I have this theory of why there are no good Chinese food restaurants in most of the western half of the U.S. (The eastern half, I know nothing about.) It goes something like this:
Back in the 1800's when the transcontinental railroads were being built, there was a huge demand for laborers. Many of those jobs were filled by Chinese immigrants. Those who had a bent for their national cuisine and a talent for its preparation (over sledge hammering spikes into railroad ties) opened Chinese restaurants. These were mostly along the west coast where they had entered the country.
Those who could sling a hammer but weren't worth a flip at cooking, built the railroads. And they did a fine job. But eventually those jobs slowly declined after the rails were completed and the plains Indians stopped tearing 'em up after realizing it was easier and far quicker to get to Chicago by train than horse.
But the result of thousands of unemployed Chinese railroad laborers created a sudden and huge unemployment problem across the west. That is, until a few of these former laborers got a bright idea. They'd open Chinese restaurants! Soon, other out-of-work Chinese were following suit and Chinese restaurants were springing up all across the plains states. In towns like Worland, Wyoming, El Paso, Texas, and Blanding, Utah.
At first business was slow because those of occidental heritage wouldn't eat in those places. But in time they decided Chinese cuisine mustn't be too bad because that's where all the Chinese ate.
But they couldn't have been more wrong. But that didn't matter to those of European descent who'd never been to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland or Seattle where all the really good Chinese food originated.
No, knowing no better, people of the American plains settled for Chinese food made by workers with little talent for building great tasting Jinhua Chicken Balls in Qiandao Sauce.
But man, could they build some great railroads!
6 comments:
Whatever you do, DO NOT order the "Cream of Sum Yung Gai".
dada, I like your theory; it certainly explains why we can't find a good chinese restaurant in Utah! However, there are famous stories of great chinese cooks in the mining camps of the old west, so wonderful that people would travel from hundreds of miles away. Their culinary skills must have moved on when the mines petered out & the towns dried up.
One of the most authentic I've been to was in Locke Calif (google it), near Sacramento on the river. My dad (who spent time in the Philappines & China) and Hub (who was in Japan & Vietnam) both assure me that what we happily eat here wouldn't be served as garbage there, or perhaps it IS garbage, as in leftovers (e.g. chop suey).
PT, hmmm, young men make organic gravy? Oh no! You've cured me of ever ordering The Secret Sauce again. ~~ D.K.
Makes sense to me. When my parents returned from Europe, my Dad was amazed that the workers in Chinese restaurants over there spoke Dutch, French, German, etc. There's a Chinese cook in every country.
peacechick mary: I went out for Chinese food for lunch today. (I think that's what inspired me to write this blog.) I'm certain you're right about a Chinese cook in every country. Sadly today, however, I didn't find one in El Paso.
But happily (and leave it to PT to come up with that "won"), I didn't see any "Cream of Sum Yung Gai" on the menu.
It was actually an "Asian" restaurant. A place where you can get not only Chinese, but Vietnamese, Thai, Indian, etc. (I knew not to hold my breath in anticipation of lunch 'cause I once dined at a Mexican restaurant that also served pizza and fish and chips.
Also, thanks to you, Deke, for confirming my suspicions about what actually makes a good chop suey.
In most of the West Coast towns, even the small towns, there are the Chinese resturantes - and if you research the history of some of the smaller coastal towns or mining towns, and get maps....( my son and I did this as a Homeschool project, because while living in California I was the manager of an Old Dilpaitated "Rooming:" House...okay actually it was an OLD WhoreHouse....with great BIG Picture Windows facing the Street on 3 sides...anyways...we decided to map a bunch of place we lived...and here is what we learned- the Chinese food is usually near the laundry and also the Housing and also the yes, the WhoreHouses)...now we mapped three different locations, and then moved onto bigger towns- Logging, Mining, and Rail, and it holds true- atleast out West.....
But Dada we never thought about looking across the country to see if any of this theory holds true...and I miss West Coast Chinese....( not alot of great Thai or Chinese in Ohio...)
LOVE IT! great post!!
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