Moo goo gai pan is a staple of American-Chinese food. If you name the chicken and mushroom dish, most people will know it as a traditional Cantonese dish. It’s not very well known, but it didn’t make Grubhub’s list of the most popular Chinese dishes in 2015. However, it is a dish that, to those unfamiliar with the evolution of Chinese food in the U. S. , may seem like one of those invented recipes that were passed off as Chinese food to unsuspecting diners.
Thats not the case with moo goo gai pan. This dish has a history that goes back to traditional Chinese cuisine, and it has long been one of the more common recipes on Chinese restaurant menus in America, starting from the 1800s when immigrant cooks were just trying to feed other Chinese workers. In the 21st century, moo goo gai pan is still a quick and healthy meal for families. Let’s look back at the dish’s hidden history.
Moo goo gai pan and chicken with vegetables are two popular Chinese stir-fry dishes that are quite similar, but have some key differences. In this article, we’ll break down exactly what sets these two dishes apart.
Moo Goo Gai Pan
Moo goo gai pan sometimes spelled moo goo guy pan is a classic Cantonese dish that can be found on many Chinese restaurant menus. The name “moo goo gai pan” literally translates to “mushroom chicken slivers” in English.
The primary ingredients in moo goo gai pan are:
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Chicken: Most of the time, thin slices of chicken breast are used, but sometimes thigh meat is too. The chicken is cut into small slivers.
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Mushrooms – fresh button mushrooms or shiitake mushrooms are typical. Dried black mushrooms are also sometimes added.
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Vegetables – Some combination of sliced carrots, snow peas bell peppers water chestnuts, baby corn, broccoli, and/or bean sprouts.
With garlic, ginger, and scallions, the food is stir-fried in a wok. Chicken broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and cornstarch are used to make the sauce thick.
Moo goo gai pan has a shiny, slightly thick sauce that slides over the food. Slices and chunks of vegetables and mushrooms are cut into the same size as the chicken slices. As a garnish, the dish often has both the white and green parts of scallions.
The flavor profile of moo goo gai pan is considered mild, sweet, salty, and savory. It strikes a nice balance between the chicken, mushrooms, and mixed vegetables.
Chicken with Vegetables
People in China often order chicken with vegetables as a more standard stir-fry dish. Since it’s not a set recipe like moo goo gai pan, the ingredients can be different.
Some key characteristics of chicken with vegetables:
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Chicken – Can be strips, chunks, or slices. Often a mix of white and dark meat.
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Vegetables – Uses a wider variety and larger pieces of veggies like broccoli, carrots, bean sprouts, cabbage, bok choy, etc.
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Sauce – Usually a simple sauce of soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Less sauce compared to moo goo gai pan.
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Flavor – More emphasis on the individual flavors of the vegetables coming through.
While both dishes contain chicken and veggies, chicken with vegetables tends to use larger pieces and a greater variety of vegetables. Moo goo gai pan specifically highlights mushrooms and has a more ample sauce coating the ingredients.
Key Differences
To recap, here are the main differences between moo goo gai pan and chicken with vegetables:
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Chicken – Thin slivers vs. slices, chunks, or strips
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Mushrooms – Lots of mushrooms vs. sometimes no mushrooms
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Vegetables – Smaller, uniform cuts of just a few veggies vs. larger pieces and wider variety
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Sauce – Thicker, glossier sauce vs. thinner, less sauce
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Flavor – Balanced sweet, salty, savory vs. vegetable flavors shine through
While both dishes are delicious examples of Chinese cuisine, moo goo gai pan has a more distinctive look, taste, and background compared to the more generic chicken with vegetables stir-fry. Try them both out next time you visit a Chinese restaurant!
Bullet point summary:
- Moo goo gai pan highlights sliced chicken, mushrooms, select vegetables, and a thick sauce
- Chicken with vegetables uses chunks of chicken with a wider variety of vegetables
- Moo goo gai pan has a balanced sweet, salty, savory flavor profile
- Chicken with vegetables allows the individual vegetable flavors to shine through
- Moo goo gai pan uses smaller, uniform cuts of just a few vegetables
- Chicken with vegetables has larger pieces and more veggie variety
- Moo goo gai pan has a distinctive look, taste, and origin story
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The name moo goo gai pan is likely rooted in Taishanese
Most of the early Chinese immigrants to the U.S. were not Mandarin speakers from China or Taiwan; they came from the southwestern corner of the province of Guangdong, or Canton, as it was romanized back then (via RADII). That southwestern section of the province was called Taishan or Toisan, and it has its own language, Taishanese, that is related to Cantonese but with notable differences in tones and pronunciation. While the American-Chinese cuisine that sprang up in the 1800s was called Cantonese food, it actually was based on cooking by Taishanese immigrants, and the English pronunciation of “moo goo gai pan” was likely based on Taishanese instead.
The American Chinese Food Show used old American-Chinese menus to show how many well-known “Cantonese” recipe names come from how they are pronounced in Taishanese. Some are obvious, as the entire name uses Taishanese words that arent used in Cantonese. Others, however, look like they could be either Cantonese or Taishanese save for one telltale vowel. The Cantonese word for slices or pieces sounds more like “pin,” while the Taishanese word sounds more like “pan.” This is the case with moo goo gai pan. ” Other familiar names that may be based on Taishanese pronunciation include chow mein.
You can thank impoverished artists for the popularization of American Chinese food
Initially, Chinese food in America was made for and eaten by other Chinese. Non-Chinese diners, especially white diners, were not interested at all in trying Chinese food. In fact, they avoided it, deeming it strange and unappetizing. Racism toward Chinese immigrants fed the belief that Chinese food consisted of rats and other animals considered unfit for consumption (via Oxford Research Encyclopedia of American History). However, toward the later part of the 1800s, white diners –- namely “broke New York artists” (via 10Best) –- looking for both a cheap meal and an adventure decided to try Chinese restaurants. This attention shined a spotlight on American-Chinese food, drawing in more and more non-Chinese customers and influencing Chinese cooks to adjust recipes to suit these customers tastes (via UCLA).
By the 1920s, “chop suey houses” flourished, with many restaurants turning into fancier versions of themselves due to restrictions placed on Chinese immigration by the Chinese Exclusion Act (via Culture Trip). This law, which barred most immigration to the U.S. from China, made an exception for high-end restaurant workers. One of the more popular dishes at this time was moo goo gai pan (via Association for Asian Studies).
How to Make Moo Goo Gai Pan | Delicious Chinese Chicken & Mushroom Stir Fry Recipe
FAQ
What is the difference between Moo Goo Gai Pan and chicken with mixed vegetables?
What is the difference between Moo Goo Gai Pan and Chicken with Mixed Vegetables? At a Chinese restaurant, moo goo gai pan will usually have more mushrooms in it, and the chicken with mixed veggies will have a greater variety of vegetables. Generally, the sauce for these two dishes is the same.
What does the Chinese dish Moo Goo Gai Pan consist of?
It’s basically a quick stir fry dish of mushroom (“Moo goo” in Cantonese) and chicken (“gai”). “Pan” means slices, so the name translates as “sliced chicken with mushrooms. ” The addition of snow peas and carrots brings more flavor.
Why is it called Moo Goo Gai Pan?
The name comes from the Cantonese names of the ingredients (note that tone marks here do not match Mandarin tones): moo goo (蘑菇; mòhgū): ‘button mushrooms’ gai (雞; gāi): ‘chicken’ pan (片; pín): ‘slices’.
Is Moo Goo Gai Pan good for you?
Is Goo Goo Gai Pan Healthy? Yes, most definitely! And since the vegetables and the chicken are cooked quickly over high heat, the chicken is tender and juicy and the veggies are crisp-tender, bright, and vibrant.