Braised Beef comes from the Shanxi region in the northern section of China.

Chairman Mao's Red-braised Pork uses a braising and simmering cooking method found in the Hunan region of China.

Walk into any Chinese restaurant in America, and you’re likely to come across General Tso’s chicken and crab rangoon.

Walk off the plane in Beijing, though, and don’t expect those dishes to be waiting for you outside the Olympic Stadium.

American Chinese food is a far cry from actual Chinese food, say those who grew up in China, which is in the middle of hosting the 2008 Summer Olympics.

“It never changes in America. It’s like if a new restaurant opened, it would have crab rangoon, General Tso’s chicken, chicken fried rice – they always have that on the menu,” says Wanna Zhao, co-manager of Encore, 1007 Mass. “But in China, everywhere you go, as long as you go to a different city, you will have different stuff. Different restaurants, different tastes, different stuff.”

American influence

So different you might not even recognize it.

And if you think that’s unfair, try being Chinese native eating in America. Talk about not recognizing your own food.

That crab rangoon? Invented by San Francisco-based Trader Vic’s restaurants sometime after World War II. That General Tso’s chicken? Though it’s Hunan-inspired, you’d be hard-pressed to find it in China’s actual Hunan province. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find many chicken dishes at all in China.

“In China, it’s more vegetables, more fish, and we use a lot of pork. Mostly pork and fish. I don’t know why,” says Denny Wong, night manager at Encore, who emigrated from Fujiang, China, in 1992. “The beef is expensive and the Chinese, they don’t like chicken at all.”

But Americans love chicken, so it often makes up the bulk of dishes in American Chinese restaurants, says Wong.

“Here in America, all the Chinese food we make, we have to get closer to the American flavor,” he says, adding that other cultural norms have also gone out the window in Americanized Chinese dining. “In America, it’s only in the summer and the wintertime people have soup, otherwise they don’t. In China, most of the time we have soup with our own meal, all the time. Every time we eat, we have soup.”

Yao Wang, a Kansas University freshman from Hefei, China, says when classmates ask what she eats at home, most are expecting a much more exotic answer than soup.

“I remember when I was in orientation, many friends asked me, ‘Do you eat monkeys’ brain?’ so often when we talked about food,” Wang says. “I was really surprised (because) we have not eaten (that) for many years. And we will not eat such (things) as monkeys’ brain, bears’ hands nowadays.”

No, there’s no need to look for exotic meats when looking for something close to an authentic dish in an American restaurant. Instead, says Zhao, look for one dish in particular that is often on the menu.

“Beef chow fun is our traditional Cantonese dish,” says Zhao, who is from the province of Guangdong, home of Cantonese cooking.

Zhao says that the way beef chow fun is prepared and presented at Encore is nearly a perfect match to the dish as it would be served in China.

“I’d say beef chow fun is at least 90 percent, maybe tastewise a little bit off. Every chef cooks it differently,” Zhao says. “But everything from how he prepares it to how he presents it, it’s really similar, 90 percent match.”

No perfect matches

So why don’t we see more dishes that closely resemble actual Chinese food? Zhao says it’s difficult to create something close given the constraints of the foods and spices available in the United States, especially for a restaurant in Kansas.

“We are really limited. We could probably get it (more types of seasonings) on the coasts … because they have a big Chinatown. And they have so many Chinese people there, so that’s a bigger market for us to get the spices,” Zhao says. “It’s just a little bit more difficult in the Midwest. There’s like no Chinese people, and there’s no Asian market.”

That, and it’s nearly impossible to create a single restaurant that can house a cuisine defined by a country of more than 1.3 billion people spread out over 3.8 million square miles. Just think of how difficult it would be to create a takeout restaurant that encompasses all of America’s cuisines – from fried chicken in the south, to New England clam chowder, to Tex-Mex, to Kansas City barbecue and everything in between.

“Basically every style, every city, they’re different, they have different dishes,” Zhao says. “But in America, it’s like, no matter where you go, through the 50 states, you still find General Tso’s Chicken. But not in Asia.”

Wang says that though visitors to China for the Olympics may be disappointed that they can’t indulge in a crab rangoon craving while visiting Beijing, she says she thinks they won’t be a bit disappointed for the Games themselves.

“Of course I am crazy about the Olympics, and I hope not only all the Chinese but also the people from other countries will support it,” she says from her home in Hefei. “And, believe us, we will not let you down.”

Across-the-Bridge Noodles from Yunnan Province

Yunnan province is filled with ethnic minorities and because of that has a cuisine that can defy description. Some dishes have undertones of the cuisines of Southeast Asia, which the province borders, and Yunnan hams are renowned through China for their subtle tastes. Spiciness makes frequent appearances but is far from predominant. Yunnan is also famous for its teas.

Start to finish: 30 minutes

Servings: Four

1/2 teaspoon rice wine

1/8 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Salt

1/4 teaspoon dark soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon rice vinegar

4 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast

2 ounces fish filet (such as mahi mahi), skinned

2 ounces raw, shelled shrimp

5 ounces Chinese egg noodles

6 cups chicken broth

5 tablespoons chicken fat

1/2 small bunch fresh cilantro

1/2 medium carrot, shredded

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil.

Meanwhile, to prepare the marinade, in a small bowl, whisk together the rice wine, ginger, 1/8 teaspoon of salt, soy sauce and vinegar.

Cut the chicken, fish and shrimp in paper-thin slices, then arrange the slices on a serving platter. Drizzle with the marinade, and let stand.

When the saucepan of water has boiled, add the noodles. Return to a boil, and cook until soft, about four minutes for dried noodles and two minutes for fresh. Transfer the noodles to a colander to drain.

In a large saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil over high heat. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and the chicken fat.

Return to a boil, and let boil for one minute. Quickly, but carefully, transfer the broth to a serving tureen, and bring to the table along with the platter of meats and seafood and colander of noodles.

Pour the meat, seafood and noodles into the boiling hot broth. They will cook instantly. Stir and serve in individual bowls, offering carrots and cilantro sprigs for garnish.

– Recipe adapted from Chinavoc.com.

Chairman Mao’s Red-Braised Pork from Hunan Region

Hunan is in southern or central China – the argument over which still rages – and its food reflects the dichotomy. While most Americans think of Sichuan food as the spicier cuisine, Hunan dishes can be even more pyrotechnic; fresh peppers instead of preserved ones are often used, increasing the kick. While stir-frying is certainly present in Hunan, methods such as braising and simmering have also produced some of the region’s most memorable dishes, such as this one enjoyed by Mao Zedong, who grew up in rural Hunan.

Start to finish: One hour

Servings: Four

1 pound pork belly or salt pork (skin optional)

2 tablespoons peanut oil

2 tablespoons sugar, plus more for seasoning

1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine

3/4-inch piece fresh ginger, skin left on, sliced

1 star anise

2 dried red chilies

1 small cinnamon stick

Light soy sauce, to taste

2 fresh scallions, greens only, chopped

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the pork belly, and simmer three to four minutes. Remove the meat from the saucepan and set on a plate to cool. When cool enough to handle, cut into bite-size chunks.

In a wok over low heat, combine the oil and sugar, stirring until the sugar melts. Increase the heat, and continue stirring until the sugar turns a rich caramel brown.

Add the pork and Shaoxing wine. Add enough water to just cover the pork, then add the ginger, star anise, chilies and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 40 to 50 minutes.

Toward the end of the cooking time, increase the heat to reduce the sauce. Season with soy sauce and sugar. Add the scallion greens just before serving.

– Recipe from Fuchsia Dunlop’s “Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook,” W.W. Norton, 2007.

Braised Beef from Shanxi Region

Shanxi food, from the northern Chinese region that many credit as being one of the cradles of “Chineseness,” is hearty, heavy and grainy. Dumplings and breadstuffs are everywhere, and noodles are a staple; one delicacy, “cat’s ear noodles,” are – worry not – named for their shape, not their ingredients.

Start to finish: 25 minutes

Servings: Four

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce

3 bunches scallions, chopped (about 1-1/2 cups chopped)

1 pound lean boneless beef (such as top sirloin), very thinly sliced

1/4 cup corn starch

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup sesame oil

Generous pinch fennel seed

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 teaspoons rice wine

1/4 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce and scallions. Add the beef, and mix to coat.

In a small bowl, mix the corn starch with the water until dissolved. Add to the beef mixture, and stir well. Set aside.

In a wok, heat the oil over high. Add the fennel seeds, and cook, stirring constantly, until the oil starts to smoke. Add the beef mixture, with the marinade, and stir-fry until barely cooked, about two to three minutes.

Add the stock and rice wine. Cover the wok, and boil for one minute. Add the ginger, stir and serve.

– Recipe adapted from Cuisine-China.com.

Lamb Kebabs from Xinjiang Region

Xinjiang, a predominantly Muslim region of western China, is home to an ethnic group called the Uighurs that has more in common culturally with Central Asia than with most of China. Lamb is an exceedingly popular dish, and food often is seasoned with cumin and other spices rarely used in the cooking of China’s more central and eastern regions.

Start to finish: 2-1/2 hours (30 minutes active)

Servings: Four

1 medium yellow onion, quartered

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup pomegranate juice

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

3/4 teaspoon cayenne

1 pound boneless lamb leg or shoulder, cut into 1-inch chunks

In a food processor, chop the onion until it forms a paste. Transfer to a medium bowl, then stir in the vegetable oil, pomegranate juice, salt, black pepper, garlic and cayenne.

Add the lamb pieces, and stir to coat. Cover, and refrigerate for two hours.

Meanwhile, if using bamboo skewers, soak eight of them in water for at least 30 minutes.

Prepare a charcoal grill to medium-high, or heat a gas grill.

Thread the meat onto skewers, taking care not to crowd the meat. The pieces should barely touch.

Place the skewers on the grill, and cook for two minutes. Turn, and cook for seven to eight minutes more, turning periodically to ensure good color and even cooking.

– Recipe from Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid’s “Beyond the Great Wall: Recipes and Travels in the Other China,” Artisan, 2008.