Why is Chinese food considered soul food?

[Faithless]

I've heard Chinese food, or maybe certain Chinese dishes, considered as Soul Food. The term is probably dated, but what makes it so?

[nonamerasian]

The Chinese make ham hocks?

[SunWuKong]

Originally Posted by ChottoMatte

I've heard Chinese food, or maybe certain Chinese dishes, considered as Soul Food. The term is probably dated, but what makes it so?

really? who's been saying that?

[ism]

I've been seeing "soul food" used interchangeably with "comfort food." That's about the only context I can see for calling Chinese food that, if that's what you happened to grow up with. The common usage, at most, extends to Southern cooking. In what context was Chinese food called soul food?

[luv]

Originally Posted by ism

I've been seeing "soul food" used interchangeably with "comfort food." That's about the only context I can see for calling Chinese food that, if that's what you happened to grow up with. The common usage, at most, extends to Southern cooking. In what context was Chinese food called soul food?

Never heard of Chinese food being called soul food before. That's pretty strange...what's soul food?

[deez nuts]

that's offensive.

why cuz kong shing tsai are collard greens? or so i've heard from people.

come on, gimme a break. that doesn't make it soul food.

[mrazntre]

y'all haven't seen rush hour 2?

[Emperor_Mike]

News to me.

[ism]

Originally Posted by luv

Never heard of Chinese food being called soul food before. That's pretty strange...what's soul food?

Neither have I. Was saying that "soul food" has been used to mean "comfort food," (see comfort food topic) and that's the only context I can possibly see the term applied to Chinese food, if that's what you happened to grow up with.

Soul food usually refers to southern Black cuisine. This include ham hocks, chitterlings, and collard greens. Those, with maybe the exception of chitterlings, are common to White Southern cooking as well. Dishes are generally considered descended from slave cooking, where inexpensive foods are cooked with African styles and spices. Meats would include parts of animals, such as pig ears, knuckles, hog maw, tripe, intestines (chitterlings) and animals such as possum. You've got native seafood like crawdads and catfish. Veggies such as collard and mustard greens, and stuff common to African cooking such as okra, yams, and peanuts. The hominy of the corn (grits) is used frequently. It's common for all the ingredients to be stewed in a pot.

[sandra]

cause you can get $1 chinese food in the ghetto?

[Faithless]

Originally Posted by kasia

cause you can get $1 chinese food in the ghetto?

I think that is part of it. The relation goes back a few years -- back to the 70's?