This is part 1 to the Takeaway Evolution series. You can find part 2 here and final part here.
Chinese Food, the British Way
I once told an American friend that you could order a Chinese takeaway (or a ‘takeout’ to fellow Americans) in the UK with a side of chips. Her face twisted in confusion “Wait, why would they serve Chinese food with fries?”. To them, it seemed like a culinary mismatch. But to anyone raised in Britain, salt and pepper chips or sweet and sour sauce-drenched fries are perfectly normal. What we know today as “Chinese food” in Britain has been through over nearly a century of evolution. Its origin not only stems from Chinese traditional cuisine but also formed and shaped by British taste buds; an exotic flavour that satisfies the familiar palates. In this first part of this series, I will to explore how British Chinese takeaway culture came to be; from its historical roots, to the creation of uniquely hybrid dishes, to how it has diversified and developed into modern British Chinese cuisine that we know today.
How Chinese Food Arrived to the UK (1800s–Early 1900s)
Although it’s hard to find detailed accounts, the early history most likely started when Chinese seamen, labourers, and merchants who made their way to the UK via the colonial trade route during the 19th century. Many settled in port cities like Liverpool and Limehouse in London forming the UK’s earliest Chinese communities. This eventually lead to the formation of some of the oldest Chinatowns in Europe. Most of these early migrants came from the southern coastal regions of China, especially Guangdong (a.k.a. Canton). At the same time they brought along with them their distinct food culture.
But life in Britain at the time were tough for the new settlers. Due to xenophobia and restrictions, economic opportunities were limited and the Chinese population remained small and insular. To survive, many Chinese men worked in laundries, seafaring or opened small businesses catering to their own communities. Food was one of the few areas where they could make a living and soon, Chinese run cafés and restaurants began to appear.
Adapting Chinese Cuisine for British Palates
These early establishments, such as those in London’s Limehouse district, offered a taste of Chinese cuisine, albeit modified to suit British tastes. The first known Chinese restaurants Cathay opened in London, West End around 1908. They catered mainly to Chinese students and sailors but also began to attract curious locals. It wasn’t a culinary revolution at the time, but it was indeed the beginning of something special.
The British palate of the time was unaccustomed to the bold flavors of traditional Chinese cooking. Dishes were adapted using locally available ingredients. Garlic, soy sauce, and chilli were alien to local customers, so to make the most of available ingredients, dishes were toned down or ‘anglicised’. Menus were simplified and recipes adapted to suit the average British diners, even if that meant straying far from traditional Cantonese cuisine.
The post Second World War era saw some significant changes in the UK. Economic opportunities in Britain attracted immigrants from Hong Kong (a British colony at the time) and other parts of China. Most of these newcomers entered the catering industry. Since the 1950s the number of Chinese restaurants grew rapidly in the following years.
The Family Behind the Counter: Birth of the Chinese Takeaways
From the 1960s through to the 1980s, thousands of immigrants from Hong Kong’s New Territories entered Britain during a period of economic transition. For many starting a takeaway business was often one of the few viable paths due to language barriers, employment discrimination and limited access to professional careers because of their low education levels.
Unlike full-service restaurants, takeaways only required smaller premises, fewer staff, and more manageable overheads. These businesses were often run by multigenerational families, but operated with remarkable efficiency. Families or staffs usually live above or behind the shop, reducing housing costs and enabling round-the-clock work. Many operated six or seven days a week, from lunchtime until late at night, serving a loyal base of local customers. And almost never shut on weekends or holidays.
Increasingly more Chinese takeaways opened up in many British towns and cities, offering affordable and convenient meals. To appeal to British customers, menus often feature dishes that are a blend of British and Chinese. Dishes like fried rice and chicken chowmein quickly became regulars’ favourite order, and of course a side serving of chips is a must. This also formed a blueprint for many Chinese food establishments in the industry for decades to come. The growing popularity of Chinese food eventually became a staple lunch meals or family dinner in many UK households.
Laying the Foundations
From Limehouse’s early Chinese eateries to the family-run takeaways of postwar Britain, the evolution of Chinese takeaway was not just an adaptation for survival, but a creation of something unique; Chinese cuisine with a British twist. A similar parallel can be drawn from many other diasporic food cultures in the UK, such as Indian curry houses that adapted dishes like chicken tikka masala to British palates or Turkish kebab shops serving up chips alongside doner meat. These exotic flavours have greatly impacted the food culture in Britain and the British taste buds.
These fusion cuisines are less about losing authenticity but it is an adaptation that eventually developed into a new identity. An identity that bring together two different cultures. In the continuation of this short series, I’ll explore the different stages of the British Chinese takeaway food evolution and how different hybrid dishes came to be.
The next part:
The Great British Chinese Menu
Sources
Angela Hui – Takeaway
How Britain fell in love with Chinese food
The UK’s Chinese food revolution