Am I missing something? Does authentic Chinese cuisine necessitate the use of yellow mustard as a condiment, and am I therefore merely partaking in an Americanized bastardization, these mustardless Chinese confections? Otherwise, why do I have mustard packets in every to-go bag of every Chinese takeout meal I've ever had? Why do they always put mustard in there? Why not ketchup and mayonaise if they're just figuring on us Americans trying to sauce it up with some classic American condiment? It's always duck sauce, soy sauce, and mustard. Can some culinary conossieur explain what's going on here?
Well, does it taste good with mustard? I don't eat Chinese food (Or any asian food for that matter) except fried shrimp with ketchup tastes like a french fry to me. Maybe a couple of companies did some sort of survey to see what condiments customers like on their food, and those three were the top three you mentioned. I'm not sure I'm just spit balling ideas.
Mustard is used in lots of chinese food, and as a dipping sauce too, most commonly with duck. We're talking the higher end, stone style and spicy mustards, but the yellow stuff is easier to acquire for fast food/take out places, so there you go. French fries and cans of sprite aren't exactly authentic cuisine either, but most chinese take out places sell that now too.
The mustard at the Chinese place I frequent is actually quite hot. I just wish they'd give me larger quantities of sweet and sour sauce. As a white guy, I have no idea how they do it, but I'll gladly pay through the nose for it.
I have never seen just straight yellow mustard at a chinese place. It's always spicy "asian" style mustard. I know because it has a Panda picture on it. Its awesome on egg rolls fo' sho.
You'd be surprised at how unauthentic take out Chinese food is. Most places usually have one or two dishes that would somewhat resemble authentic Chinese food and the rest you wouldn't get a Chinese person to recognize it as authentic. Hell, fortune cookies can't even be found in restaurants in China/Taiwan.
Oh and "egg rolls" are a misnomer. They're spring rolls. Egg rolls are a dessert cracker in Taiwan and in most other parts a different thing than spring rolls. And "kung fu" is a misnomer as well. It's wushu. Kung fu just means skill. Wushu means martial art. That's your daily Chinese lesson on trivia there.
I have never eaten Chinese takeout and had them include mustard of any kind. Every single Chinese takeout place that I have been to gives Plum sauce, and Soy sauce, and thats it.
They do practice gong fu. Razerwire, you wouldn't happen to be attending this year's Wushu Festival would you? I'm gonna be there, and it should be good times. And no, E. Rabbot, this is not just America, as I'm sure our UK and Asian friends would protest. I've been in China for a year now, and I have yet to see mustard anywhere. I'm on break in the US right now, and the shit that passes in these "Chinese" restaurants is nowhere to be found where I live.
Nope. I haven't been back to Beijing since I graduated the International School there in '97. Where are you staying in China? As for Chinese food bit, one must remember that there are many many regions of cuisine and none that I recall uses mustard as a sauce. We DO eat mustard greens though!
Fried Shrimp w/ketchup is more Southern than Asian food, imo. You are missing a lot of great food by skipping out on Chinese/Asian cuisine. my dad hates chinese food, so when i have dinner with family, we never get to eat at some really great places. to be fair, i have been reluctant with trying Korean food at a nearby restaurant. but with a friend's help i am wading into that slowly until i know what i like. the two main Chinese take-out places i frequent don't offer mustard of any kind, so this thread had me scratching my head. I love shrimp fried rice with a light drizzle of soy sauce. i don't eat duck much, so i doubt i'd need the spicy mustard.
some of those Chinese mustards will make you feel like you just snorted a line of Chlorine.. The key as always is moderation.
