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What is Chinese Take-Out?

By Sheri Cyprus
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 9,400
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Chinese take-out is Western Chinese food that is picked up by customers or delivered to customers in their homes. The folded, rectangular cardboard Chinese-take out box, with its thin wire handle, is as recognizable in the United States as the take-out cardboard pizza box. The food is usually considered fairly inexpensive, although not cheap. Some Chinese take-out establishments have dine-in facilities as well.

The Chinese take-out kitchen idea began in California in the middle of the nineteenth century. These early eateries were very makeshift and were recognized by Cantonese laborers by a yellow triangular piece of cloth attached to the outside of the kitchen. The cloth symbol let the Cantonese workers know that the place inside would have hot, affordable and, most of all, familiar food.

As more and more non-Chinese people began frequenting these informal restaurants, dishes began being created that were more suitable to non-Chinese tastes. These included Chop Suey and Chow Mein and they are still extremely popular Chinese take-out foods today. Chop Suey features pieces of meat, poultry and/or fish and vegetables in a brown sauce and Chow Mein is a noodle dish that also has bean sprouts and other vegetables. Vegetarian, or Mushroom, Chow Mein has no meat or fish, but most other Chow Mein variations include meat, shrimp or chicken.

Typical Chinese take-out appetizers include soups and egg rolls and larger establishment may offer many more options. There is usually a good selection of main dishes made with meat, poultry and fish as well as some vegetarian dishes made with tofu. Steamed rice is a common side dish as is Fried Rice which is another early Americanized Chinese dish. Fried Rice is made with eggs, vegetables such as peas and bits of cooked pork and/or mushrooms added to the rice.

Sit-down Chinese restaurants that also have a take-out option may offer more traditional dishes in their Chinese take-out selection. Even non-fried Chinese foods are often high in sodium and those on sodium restricted diets may not be able to eat Chinese take-out foods on their doctor's orders. Yet Chinese take-out is a favorite of many people. Fortune cookies, sweet cookies that contain a slip of paper containing a message, offer a fun way to end a Chinese take-out meal. Fortune cookies were also invented in California — at a Japanese restaurant in San Francisco.

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Discussion Comments
By AnswerMan — On Jul 01, 2014

One of my favorite Chinese restaurants offers a menu, take-out and delivery. I'm always amazed to see how much food will fit into those Chinese take out boxes. They don't always look very big, but there can be a lot of meat or rice packed into them. If I decide to eat at the restaurant, they'll still put my meal in a take out container.

The only thing I don't like about some Chinese take out cartons is the possibility of leakage. Sometimes I'll find a pool of sauce at the bottom of the bag, but so far it hasn't been so bad that I couldn't work around it.

By Reminiscence — On Jun 30, 2014

I've heard stories that Chinese take out containers can be unfolded and turned into usable plates or bowls. I haven't tried it myself, but it looked possible to me. I usually end up pouring out the contents onto a regular plate or bowl, but if I'm ever stuck without a paper plate, I'll try unfolding one of those Chinese take out cartons instead.

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