Ep 5. What Is Chop Suey Anyway?

In "What Is Chop Suey Anyway?" episode of Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi, Padma dives into the history of Chinese-American cuisine in order to explore how the popular dish, chop suey, came to be. She begins her journey in San Francisco, where many Chinese immigrants arrived in the 19th century to work on the railroad.

First, Padma meets with historian Connie Young Yu to learn about the early Chinese immigrants and their experiences living in Chinatown. Young Yu explains how the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was passed in order to prevent more Chinese immigrants from coming to the United States, and how the Chinese-American community had to remain resilient during these challenging times.

Next, Padma speaks with cookbook author Grace Young about her mother's chop suey recipe. Chop suey became popular in America in the early 1900s, and Grace explains how it was a dish that was created using whatever ingredients were available. It was a way for Chinese immigrants to make ends meet and use up leftover ingredients. Grace also explains how chop suey was often served in restaurants that banned Chinese customers, as it was seen as a way to make Chinese food more palatable to white Americans.

Padma also visits the oldest Chinese restaurant in America, Nam Wah Tea Parlor, which was founded in 1920. She speaks with Wilson Tang, whose family has owned the restaurant for three generations, about how their menu has evolved over time. He shows Padma how to make one of their most popular dishes, roast pork buns, which originated in China but have become a staple of Chinese-American cuisine.

Finally, Padma visits Los Angeles, where she samples Chinese food from different regions of China. She speaks with Chinese-American chef Irene Li, who runs the catering company Mei Mei in Boston, about how her cuisine is influenced by growing up in both the United States and China. Padma and Irene prepare a dish together, discussing how chop suey has become less popular among younger generations of Chinese-Americans.

Throughout "What Is Chop Suey Anyway?", Padma explores the history of Chinese-American cuisine and learns how chop suey has become a symbol of the Chinese-American experience. She interviews historians, cookbook authors, and chefs, and samples a wide variety of Chinese cuisine from different regions of China. By the end of the episode, viewers will have a greater understanding of the Chinese-American experience and how food has played a critical role in shaping it.