Chinatowns are everywhere! One of the most famous ones is probably Chinatown London, a beautiful piece of China in the capital of Great Britain where you, just like here, in the Hague, can have an amazing day out!
How did Chinatowns come to be?
The world knows many Chinatowns. You can find them all throughout America, but also in Southeast Asia, like in Singapore, you’ll find a Chinatown. They developed after Chinese migrants came from China and Hong Kong. They mostly built their lives in Europe and North America. Many of these Chinese migrants started up their own stores and restaurants. This way, slowly by slowly, more and more Chinese restaurants popped up in the world. Though, often, the taste of the food was adjusted to local desires. That’s why for many of us it’s a common experience that Chinese food in China tastes different than abroad.
Chinese kitchen
In recent years, authenticity has become extremely important. That’s why these days, it’s a lot easier to find ‘real’ Chinese food, rather than the ‘Westernized’ version. Yes, we’ve always had dim sum (Cantonese food), but you can now also find real Sichuan peppers. Hot, yes. But real! Just like they are eaten in Sichuan. Besides the Sichuanese kitchen, the Beijing kitchen has also gained popularity. Chinese food is way more varied than we think! And, it’s a lot more than babi pangang or foe yong hai!
On Instagram
Chinatowns are modernizing. We have found a bunch of Chinatowns that have their own Instagram account, just like we do. Check them here:
Los Angeles – @lachinatown
Cape Town – @chinatown.capetown
Singapore – @chinatownsingapore
Toronto – @torontochinatown
Budapest – @chinatownbudapest
London – @chinatownlondon
New York – @explorechinatown
Whilst sitting at home, something we’ve become all too familiar with since mid-March, many Chinatowns developed initiatives to stay amongst the crowds, virtually, that is. One of these initiatives is #bringingchinatownhome, by Chinatown London. People were invited to home cook the food they’d usually buy for takeout, and share their creations online!
So, for a visual representation of all that tastiness, go to the account of Chinatown London. You’ll find endless ideas of what to cook!
加油！Good luck!