The Fusion Story of Chinese Fusion Cuisine

Growing up, I realised that I don't have fond memories of eating out in restaurants. I don't have great dining experiences. I would always look forward to one thing when our family used to dine out, it was the "Veg Manchurian". To this day, I am not sure how to make it properly and every time something is missing in the taste. My quest, as a budding cook, was to find out how to make a good Veg Manchurian, which eventually brought me closer to the truth that Veg Manchurian is far from what authentic Chinese food is, and will be in India.

The next best "Indian" food after Indian food is "Chinese" food. I can go to any restaurant in India that serves their respective authentic regional cuisine, and order a chilli chicken or vegetable manchurian or manchow soup for starters. This taste for Indo-Chinese food is so deep within all of us that we refuse to start a meal without one of these crispy and saucy little "Chinese" appetisers. The quotations are important here because what people think Chinese food is in India and what people in China think what their food are worlds apart. This is not news, but this statement sometimes loses perception of how many degrees of variance can there be between them.

During the British rule in India, (remember last week I talked about how much we like to talk about the British here) their capital Calcutta was bustling with business and trade. So, naturally from neighbouring countries in the East, many immigrants came in search of opportunities. Many of these immigrants came from China and settled in Calcutta and took up jobs as carpenters, cobblers, tanners, and of course....restaurateurs.

But there was a catch, most of the Chinese cooks were from Guangdong and cooked Cantonese food which was bland to the Indian palate. Also, the non-availability of some ingredients was an issue, and hence they decided to "spice" things up both literally and figuratively, by adding lots of chillies and spices to their dishes. Hence, were born the Chilli Chicken, Gobi Manchurian, Chicken Lollipop, and of course the infamous Veg Manchurian. (according to me)

Similarly, in the West, in the United States of 'Murrica, the Chinese immigrated for better opportunities and were working in railroads, coal mines, etc. for half the wages of American men. But these were majorly the jobs of American men, who felt threatened by the Chinese immigrants and restricted their employment to two industries: Laundry and Restaurants.

Chinese chefs started opening up restaurants in their neighbourhoods and made dishes which would be pleasing to the American palate. They could not serve what they were having back in China so they went with the best hits such as General Tso's Chicken, Egg Rolls, Kung Pao Chicken, Orange Chicken, Beef and Broccoli, etc. Similar to Indo-Chinese food, American-Chinese food took its place in the diet of the average American gradually and became firmly rooted in their eating habits.

Image via Flickr Bev Sykes

Both of these fusion cuisines were created as a result of food thriving in an unusual environment and that kind of change is organic cause it rises out of necessity. So, no wonder these two cuisines stuck around for many years and will continue to stick around for many more. These were the gateway drugs to the world of Chinese cuisine in both of these countries. The beauty of this cuisine is that it makes the food in a specific place more interesting by synergising ingredients and dishes that you would never think would exist in one place.

Yet, the dark side of this cuisine is the lack of authenticity in food and also in the representation of the people. Why does it matter though? Isn't authenticity overrated anyway? Peter Meehan, a famous food writer, once said, "Authenticity in storytelling is important, but authenticity in food is not a thing." There is quite a leap in logic there because as I have talked about many times on this blog before, food plays a role in storytelling. In this case, the lack of authenticity in Chinese cuisine in India and America has led to the misrepresentation of Chinese food and its people.

Chinese cuisine is probably the most complex and sophisticated cuisine on the planet with its roots tied to traditional Chinese medicine. Its vastness and complexity are hard to fit under one umbrella. The cultural perceptions and stereotypes associated with Chinese food are hard to break and it is difficult to serve authentic Chinese food let alone it be accepted in our society. Although, like the change with Indo-Chinese and American-Chinese, this change is organic and gradual and is only possible with our awareness and respect for something that exists outside of our perception.

Too heavy? Ok, think of it like this. In the same way, that Chinese food is viewed in India, Indian cuisine is perceived similarly in other countries, yet the responsibility of showing what real Indian food lies with our Indian chefs. Feeding the requirement and the perception of the public had its place in the past, but now it is time to educate people and narrate a story, and not just about Chinese food about many more things which need to be told.

See you next week!