Katsu curry sauce shares common ancestry with the British Chinese takeaway. It has always been produced in ways that blur both national boundaries and the borders between ethnic cuisines. A dish once considered novel or adaptive can form a strong identity over time, eventually becoming traditional in its own right.Ĭhinese food is a perfect example of this.

Instead, food goes through a process of authentication. There is no hard definition for what makes food authentic or traditional.

Posters on either side of the debate sought to deem their version of Chinese food “authentic” or “traditional”, revealing the powerful connotations of these two words and their connection to culinary identity. “British Chinese” was trending on social media as American users analysed and criticised the cuisine, apparently bewildered by the “ inauthentic” inclusion of chips or thick curry sauce.īritish consumers and producers of Chinese food alike proudly showcased their takeaways in retaliation. “I’ve never been so disgusted in my life.” Such was one Twitter user’s response to a recent video showcasing the spoils of a British Chinese takeaway order.

A brief history of humankind