Author of 'The Fortune Cookie Chronicles' dishes on Chinese American food
When Jennifer 8. Lee was in seventh grade, she made a startling discovery -- fortune cookies are not an authentic Chinese food. In her New York Times best-selling book, The Fortune Cookie Chronicles, Lee wrote about the experience, "It was like learning I was adopted while being told there was no Santa Claus."
Jennifer 8. Lee, author of "The Fortune Cookie Chronicles" will speak on the IU Bloomington campus on April 2.
Born in the United States of Chinese immigrant parents, Lee confesses she is obsessed with Chinese food, in particular with the Chinese-American variety. The book is for anyone who wonders who General Tso is and why we eat his chicken, or where those white takeout boxes come from.
Lee backs up her assertions about Americanized Chinese food with research and experiences around the world where she tried Mexican Chinese, New Orleans Chinese, and Indian Chinese food. The result is a book that combines the muckraking of Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation with the globe-trotting reach of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations. Lee solves enduring mysteries of Chinese cuisine through a mix of in-depth research and personal anecdotes to take readers on a journey around the world.
Today (April 2) at 7 p.m., Lee will give a talk on "How Chinese Food is all-American" in the Indiana University School of Journalism Auditorium. The event is sponsored by the IU Asian Culture Center in partnership with the IU School of Journalism. Paperback copies of The Fortune Cookie Chronicles will be available to purchase at the event, and after the talk Lee will sign copies of the book.
Live at IU recently chatted with Lee via phone to gain some insight into her thoughts on Chinese food in America.
LIVE AT IU: How did you come up with the idea for the book The Fortune Cookie Chronicles?
JENNIFER LEE: When you do a book you have to be really obsessed with the topic because it takes three or four years of your life, and it took five years of my life. In order to immerse yourself in it for so long, you have to pick something you are passionate about, and for me it is Chinese food. The book is very much a reflection of my own understanding of my journey as a Chinese American in the U.S.
LIU: Can someone find authentic food in the U.S. and how does someone know if he or she is eating "Americanized" Chinese food?
LEE: The vast amount of Chinese food that you see in America is not authentic. Chinese restaurant owners have discovered what Americans like, and they are very good at cooking what Americans want. Foods like fortune cookies, General Tso's Chicken, chow mein, egg rolls and chop suey are really indigenous to America. They are authentically Chinese American, and they resonate a lot more to people in America, but are not recognized by people in China. You will find authentic Chinese food in certain cities where there are a lot of Chinatowns, like in New York City where there is a critical mass of people from China who long for the taste of home.
Lee will sign copies of her book, "The Fortune Cookie Chronicles," following her talk at IU Bloomington on April 2.
In the book, I explain the differences between Chinese food in China versus Chinese food in America. Americans don't like food that reminds them of where it came from. Chinese people embrace the wholeness of the animal and their dishes will contain fish with eye balls, cow tongue or chicken feet. Chinese dishes tend to be one vegetable cooked, like string beans or eggplant with garlic salt. But Americans like to do a mixed medley of vegetables, and it looks like plaid. Another thing that is different is cold appetizers -- most Chinese restaurants for Americans don't serve cold appetizers. Most Chinese food for Americans don't contain a lot of lamb either. If you look at a menu and only see shrimp, then that's a good sign it's not authentic Chinese food because most Chinese eat all kinds of fish. Some of the more unusual "Chinese" dishes I found while traveling across the United States were sweet and sour crawfish and a "Chinese hot dog" that was made with an egg roll wrap as the bun.
LIU: What did you learn from your travels while researching the book?
LEE: Chinese food is the most pervasive food on the continent, and it's even in Antarctica where a science station serves it every week. It adapts so well to local ingredients and the people's palette. The thing about Chinese cooking is that it's not about a set list of ingredients -- it's about style and taste, it's very malleable. You can have spicy Chinese food in India or in Mexico.
LIU: What do your parents think of "Americanized" Chinese cuisine? Do they prefer traditional Chinese food? Which do you prefer?
LEE: I remember when I was young, and I'd go with my parents to Chinese restaurants, and I'd be 8 and eat low mein and my mom would say 'that's not Chinese food.' My parents made authentic Chinese food at home, and I really learned about the food after spending a year in China and observing the food. I prefer Chinese food for Chinese people. I think it's healthier in part because Americans love fat and sugar in their food. Chinese food for Chinese people is a better balances of vegetables and meat.
LIU: What is the significance of your middle name, 8?
LEE: My parents chose 8 because in Chinese culture it connotes prosperity.
More information can be found on Lee's interactive blog at http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/.
