Asian-Influenced Cuisines

Asian-influenced cuisine has been shaping American food culture for over a century. From the first Chinese immigrants adapting recipes to the local ingredients and tastes of the US, to the vibrant fusion styles emerging today, Asian-American cooking reflects creativity, adaptation and deep cultural roots. In this section you’ll find classic dishes, regional favorites and modern twists that tell the story of how Asian flavors became a beloved part of the American table. Below you can find a list of the most prominent Asian-influenced cuisines in the US:

Chinese-American

  • Much like Italian-American cuisine, Chinese-American cuisine is a full-fledged cuisine of its own - it pays homage to its origins, but is in a separate category entirely from traditional Chinese cuisine, although there has been a newer movement for more authentic regional Chinese

  • Foods are often deep-fried or stir-fried, or in the case of dumplings, steamed, and typically feature thick, sugary sauces

  • Common ingredients include soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, cornstarch, garlic, ginger, scallions, broccoli, bell peppers, chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, white rice and noodles

  • Popular dishes include General Tso’s Chicken, Beef & Broccoli, Egg Rolls, Sesame Chicken, Orange Chicken, Crab Rangoons, Sweet & Sour Pork, Fortune Cookies

  • Read more about Chinese-American food here and here

Japanese-American

  • Aspects of this cuisine are similar to traditional Japanese cooking, but Japanese-American dishes tend to be more heavily sauced, contain larger portions of meat, utilize butter and include vegetables that are more accessible in America

  • Popular dishes include California Rolls, Teriyaki Chicken, Hibachi, Tempura, Ramen

  • Foods are often grilled (on a barbecue or hibachi flat-top), simmered or deep fried

  • Common ingredients include soy sauce, miso, mirin, rice vinegar, teriyaki sauce, seaweed, rice, wasabi, tuna, salmon, crab, steak, chicken, shrimp, avocado

  • Read more about Japanese-American cuisine here

Hawaiian

  • Combines a variety of cultural influences from Polynesian, Japanese, Filipino, Portuguese and American cuisines

  • Popular dishes include Loco Moco, Poke Bowls, Spam Musubi, Plate Lunch, Huli Huli Chicken

  • Common ingredients include rice, macaroni, spam, pork, Portuguese sausage, tuna, salmon, coconut, taro, pineapple, soy sauce, green onions

  • Read more about Hawaiian cuisine here

Asian-American Fusion

  • Korean, Thai and Vietnamese influenced

  • Common ingredients include kimchi, gochujang, coconut milk, white rice, soy sauce, fish sauce, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, sriracha

  • Read more about fusion cuisine here