Chinese Stories

Every PlateTales food history story tagged Chinese, newest first.

North AmericanChineseMigration

Why Jews Eat Chinese Food on Christmas, and Since When

In 1899 a New York Jewish weekly scolded readers for eating in Chinese restaurants. By 1935 chow mein was arriving at a Newark children's home on Christmas Day.

9 min read

BritishTrade RoutesChinese

Why Is Ketchup Called Ketchup? Blame a Hokkien Fish Brine

Ketchup was a fish brine before it was a tomato sauce. How a Hokkien word reached a London slang dictionary by 1699, and why the Cantonese tomato theory fails.

8 min read

Never Miss a Story

One food history story, delivered every week.