for whatever it's worth chinese food is one of the oldest and most complex cuisines on earth and contains flavor profiles western palates don't even know exist and being super proud of finding it icky is embarrassing for you
Jokes on you I don't like any food that has a "flavor profile" because I am a big picky baby π
Wait, upon further consideration the joke seems to be on me actually. Hmm. Oh well. Carry on.
When I wasn't a vegetarian, one of my favorite things to do was ask the chef at a mom & pop Chinese restaurant to make me a dish they'd enjoy making and eating for themselves. Just amazing stuff usually.
I want to do this but I don't want to be a pain! I'm also a vegetarian and all the dishes I've liked in the past are too sweet for me now. I don't know if my tastes just changed or if the restaurants around here just cater to very sweet-seeking palates but I'm very sad.
It makes sense. I don't like SO MANY THINGS, why are ketchup and premade sauces and store-bought bread all so sweet??? And I love sweet! For dessert, though. Not for meals. I don't even like sweet breakfasts in general. But I feel like asking for food off menu is a dick move unless you know them.
i think so--you could try seeking out less chinese-american takeout places (even though those are great in their own right) and find some places that focus on more regional-specific foods.
Unfortunately I live in a rural area so options are limited but if I ever see a vegan Chinese place I bolt for it. I've found they have incredible food. I once had vegan dim sum and I think of it regularly π
chinese broccoli & bitter melon are a couple of choices that if either of them are in there, they usually won't be too sweet.
ironically, chicken with peppercorns & chinese broccoli at a sichuan place was just fantastic. see if you can get them to make that for you with tofu instead of chicken.
That does sound good, I love broccoli and tofu. I usually just satisfy the tofu craving with Thai instead because my local will do a drunken noodle without fish and oyster sauces but I do miss Chinese food.
chinese broccoli has more of a bitter taste β if it is in there, you're emphasizing a lack of sweetness in your request
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gai_lan
My familyβs favourite Chinese place in my hometown used to make us stir-fried gai lan with garlic and vegetarian ma po tofu, neither on the menu, both fantastic. Gai lan is a good idea if you donβt want too sweet since itβs slightly bitter.
Literally some of the best flavors on the planet. And plenty of them blend well with otherwise bland western foods haha.
Add laoganma into your basic store bought spaghetti sauce and tell me its not 10x better on pasta
I knew someone who was absurdly proud of their lack of curiosity wrt food. Said he hasn't had anything new since he was 18 and didn't have to eat what his parents gave him. Claimed his favorite food was butter on white bread with American cheese. Just could not comprehend his worldview.
I've learned so many cool techniques and flavor combos from watching Chinese cooking videos. I want one of those giant woks built around a wood fire so bad
For flavors I don't enjoy I just lament my limitations.
I have largely only had Americanized Chinese food so I don't really have much of an opinion beyond recongnizing that a country of thousands of years and a current ~1.5 billion people probably have quite a few banger dishes to their name.
People just get really weird about things that aren't burgers sometimes. I hear a lot of shit about haggis because I'm scottish and I'm like "It's basically a sausage, what's the big deal?"
I made a umami sauce today out of curiosity and didn't put in oyster sauce. I was planning on making beef and broccoli with it but, I'll try it over noodles first. It smells good anyway.
Whenever I go camping I always like to get Sichuan for my first meal back. All those techniques, fermented sauces and infused oils. To me it is a cuisine that screams βcivilizationβ and it feels like a celebration of having elaborate knowledge and bountiful ingredients.
This! Large groups of people wouldn't eat meals that were objectively disgusting. I think there's an undertone of classism in people's mockery of other cuisines, too
Fr i actually think i've consumed more of Asian cuisine than western throughout my life. And i'm proud of it. If not, i could be pickier about food than what i am now.
