How did Chinese food get to look like this?

With more than 41,000 Chinese restaurants in America - 3 times the number of McDonald’s restaurants - Chinese food is one of the most accepted and misunderstood cuisines in the United States.

From large cities to small towns, locals can always count on an order of orange chicken in a takeout box, with a few fortune cookies thrown in the bag.

But what Americans view as Chinese food is far from a traditional Chinese meal, which is usually a colorful display of sea creatures such as shrimp or crab or a bowl of seaweed or tofu soup.

The story of Chinese food in America is a tale of how one ethnic cuisine cultivated and adapted its flavors for Americans, evolving from wholesome seafood meals to chopped up sweet and sour fried bits.

http://chineseamericanfood.us/