7 "Chinese" foods you won't find in China

Chinese food is loved around the world. But if you ask someone outside Asia what "authentic" Chinese food means, they may not be able to answer correctly. An American might imagine crispy sweet-and-sour pork, while someone from the West Indies might liken it to bacon.

Of course, defining "authentic" food in any context is difficult. The dishes listed below may not belong to a canon established by ancient Chinese chefs, but they are genuine creations that arose from the experiences of Chinese immigrants — and the rest of the world is grateful for them.

As Chinese immigrants spread and shaped communities around the globe, they adapted familiar recipes to the ingredients and tastes available locally. The result is a variety of distinct dishes inspired by Chinese cuisine. Here are several you can try on six different continents.

1. United States: General Tso's Chicken

General Tso's Chicken is one of the signature dishes of the modern era of pseudo-Chinese cuisine. Its crispy, sweet, strongly flavored pieces of fried chicken suit American tastes, but this dish is not found in China in anything like the form familiar to diners abroad. Where did it come from, and who was General Tso?

The original recipe is usually credited to Peng Chang-kuei, a banquet chef who served the Nationalist government, fled to Taiwan during the Chinese Civil War, and later opened a restaurant in New York City where he is said to have created the dish. The name references the Qing dynasty military commander Zuo Zongtang, though the reason for the association is unclear. General Tso's Chicken, together with its cousins orange chicken and sesame chicken, forms the golden trio of Chinese-American fast food.

2. Peru: Lomo Saltado

Lomo Saltado is a Peruvian classic that has become a staple of the national diet, but its origins lie with chifa cuisine. The term "chifa" comes from Cantonese and literally relates to cooking and eating. The chifa tradition began when immigrants from southern China arrived in Peru in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and adapted their favorite recipes to local ingredients, creating one of the first true fusion cuisines.

Lomo Saltado is typically a stir-fry that varies by region but generally includes slices of sirloin with tomatoes, onions and pieces of French fries served over rice. It's an unlikely combination, but it's delicious — a must-try if you visit Peru.

3. Australia: Chico Roll

The history of Australian stadium food changed when vendor Frank McEnroe saw a Chinese cart outside a cricket ground selling egg rolls. He wondered whether a firmer, more robust alternative could withstand the rough handling that comes with sporting crowds.

That idea became the Chico Roll. First marketed at the Wagga Wagga Agricultural Fair in 1951, the meat-based snack was initially promoted as a chicken roll despite containing no chicken. It remains a popular street-food favorite to this day.

4. Netherlands: Tjap Tjoi

The Netherlands' colonial history produced a Dutch–Chinese cuisine heavily influenced by Indonesian flavors. Soy sauce and satay come together in this cross-cultural Asian cooking, and even Dutch diners might struggle to say where one influence ends and another begins.

Older culinary traditions made way for bold, hybrid dishes in which seafood meets seasoned meats to satisfy local tastes. When Chinese food arrived in the United States it evolved into "chop suey." In the Netherlands it became "tjap tjoy," a softer, more vegetable-filled version influenced by Dutch soup and stir-fry traditions. The dish combines the full force of Chinese noodles, vegetables, chicken and sometimes shrimp — all coated in satay-style sauce. Eat enough, and you may even grow to the size of the average Dutchman.

5. Trinidad: "Chinese-style chicken"

In the nineteenth century, after the British abolished African slavery in Trinidad, Chinese laborers began to arrive to fill gaps in the workforce. They brought their cooking with them, producing an eclectic fusion of spices, sauces and flavors that survives in one of Trinidad's most popular dishes, known locally simply as "Chinese-style chicken."

The preparation calls for marinating the chicken overnight in dark soy sauce and five-spice powder, then deep-frying it until crisp and hot. A touch of ginger and lemon provides acidity, while the combination of Chinese oyster sauce and spicy Scotch Bonnet pepper sauce gives the dish its signature binational flavors.

6. India: Paneer Schezwan

Indo-Chinese cooking has long existed and originated in the Hakka Chinese communities of Calcutta. This style adapts Chinese cooking techniques and spice profiles to Indian tastes, producing dishes rarely seen in mainland China.

The name "Paneer Schezwan" — a dish that uses paneer, the soft cheese common in Indian cooking — is not a typo. Indian menus often use this spelling rather than the modern pinyin romanization "Sichuan." Dishes labeled "Schezwan" or "Schezwan-style" typically use a sauce with Indian red chilies, garlic and sometimes even Sichuan peppercorns.

Because dairy is uncommon in most regional Chinese cuisines, Paneer Schezwan is a good example of the imaginative dishes that emerge from cultural blending.

7. Japan: Chuka Ryori

Chuka ryori refers to Japanese–Chinese cuisine, usually served in modest, locally run restaurants. These humble shops are scattered across Japan and can be found on almost any street with eateries.

Eating Chinese food there may surprise you and make you question its authenticity. Mapo tofu appears in a modified form, often milder and adapted to Japanese tastes. Dishes with names such as chuka-don (literally "Chinese rice bowl," a stir-fry served over rice), tenshin-han (literally "Tianjin rice bowl," an omelet with crab served over rice), and hiyashi chuka (literally "chilled Chinese-style," chilled ramen noodles) are common in Japan but do not exist in the same forms in China, despite their names.