It is a fact universally acknowledged that "Chinese food" has become a household phenomenon all over the world, blending with local food to become both a direct descendant of and separate from authentic Chinese food. The term "Chinese food" as opposed to "Mexican food," "Indian food," etc., hints at the subtle differences between this globalized brand and the food we eat in China (hereafter referred to as China's food). It is wrong to say, as some have, that Chinese food is fundamentally different from China's food. Undoubtedly, it is a direct descendant from its originator, gradually formed as it was by creative Chinese immigrants who blended their recipes with the culinary traditions of their adopted countries. But there are significant differences from Kung Pao Chicken Rice in a Chinese restaurant in the Bronx and 宫保鸡丁 served in any given restaurant in Nanchang. Apart from the differences in taste, the variety and full spectrum of China's food is broader than the few dishes that have been suited for foreign tastes. Cooked and eaten by a consistent third to fifth of the world's population at any given time over a period of thousands of years, Chinese food can be said to be more varied than any other food on Earth. According to regional differences, "Chinese food" can be separated into eight distinct local flavors, namely Lu Cai – 鲁菜Chuan Cai – 川菜Yue Cai – 粤菜Su Cai – 苏菜Min Cai – 闽菜 Zhe Cai – 浙菜Xiang Cai – 湘菜and Hui Cai – 徽菜. These local foods were created by people of disparate local historic and geographical backgrounds and who interacted with one another to form the colorful fabric of Chinese food today. In recent years, some of these "foods" have become more dominant or popular in China. And as these local sub-Chinese foods have entered Chinese cities outside their home area, they have changed and evolved, much as Chinese food has done on a global basis. Lanzhou ramen has long since popped up in every city street other than Lanzhou. Sichuan's numbing hot (mala) food has become popular from Beijing to Hainan, and malatang (spicy hot pot), once a simple food eaten by laborers in Sichuan to save time, has become a national phenomenon. Next time you order Sichuan chicken in a Chinese restaurant, I hope you will revel, as I do, in the incredible history of Chinese cuisine as you gulp water to dampen the spice.