Chop Suey

History of Chinese Cuisine in Canada

When the first major immigration cohort from China arrived in Canada in the 19th century, they were constrained in their cuisine options. Most of these early immigrants came from the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, where Cantonese-style cuisine is popular. As such, many of the first Chinese Canadian restaurants served Cantonese food.

Those early immigrants didn’t have access to the same ingredients that they were accustomed to back in China. As a result, early Chinese Canadian chefs adapted traditional dishes to use ingredients that they were able to acquire in Canada. They also needed to develop recipes that would cater to their non-Chinese clientele. Dishes like broccoli beef, which substitutes the Chinese vegetable gai lan with the easier-to-find broccoli, became staples for Chinese Canadian restaurants. Chop suey is another one such improvised dish. (See Popular Chinese Dishes in Canada.)

Origins of Chop Suey

While its origins aren’t certain, there are a few theories surrounding its creation. One theory argues that chop suey was created by Chinese cooks in California who had come to feed miners during the gold rush. It’s likely that chop suey is based on a Cantonese dish called tsap seui, which means “various food scraps.”

Like its Cantonese name, chop suey is an assortment of leftovers, scraps and other bits and pieces, stir fried together to create one harmonious dish. The dish is a hodgepodge of meat, vegetables, rice and soy sauce. Chop suey can differ from town to town, coast to coast and even restaurant to restaurant. Thanks to its improvised nature, chefs drop in whatever they have on hand. Some used green cabbage instead of napa cabbage, for example. The only necessary ingredient for chop suey is bean sprouts because it was available anywhere. The dish became very popular, both among Chinese immigrants (see Chinese Canadians) and non-Chinese Canadians.

At around the same time, Chinese immigrants who had worked on the Canadian Pacific Railway (1881–85) had difficulty finding jobs due to anti-Asian racism. Many of them moved east and opened restaurants as a way to earn a living. Non-Chinese Canadians, who were drawn to these restaurants because of the affordable prices and “exotic” cuisine, also fell in love with chop suey. Because of chop suey’s variability, different versions of the dish sprung up across the country, influenced by local tastes and available ingredients.

Chop Suey’s Legacy

Chop suey still remains a popular Chinese takeout menu item, with more Chinese restaurants opening around the country and spreading the dish around North America. Thanks to the ubiquity of chop suey, Chinese restaurants popped up all around the continent, many of them serving chop suey and other dishes adapted to the North American palate like lemon chicken or broccoli beef. (See also Ginger Beef.) Chop suey epitomized this style of Chinese Canadian cuisine, which differs from traditional Chinese cuisine. (See Chinese Food in Canada.) Like the dish itself, “chop suey” cuisine is a mishmash of everything around.