the Liaoning region in China, and it is the most famous Northeastern Chinese cuisine. ... Buddhist cuisine is a kind of cuisine mainly for the believers of Buddhism. ... Chiuchow cuisine, Teochew cuisine or Chaozhou cuisine (潮州菜; pinyin: Cháozhōu cài) originates from Chiuchow (now called Chaozhou), a city of China in Guangdong Province, not far from Canton. ... Hubei cuisine is derived from the native cooking styles of the Hubei region in China. ... Jiangxi cuisine is derived from the native cooking styles of the Jiangxi region in China. ... Hakka people are migratory tribes of ethnic Han people originated from central China. ... Shanxi cuisine is derived from the native cooking styles of the Shanxi region in China, and it is famed for noodles and its sour taste. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Huaiyang cuisine is one the Cuisine of China. ... Due to the majority Muslim population in western China, many Chinese restaurants cater to Muslims or cater to the general public but are run by Muslims. ... Northeastern Chinese cuisine (东北菜; pinyin: dōngbÄ›i cài), or Manchurian cuisine, relies heavily on preserved foods and hearty fare due to the harsh winters and relatively short growing seasons. ... Guizhou cuisine is derived from the native cooking styles of the Guizhou region in China. ... Shannxi cuisine is derived from the native cooking styles of the northwestern region in China. ... Shanghai cuisine, known as Hu cai (滬菜 in pinyin: hù cài) among the Chinese, is one of the most popular and celebrated cuisines in China. ... With over 450 years of history, Macanese cuisine is unique to Macao. ... Several Taiwanese snacks bought from food stalls at the Shilin Night Market, Taipei. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Yunnan cuisine is an amalgimation of Han and Chinese minority cuisines. ... American Chinese cuisine refers to the style of food served by Chinese restaurants in the United States. ... Burmese Chinese cuisine is based on Chinese cuisine, particularly from Yunnan, Fujian, and Guangdong Provinces, with local influences. ... Caribbean Chinese cuisine is a popular style of food resulting from a fusion of Chinese and West Indian cuisines. ... Chifa is the name given to Peruvian-Cantonese cuisine. ... There are many types of foods in the Philippines because of inhabitants residing in the country. ... Indian Chinese cuisine is the adaptation of Chinese seasoning and cooking techniques to South Asian tastes. ... Indonesian Chinese Cuisine is characterized by the mixture of Chinese with local Indonesian style. ... Japanese Chinese cuisine is a unique style of Chinese cuisine served by Chinese restaurants in Japan. ... Korean Chinese cuisine is derived from mainland Chinese cuisine but has been strongly influenced by local ingredients in such as way that it can be regarded as being more Korean than Chinese. ... The cuisine of a country is generally a microcosm of the nation and Malaysian cuisine reflects the multi racial aspects of Malaysia. ... Peranakan, Baba-Nyonya () and Straits Chinese (; named after the Straits Settlements) are terms used for the descendants of the very early Chinese immigrants to the Nusantara region, including both the British Straits Settlements of Malaya and the Dutch-controlled island of Java among other places, who have partially adopted Malay... The cuisine of Singapore is often viewed by her population as a prime example of the ethnic diversity of the culture of Singapore. ... The Thai Chinese is a group of overseas Chinese born in Thailand. ... Cantonese people (Traditional Chinese: 廣東人; Simplified Chinese: 广东人; Pinyin: GuÇŽngdōng rén; Jyutping: gwong2 dung1 yan4), broadly speaking, are persons originating from the present-day Guangdong province in southern China. ... Cantonese (Yue) cuisine originates from Guangdong Province in southern China, or more precisely, the area around Canton (Guangzhou). ...

History

Construction of a Chinese camp, Kamloops B.C.

Chinese workers were employed in the 1800s by Chinese labour contractors during the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway linking Montréal with Vancouver. Many of those workers who stayed once the railway was completed resorted to opening small inexpensive restaurants or working as cooks in mining and logging camps, canneries, and in the houses of the upper classes in cities and towns. They prepared variations on traditional Cantonese food that were well-received by local patrons and they were prized as cooks in wealthier households. This occurred despite the fact that few if any of them were trained chefs. ImageMetadata File history File links Canadian_Chinese_cuisine01. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Canadian_Chinese_cuisine01. ... 1800 (MDCCC) was an exceptional common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, but a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. ... An eastbound CPR freight at Stoney Creek Bridge in Rogers Pass. ... Motto: Concordia Salus Coordinates: Country Canada Province Québec Founded 1642 Established 1832 Mayor Gérald Tremblay Area    - City 366. ... Vancouver (pronounced: ) is a city in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. ... Canning is a method of preserving food by first heating it to a temperature that destroys contaminating microorganisms, and then sealing it in air-tight jars, cans or pouches. ...

In most small towns in Western Canada, the Chinese “café” was the first restaurant established, and often the only one. People did not buy the food of their own ethnic group, since they could prepare those themselves, whereas Chinese food was a novelty. Furthermore, the Chinese community was not heavily involved in agriculture, so this presented an opportunity for an alternative source of income. Consequently the Chinese community specialized in the restaurant business, and were able to undercut and out compete later rivals. Even today in many towns and hamlets across the prairie provinces and in northern British Columbia, there can usually be found a Chinese café regardless of the community's size, serving "Canadian and Chinese cuisine" or, once more common, "Chinese and Western Food". In Glendon, Alberta, for example, next to a roadside model of the world's largest perogy (a staple of Ukrainian cuisine), sits the Perogy Café, which serves "Ukrainian and Chinese Perogies" (meaning Pot Stickers). This establishment is actually owned by a Vietnamese family and is the only restaurant in town. Map of the Canadian Prairie provinces, which include boreal forests, taiga, and mountains as well as the prairies (proper). ... Motto: Splendor Sine Occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Official languages English de facto (none stated in law) Flower Pacific dogwood Tree Western Redcedar Bird Stellers Jay Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Lieutenant-Governor Iona Campagnolo Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Parliamentary representation  - House seats  - Senate seats 36 6 Area... Glendon is a village in northern Alberta north of St. ... A roadside attraction is a feature along the side of a road, that is frequently advertised with billboards to attract tourists. ... Pierogi are a kind of food also known as perogi, perogy, piroghi, pirogi, piroshki, pirozhki, or pyrohy. ... Ukrainian cuisine has a rich history and offers a wide variety of dishes, partly borrowed from other cuisines like German, Turkish and Polish. ...

In British Columbia, a form of buffet known as the Chinese smorgasbord developed in pre-railway Gastown (the settlement that became Vancouver) when Scandinavian loggers and millworkers encouraged their Chinese cooks to turn a sideboard into a steamtable instead of bringing plates of single dishes to the dining table.Following the introduction of the automobile and the invention of the drive-in restaurant (by another Vancouver restaurateur: see White Spot), Chinese take-out service was augmented by Chinese drive-ins, including the now-vanished Dragon Inn chain, which was also known for its smorgasbord. Look up smörgåsbord in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Statue of Gassy Jack, Gastown. ... For other uses, see Scandinavia (disambiguation). ... White Spot is a Canadian restaurant chain from Vancouver, British Columbia. ... Dragon Gate Inn (TC: 龍門客棧, SC: 龙门客栈, pinyin: Lóng mén kè zhàn), also known as Dragon Inn, is a 1966 film directed by King Hu starring Shang Kuan, Chun Shih, Ying Bo, Jian Tsao and Han Xue. ...

In Vancouver and Victoria, the more authentic Chinese restaurants were largely found in those cities' Chinatowns, but Chinese food became a staple of city as well as small-town life and became a normal part of the local culture. Many British Columbians for example, grew up using chopsticks as well as knives and forks. Certain Chinese-Canadian recipes became current in non-Chinese households by the mid-20th Century (e.g. chow mein, sweet and sour pork, chop suey, egg foo yung).
Victoria is a Canadian city, and it is the capital of the province of British Columbia. ... Take-out chicken chow mein from an American Chinese restaurant Chow mein is a stir-fried dish in American Chinese cuisine, consisting of noodles, meat, and cabbage and other vegetables. ... Sweet & Sour Pork (咕老肉, pinyin: gǔlǎoròu) is a Chinese dish that is particularly popular in American Chinese cuisine. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Egg foo young, or egg foo yung (Cantonese fu yung taan; Chinese: 芙蓉蛋; Pinyin: ; literally hibiscus egg) is a Chinese omelet commonly served in Westernized Chinese restaurants. ...

Further Cantonese immigration to Canada began anew in the 1960s, and was ignited in the 1980s in anticipation of China's administrative take-over of Hong Kong. This resulted in many Hong Kong families relocating to Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and above-all Canada. This preference for Canada was due to its immigration policy, a high-standard of living, established Chinese community, and its membership in the Commonwealth. Today Chinese Canadian citizens are the largest visible minority group in Canada, and Chinatowns are in every major Canadian city, with those in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montréal being the largest.
The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... The 1980s refers to the years of 1980 to 1989. ... In 1982, the governments of the United Kingdom and the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) initiated talks regarding the sovereignty of Hong Kong, which led to the transfer of the sovereignty of Hong Kong. ... The English noun Commonwealth dates originally from the fifteenth century. ... The gate to Montreals Chinatown which has Chinese, Japanese and Korean restaurants inside the complex. ... Vancouver (pronounced: ) is a city in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. ... Calgary is the largest city in the province of Alberta, Canada. ... Motto: Concordia Salus Coordinates: Country Canada Province Québec Founded 1642 Established 1832 Mayor Gérald Tremblay Area    - City 366. ...

This new wave of Chinese immigration has also brought a demand for more authentic Chinese food. The newer Chinese restaurants, particularly in areas of high Asian immigration, tend to serve authentic Chinese cuisine that evolved in Chinese communities outside of Canada, which cater to immigrants. These range from Cantonese Dim Sum restaurants to Hakka cuisine restaurants with an Indian flair. Cantonese (Yue) cuisine originates from Guangdong Province in southern China, or more precisely, the area around Canton (Guangzhou). ... Dim sum (Chinese: 點心; Cantonese IPA: dɪm2sɐm1; Pinyin: diǎnxīn; Wade-Giles: tien-hsin; literally dot heart or order heart, meaning order to ones hearts content; also commonly translated as touch the heart, dotted heart, or snack), a Cantonese term... Hakka people are migratory tribes of ethnic Han people originated from central China. ...

"Classic" versus "authentic"

Although traditionally a favourite comfort food among Canadians, Canadian-Chinese cuisine has in recent years experienced something of a backlash. This has been partly due to the perception that it is unhealthy, owing to its preference for deep frying and oils, saturated fats, and MSG. The term comfort food refers to any food or drink to which one habitually turns for temporary respite, security, or special reward. ... A Deep fried Twinkie Breaded, deep-fried squid Deep frying is a cooking method whereby food is submerged in hot oil or fat. ... Cooking oil is purified fat of plant or animal origin, which is liquid at room temperature. ... Saturated fat is fat that consists of triglycerides containing only saturated fatty acids. ... Chemical structure of monosodium glutamate Monosodium glutamate, sodium glutamate, flavour enhancer 621, EU food additive code: E621, HS code: 29224220 (IUPAC names: 2-aminopentanedioic acid, 2-aminoglutaric acid, 1-aminopropane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid), commonly known as MSG, Ajinomoto or Vetsin, is a sodium salt of glutamic acid. ...

Also, detractors hold that Canadian-Chinese cuisine is not "real" Chinese food, and ought to be avoided in favour of more traditional or authentic Chinese cuisines.

Staples

Canadian Chinese restaurants are usually small "mom & pop" businesses. Consequently the menus are highly variable, although the following dishes are generally universal:

• Cantonese style chow mein — 廣東炒麵 Fried egg noodles, green peppers, pea pods, bok choy, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, shrimp, Chinese pork (char siu, 叉燒), chicken, and beef served in a thick sauce; typically marquee dish in a Canadian Chinese meal (not to be confused with American style chow mein).
• Almond Chicken (so gai) — Sliced breaded chicken breast with almonds. Usually known to anglophones as "almond chicken".
• Chop suey — Very similar to American style chop suey.
• Chow mein — Very similar to American style chow mein, but with more beansprouts. "Hong Kong style chow mein" omits the beansprouts and is served on a bed of crunchy fried noodles.
• Won ton soup and wor won ton
• Hot and sour soup
• Jar doo chicken wings — Lightly breaded seasoned deep-fried chicken wings.
• Lo mein — 撈麵 Fried egg noodles and vegetables, sometimes served in a thick sauce.
• Moo goo guy pan — Sliced chicken with mushrooms and mixed vegetables.
• Singapore noodles — Rice noodles, beef, and vegetables served in a curry sauce.
• Dry ribs — Deep-fried seasoned pork ribs.
• Sweet and sour pork — Deep-fried breaded pork balls in sauce. May have a slice of orange.
• Sweet and sour chicken balls — Deep-fried breaded chicken in sweet and sour sauce.
• Ginger beef — 生姜牛肉 Tender beef cut in chunks, mixed with ginger and Chinese mixed vegetables.
• Dai dop voy — Fried sliced young chicken meat, fresh shrimps, barbequed pork with mixed Chinese vegetables.
• Diced pork ding — Cubed Chinese pork, almonds, and vegetables in a thick sauce (Any meat can serve as the base for a ding).
• Kung Pao chicken
• Egg foo yung
• Egg rolls
• Potstickers/Fried Pork Dumplings — Generally filled with diced pork and vegetables (mostly cabbage, green onion/scallion) in a doughy wrapper served pan-fried with a vinegar (can be white, red, black, rice wine vinegar...), sesame oil and ginger sauce. Often called "wor tips" in southern Alberta, espescially at Chinese restaurants in Lethbridge.

Trinomial name Brassica campestris L. pekinensis Bok choy (Brassica campestris, Chinese 白菜 báicài) is an Asian relative of the common cabbage. ... Genera Many, see text Bamboos are a group of woody perennial evergreen plants in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. ... Water chestnut may refer to either of two plants (both sometimes used in Chinese cuisine): Chinese water chestnut (Eleocharis dulcis) - eaten for its crispy corm water caltrop (Trapa natans) - eaten for its starchy seed This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise... Char siu (Tradtional Chinese: 叉燒, Simplified Chinese: 叉烧; Mandarin Pinyin: chāshāo; Cantonese IPA: , Jyutping: caa1 siu1, Yale: chā siÅ«; Min Nan: Char Sio), also known as cha siu, BBQ pork and char siew, is Cantonese-style barbecued pork. ... Take-out chicken chow mein from an American Chinese restaurant Chow mein is a stir-fried dish in American Chinese cuisine, consisting of noodles, meat, and cabbage and other vegetables. ... Look up Anglophone in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Take-out chicken chow mein from an American Chinese restaurant Chow mein is a stir-fried dish in American Chinese cuisine, consisting of noodles, meat, and cabbage and other vegetables. ... Lo mein (Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: lāo miàn) is a Chinese dish based on stir-fried wheat noodles. ... An Indian chicken curry Curry is the English description of any of a general variety of spiced dishes, best-known in Indian, Thai, Malaysia and other South Asian cuisines, but curry has been adopted into all of the mainstream cuisines of the Asia-Pacific area. ... The tone of this article is inappropriate for an encyclopedia article. ... Kung Pao chicken (also spelled Kung Po chicken) is a classic dish in Sichuan cuisine, originating in the Sichuan Province of central-western China. ... Egg foo young, or egg foo yung (Cantonese fu yung taan; Chinese: 芙蓉蛋; Pinyin: ; literally hibiscus egg) is a Chinese omelet commonly served in Westernized Chinese restaurants. ... Two beef eggrolls. ... Wikibooks Cookbook has more about this subject: Potsticker A plate of potstickers. ... A dumpling may be any of a wide variety of dishes, both sweet and savoury, in several different cuisines. ... Lethbridge is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. ...

Culture

Josephine Smart, a professor from the University of Calgary, has written on the evolution of Canadian Chinese cuisine. Her papers have examined the dynamics of localization and "authenticization" of Chinese food in Canada, and its implications for ethnic relations and the culture of consumption. The University of Calgary is a public university located in the north-western quadrant of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. ... In general terms, eating (formally, ingestion) is the process of consuming something edible, i. ...

Chinese restaurants generally use either one of the romanization systems for Cantonese or an ad hoc romanization rather than the Pinyin romanization of Mandarin Chinese with which non-Chinese people are now most familiar. This has the effect, intended or not, of lending a sense of exotic nostalgia to the dining experience. Pinyin is a system of romanization (phonemic notation and transcription to Roman script) for Standard Mandarin, where pin means spell and yin means sound. The most common variant of pinyin in use is called Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ), also known as scheme of the Chinese phonetic alphabet... This article is on all of the Northern Chinese dialects. ...

Canadian Chinese restaurants

Even very small towns in most of Canada have at least one Canadian Chinese restaurant, and many can have two or more proprietors seeking out business, often right next to each other on the main street. Many towns that cannot support a single franchise restaurant still have a thriving Chinese food restaurant. However, many independent restaurants in larger cities have found their business shrinking as delivery chains and buffets squeeze out traditional sit-down restaurants. Franchising (from the French for honesty[citation needed]) is a method of doing business wherein a franchisor licenses trademarks and tried and proven methods of doing business to a franchisee in exchange for a recurring payment, and usually a percentage piece of gross sales or gross profits as well as...

In larger cities like Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, Canadian Chinese restaurants can be clustered in the thriving Chinatowns. However, they are now most likely mixed with those featuring the more traditional cuisines. Canadian Chinese restaurants are not limited to these areas and can often be found even at the farthest outskirts of the metropolitan areas. Restaurants in the newer Chinatowns, particularly in Toronto and Vancouver, tend to cater to newer immigrants and offer more varied fare; Szechuan, Hakka, Chiuchow, Taiwanese, and even Buddhist cuisine restaurants can be found there. Because of the popularity of Canadian Chinese food, even some of the older authentic Chinese restaurants may offer Canadian Chinese dishes. Motto: Concordia Salus Coordinates: Country Canada Province Québec Founded 1642 Established 1832 Mayor Gérald Tremblay Area    - City 366. ... Vancouver (pronounced: ) is a city in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. ... The gate to Montreals Chinatown which has Chinese, Japanese and Korean restaurants inside the complex. ... Szechuan cuisine is a style of cookery originating in the Sichuan province of western China which has an international reputation for being spicy and flavorful. ... Hakka people are migratory tribes of ethnic Han people originated from central China. ... Chiuchow cuisine, Teochew cuisine or Chaozhou cuisine (潮州菜; pinyin: Cháozhōu cài) originates from Chiuchow (now called Chaozhou), a city of China in Guangdong Province, not far from Canton. ... Several Taiwanese snacks bought from food stalls at the Shilin Night Market, Taipei. ... Buddhist cuisine is a kind of cuisine mainly for the believers of Buddhism. ...

See also

• Cantonese cuisine
• American Style Chinese food
• Canadian Chinatowns
• Chinese Culture in Canada

Cantonese (Yue) cuisine originates from Guangdong Province in southern China, or more precisely, the area around Canton (Guangzhou). ... American Chinese cuisine refers to the style of food served by Chinese restaurants in the United States. ... This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ... A Chinese Canadian is a person of Chinese descent or origin who was born in or immigrated to Canada. ...

External links

• Wing's Food Products — Large supplier to Chinese food industy in Canada

Chain restaurants

• Ho-Lee-Chow — Locations in the Greater Toronto Area.
• Manchu WOK — Familiar sight in mall food courts nationwide.
• The Mandarin Buffet — Huge buffet well-known throughout southern Ontario.