help! safe chinese food?

[michigangirly]

my family is going out to eat at a chinese restaurant-what is the best thing to get?

[not2late]

Re: help! safe chinese food?

my family is going out to eat at a chinese restaurant-what is the best thing to get?

Chinese food is notorious for being carby due to the sauces they use (thicken with cornstarch) and the "master sauces" and marinades they use (sweetened with sugar). Moreover, the meats are sometimes marinaded in a mixture of egg white and cornstarch.

So the "safest" thing to order will be plain steamed meat with plain steamed vegetables, sauce on the side.

[chrisie_20]

Re: help! safe chinese food?

what about the beef and broccoli is it safe or is it made with a sauce other than soy suacue too?

[not2late]

Re: help! safe chinese food?

what about the beef and broccoli is it safe or is it made with a sauce other than soy suacue too?

Depends on how the restaurant makes it. About 99% of all Chinese recipes marinate the meat in some kind of sauce--hoisin, oyster, etc---not only for flavor but also to tenderize the meat or to protect the meat from overcooking during the high heat cooking technique of stir-fry. About 99% of those sauces contain sugar. And about 99% of chefs/cooks add additional flavors to those sauces in order to make the dish more flavorful: most of the time sugar is an addition.

Sugar does alot of things. Many of the Asian/Chineses sauces have a "salty-sweet-sour" taste. If you add an acidic ingredient, for example tomatoes, to a sauce, in order to reduce the sourness, you can add sugar or salt. In order to reduce saltiness, you can add sugar or a sour flavor like vinegar or citrus juice. In order to reduce the sweetness, you add salt or sour.

You can always ask the restaurant not to add sugar, starch, etc. to your food. Many chefs will comply. In fact, we had an Atkineer once report that she requested no add sugar, no starch, etc. in her food at a small chinese restaurant. The chef came out of the kitchen and asked about the request. She explained that she was on a strict diet and couldn't have certain foods. The chef told her if hse had a list of the foods she could eat, he would cook something for her. Fortunately, she had a photocopy of the Induction Acceptable Foods list with her. He went back into the kitchen with the list and cooked her a legal meal: no starch, no added sugar, no sauces, legal vegetables and meats.

[mwalsh95]

Re: help! safe chinese food?

I usually get the steamed chicken with broccoli, no sauce.

[MotherOfGizmo]

Re: help! safe chinese food?

I usually pick a seafood veggie dish, hold the sauce and hold the rice.