You Shouldn't Order Sweet And Sour Chicken At A Chinese Restaurant. Here's Why

Sweet and sour chicken is definitely a favorite dish when it comes to ordering Chinese take-out or ordering it up at a sit-down restaurant. And how could it not be? Breaded and fried chicken pieces swimming in a sweet and savory sauce sounds pretty awesome to the taste buds. But the sweet and sour sauce of modern America that is used in this dish is very different than that which you would find in China, according to Chowhound contributor Kristine Wen. There is quite a bit of lamenting to be had over the difference between the two. 

The American version, which is the most popular version of this sauce, is generally a mixture of sugar, ketchup, vinegar, and soy sauce while the authentic Chinese version is more likely a combination of just two ingredients: sugar and vinegar. The writer went on to note that the genesis of sweet and sour sauce – the orange, sweet, salty, and syrupy sauce – is really an American story. Perhaps the changes American culture has made to sweet and sour chicken are also the reason why you should resist ordering it at a Chinese restaurant.