"Silky" Road

When it comes to Chinese food, most Americans have their favorite dishes. Most are familiar with egg rolls, General Tso’s chicken, fried rice and However, many Americans don’t realize that there are in fact different types of Chinese food, from various provinces in China.

In fact, many early Chinese restaurants in America, modified their menus, to meet the demands of Westerners. As a result, many Americans grew up eating Chinese food that is really American. Despite this, Chinese restaurants collectively, have more locations than the rest of the fast-food chains in America combined.

As the number of Chinese immigrants continues to grow, the types of Chinese food Americans have exposure to continues to change as well. Many Chinese who are new to the United States are bringing their authentic Chinese dishes with them and Americans have taken notice.

Here are several types of Chinese food that Americans and everyone else should know about.

Hunanese Chinese Food

Ready for some of the spiciest food in China? Hunan Chinese food is so spicy, that the province actually has pepper eating contests and songs dedicated to their proclivity for spices. Many Americans believe that General Tso Chinese is a Hunanese dish. The chef that created the dish is from Hunan, and the dish was originally made without any sugar.  Americans who try authentic Hunanese food will be pleasantly surprised how spicy and tasty the authentic Hunanese food is.

Guandong Chinese Food (Hong Kong)

Unlike other types of Chinese food, chef’s from Guandong province typically enhance or attempt to bring out the flavor of the food that they are serving, instead of overwhelming the dish in spices. In addition, the food might seem slightly bland, but this is the style and in addition, Guandong style food does not have an abundance of grease and oil.

Sichuan Chinese Food

While this province is also known for spicy food, it specializes in dishes made with peppercorns. The peppercorns are not spicy, but in fact, they produce a tingly sensation. In addition, Sichuan dishes also traditionally have more beef and fish dishes than other types of Chinese food.

What is the best type of Chinese food for you?

It really depends on your taste preferences and who is doing the cooking. There are over 45,000 Chinese restaurants in America. It shouldn’t be difficult to find a restaurant and a chef that can accommodate you.