She Silenced Critics Online After A Popular British Phrase For Grabbing Chinese Takeout Sparked Debate, With Some Claiming The Slang Is Offensive
While American Chinese food is probably something that we are all familiar with, have you ever considered how the dishes that you know and love could differ from ones that are popular in British Chinese cuisine?
The internet is currently debating the reason for the difference in food, and some are even claiming that a popular British phrase should be considered offensive to Chinese culture.
TikTok user Heather (@hezzieee) silences the debaters with her knowledge about the subject. As a British Chinese woman whose parents own a Chinese takeaway place in the U.K., her background in this topic serves as a trustworthy source.
Firstly, some American people on TikTok are stating the common British phrase, “Let’s get a Chinese,” is offensive. Heather says that this phrase isn’t offensive in the slightest and is simply a result of slang in British culture.
Rather than saying, “Let’s get a Chinese takeaway,” they shorten the sentence. The same goes with any type of cuisine, and they will even say that they are “getting a full English.”
Secondly, Americans have been talking down on the popular menu items found in many British takeaways. Things such as chicken balls, salt and pepper chicken, and curry sauce are considered staples at any British Chinese takeaway location, even if we Americans have never heard of any of them.
“It’s just based on a different kind of cultural context. So, British Chinese takeaway food is meant to appeal to the British public. It’s catered around British tastes and the British palate,” Heather explains.
Just because the menu items differ between Chinese places in America and in Britain doesn’t make one wrong and one right. They are simply different! British Chinese food is not aiming to be just like American Chinese food, so it shouldn’t be considered gross or incorrect to Americans who have probably never tried it.
Chances are, traditional Chinese food may sound different than what you are used to as well.
pamela_d_mcadams – stock.adobe.com- illustrative purposes only
“It’s also not authentic traditional Chinese food, and it’s not pretending to be either, and I think that’s fine. It’s its own category in itself,” Heather says.
Additionally, there is a pretty big difference between ordering Chinese takeout in America and getting a Chinese takeaway in the U.K.
While many Chinese restaurants in America offer dine-in services, like in a restaurant, Chinese takeaways in Britain are often solely designed for people to pick up their to-go orders and leave.
This means that cooking larger dishes is not really feasible for small takeaway stores like it might be in a larger restaurant.
At the end of the day, British Chinese and American Chinese food is simply different from one another, and while it’s unlikely that Americans will really understand this part of British culture, Heather reminds people that bashing other countries’ practices just because they are unfamiliar is not necessary.
“There is no reason for you to be hating on something that is slightly different from what you might expect Chinese takeout to be,” she states.
@hezzieeee #stitch with @Soogia (soo-jee-yah) support your local chinese ? #achinese #britishchinese #chinesetakeaway #chinesetakeout #chinesetakeawaykid #chinesetakeawayuk #britishchinesetakeaway
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