Chicken Chop Suey

Sheldon

And Jewish folk eating at Chinese restos:

"In this article we explore the internal logic of ethnic cultural invention by delving into an unusual but by no means unique case: an American ethnic group that has incorporated into its culture an utterly alien practice -- something completely beyond the bounds of its traditional culture.

We examine the way that Jews who immigrated from Eastern Europe to New York City, and especially their children and grandchildren, have incorporated Chinese restaurant food into their new Jewish-American culture. Indeed, New York Jews love Chinese restaurant food so much that they have made it a second cuisine.

Diverse observers have called attention to the phenomenon. A long line of Jewish "borscht belt" hotel comedians, from Buddy Hackett to Jackie Mason, created routines about Jews and Chinese food. The New York Times food writer Mimi Sheraton has pointed out that "the longstanding love affair Jews have had with Chinese food (particularly the slightly over cooked, mild-flavored Cantonese specialties) was a well-known fact of the restaurant business in Flatbush fifty years ago." The preface to Mishpokhe, a book about Jewish cousins' clubs, observes that "Jewish neighborhoods in New York and Chicago are often notable for having a large number of Chinese restaurants."

Chinese restauranteurs concur. Successful Chinese restaurant owners on the upper- west side of Manhattan and in Chinatown told us that the Jewish love of Chinese food was well known in the Chinese restaurant business. One friend who married into a large Jewish family told us his favorite joke:

"According to the Jewish calendar, the year is 5749. According to the Chinese calendar, the year is 4687. That means for 1,062 years, the Jews went without Chinese food."

The observations capture an important sociological truth: "Eating Chinese" is part of Jewish culture in New York City.

-- Best Greg