Where does moo shu pork come from?
When you consider that chop suey peaked as a phenomenon in the 20’s, Chinese cuisine — at least of the Cantonese variety — experienced a long period of stagnation before new and improved versions came along. There were several attempts to update the formula of course. Chinese restaurant/jazz joints were popular in the 20’s and 30’s. Following World War II Chinese restaurant/tiki bars were huge, and they endured well into the 60’s. Actually I know of at least one of those that’s still around: Chef Shangri-La on 26th Street in Riverside, Illinois. My college buddies and I tossed back a few Dr. Fongs at that place back in the late 80’s I can tell you. Oh the hangovers. But the grass roof in the bar was very cool as I recall. My memory might be a little skewed.
Anyway, it was around the time of the rise of Chinese-tiki that at least some Chinese entrepreneurs were getting awfully tired of the same old thing. Maybe it was boredom, maybe it was simple embarrassment, but by the late 40’s a new breed of restaurant began to emerge. These places catered to Chinese ex-pats, diplomats and Asian-theater war veterans who knew what real Chinese food tasted like. Most of them served at least some Cantonese-style food, however the menu was supplemented by dishes borrowed from other provinces of China.
Among the first of these was the Peking Restaurant which opened in, no surprise, Washington, D.C. in 1947. Peking duck was the specialty of the house, yet the sleeper hit of the menu was a dish of pork, mushrooms, eggs and lily buds that was served wrapped in thin white flour pancakes. This dish hailed from the Shandong province in northern China and was called “moo shu”…or something.
Perhaps because this dish also provided a cross-cultural reference point (the wheat pancake) perhaps because it was served “burrito”-style thus offering diners a convenient way out of the chop stick conundrum, it was quickly adopted by the culture. By the mid-60’s moo shu pork was popping up on menus in New York, San Francisco, St. Louis and Chicago. To this day it remains one of my personal favorites, which is why I’m now going to go make some. I’m hungry.
Funny comparing your Chinese culture and food with ours. We also had a Chinese influx for a gold rush, but 15 or so years after yours. We don’t have mu shu pork, or even really chop suey. Our mainstays of Chinese restaurant food are fried rice, sweet and sour pork or wontons, and lemon chicken. Of course there are lots of other things as well, but these are the dishes that everyone will have tried.
Oh yes, lemon chicken is a big one here as well…I love that, personally. Anything fried with a citrus sauce…wow. Then again that may not be how it’s made in New Zealand!
– Joe
All of those things are deep fried! Except the fried rice.
Love that!
– Joe
I can’t say for sure since I’m not Northern Chinese, but I think Mu Shu Pork is served with rice, not with pancakes (like most Chinese dishes). Even though wheat is consumed as the major source of starch in Northern China (as opposed to rice in Southern China), I’ve never had Mu Shu Pork served in pancakes in China.
You could very easily be right about that, Henry. All I know is American Chinese food, and here it’s normally served with pancakes. Someday I’d love to spend some time in China and eat “the real thing” as it were. I’ll probably need to put my girls through school first…but a fellow can dream. Nice to hear from you, Henry!
– Joe
Haha! I will be more than happy to be your tour guide if you do decide to come to Hong Kong! (I live in Cincinnati right now…)
I’ve been wondering where you live, Henry — and it turns out you’re just up the road in Cincinnati. Well…small world indeed!
– Joe
Haha! Indeed! The Chinese food in Cincy is absolutely ghastly!
There’s actually an excellent restaurant down here, or at least one I’d be interested in getting your opinion on. It’s called Jasmine. next time you’re headed down this way we’ll go!
– Joe