A lot of so called "
Chinese Food" is actually
Californian, in that it was invented in
California.
Bill Bryson in "
Made in America" reports that the following "
Chinese" dishes were invented in
America:
Chop-Suey (actually means "
miscellany in
Cantonese") was invented in
San Francisco in the late
19th Century
The
fortune cookie comes from
Los Angeles (1910s)
Chow Mein was invented in 1927
This is by no means limited to chinese
food. The same is the case with many other types of
food that does not come from the country people think it comes from.