National Chop Suey Day

Chop suey is the archetypal Chinese‑American dish—an improvised stir‑fry that became a menu staple. Its origins are murky. One story claims that Chinese cooks for the transcontinental railroad threw together leftovers for hungry workers; another tells of a drunken American customer demanding food after hours in a San Francisco restaurant, prompting the chef to sauté whatever was on hand. A myth attributes the dish to Chinese statesman Li Hongzhang’s visit to New York in 1896. What is clear is that by the turn of the 20th century chop suey, a mix of meat and vegetables in a savoury brown sauce, was popular in Chinese restaurants catering to non‑Chinese diners. The name may derive from the Cantonese ‘tsap sui’, meaning mixed bits. National Chop Suey Day celebrates the adaptability and resilience of immigrant cuisine. To honour it, stir‑fry thin slices of pork or chicken with crunchy celery, bean sprouts, cabbage, onions and bok choy. Season with soy sauce, oyster sauce and a dash of sesame oil. Serve over rice or crispy noodles. As you eat, think about the cooks who created dishes that bridged cultures and satisfied appetites in a new land.