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A study on Popularity and Acceptability of Authentic Chinese Cuisine in

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A study on Popularity and Acceptability of Authentic Chinese Cuisine in

Indian Platter
1
Mr. Subrata Pal, Associate Professor, Amity School of Hospitality, Amity University Haryana, Gurgaon,
India, spalz2017@gmail.com
2
Mr. Vinod Kumar, Assistant Professor& Chef, Amity School of Hospitality, Amity University Haryana,
Gurgaon, India, vinodchauhan.4u@gmail.com
3
Dr. Suvro Parui, Assistant Professor - Chinese Language, Amity School of Languages, Amity University
Haryana, Gurgaon, India,,suvroparui@gmail.com

Abstract
Choice of food totally depends on individuals. But there are many factors which influence the
ingredients, cooking style, consumption pattern etc. In India availability of cuisines are so
vast that one can get confused very easily. It varies state wise, region wise and also on the
basis of religion. Even cuisines of other countries, in different forms are available in our
country to make the situation more complicated. But it is noticed that each person is satisfied
with meals he consumes throughout the day and quite often he ventures for other cuisines.
Chinese cuisine in India is presented in a different style which has very little similarity with
the original one. The current study is an approach to explore the acceptability of authentic
Chinese cuisine in Indian plates. Besides cooking style selection of ingredients also
considered as determinant for the acceptability of the original cuisine. Further it would guide
the restaurant owners in offering much better food as per the demand of the customers.

Keywords: Chinese cuisine, Authentic Chinese food, customer satisfaction, Chinese food in
India

1. Introduction
Since the beginning of documented history, India was invaded by various races from different
corners of the world. They sneak into India mostly through the passes in the western side of
the Himalayan Range. Some utilized the waterways also. People from other countries arrived
in our country for various reasons. They came for trade or invaded to conquer. Other than
these reasons, some reached India as tourist with an inquisitive mind to acquire knowledge
from the country, known for its rich culture & heritage. Whenever these people arrived,
theyalso carried their culture, living style & food with them. Food with different types of
ingredients & taste were merged with the local food. New ingredients were cultivated or
substituted in India making the cuisine richer with striking diversity.
India, being a large country with vast population of varied preferences, reserves the
possibilities of exploring & nurturing different types of food habits from various corners of
the world. In India one would find food dishes with all the available tastes which are equally
adored in different regions. Since the ancient times India is famous for its exotic spices which
make the dishes rich in taste. Traders from European countries arrived India in late 15th
century. Out of different articles their main attraction was Indian exotic spices.The
Portuguese were the first to start trading with India. The Dutch were the next. Afterwards the
British, the French, the Dutch, the Portuguese, the Armenian & the Dane also came to India
for trading purpose. Beside the arrival of the foreigners for centuries, in present days, due to
the advent of globalization, common Indian citizen has developed taste for international
cuisines. Continental cuisines including French, Italian, Spanish, Greek, Lebanese etc. and on
the other hand oriental cuisines like Chinese, Japanese, and Thai etc. are on the list of
preferences.
The Chinese from Hakka ancestry arrived in India and had their colony in Kolkata in late
19th century (Sankar A. 2017).They carried their food and cooking styles with them. Till date

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they have maintained their identity by nurturing their culture & traditional food. Slowly the
local people started liking the taste of the new cuisine. Considering Kolkata as the base,
Chinese food spread out to other parts of India and found to be equally on demand along with
other popular cuisines. Local chefs molded& blended these foods in such a way that it
became very easy for the local people to recognize, order, prepare, serve and consume. But
during these transformations the cuisine and menu items were mostly changed away from the
authentic Chinese cuisine.
Geological and climatic factors govern food habits in India. Northern part of India
experiences diverse climatic conditions. In some places, in winter, the temperature comes
down to 0°C whereas in mid-summer it reaches almost 50°C. People residing in these regions
consume spicy foods which are also rich in fats and oils. In south, the climatic condition is
hot throughout the year. To beat the heat and provide the digestive system some comfort, less
spicy food is preferred. Plain curd and other sour ingredients are frequently used. Eastern
India has states which produce rice and other vegetables in sufficient quantity. The states like
West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa are well fed by rivers and water bodies. During
monsoon, they also get enough water in the form of rain. These states produce good amount
of fish which became a part of the everyday meals in these regions.
Restriction on food selection and consumption is noticed among the followers of various
religions. Satvik food in Hinduism restricts consumption of non-veg items, fried items, and
some other ingredients. Halal(in Islam)&kosher (in Judaism) food not only related to
selection but also on the processing. Similarly, Buddhism, Jainism& Sikhism have their own
food selection and consumption rules which are followed by the followers. Sometimes these
rules are also controlled by region and community.

Chinese cuisine: An overview

In reality, authentic Chinese cuisine has its own styles with different variations according to
regions in China. Within China there is nothing called „Chinese Cuisine‟ as each region has
unique ingredients and own style of cooking which depends on the topography&climate
(Lipman J. 2010). Just like India, China too has different distinct forms of dominating cuisine
styles in different provinces. On critical scrutiny we can identify various dominating food
habits in different regions of China. Few regions offer hot & spicy food, whereas in some
other places it is sweet & smooth. Chinese food basically dominated by non-veg ingredients.
The coastal areas show an affinity for sea foods. The taste of different regions varies normally
due to the availability of ingredients. Climatic condition, topography, religion & culture are
also very much influential in the local cuisine. In India it is said that if you move 100 steps,
you would discover a new cuisine. In China too one would find the same situation. Almost
every village has its own style of cooking and taste. But out of numerous variations, eight
regions stand apart according to cuisine style and taste. At present these eight cuisines from
eight regions are being recognized as standard Chinese cuisine styles in the rest of the world.
The eight Cuisines of China are narrated as under:
I. Shandong Cuisine (Lu Cuisine)
This cuisine is popular throughout Beijing, Tianjian and the rest of Northeast China.
Dishes are famous for their freshness & taste. Choices of seafood are some of the
main delicacies. Methods of preparation include quick-fry and deep-fry, which give a
crispy texture to the dishes.
II. Jiangsu Cuisine (Su Cuisine)
The Yangtze River provides chefs of all styles an abundance of freshwater fish; other
ingredients strictly adhere to the season. The taste is fresh, and generally has a salty-
sweet flavour with the texture being “soft and thick”. Dishes are often cooked using
the earth around them, including slow-baking over an open fire and skillful braising in
mud.
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III. Hui Cuisine (Anhui Cuisine)

The Hui Cuisine consists of three different styles from across the region with different
flavours and techniques. The Southern Anhui region is rich in natural resources; as
such, dishes prominently utilize wild plants and animals. The main methods of
cooking are stewing and utilizing a lot of oil.
IV. ZheJiang Cuisine (ZheCusine)
This region is located at the Yangtze River Delta, famous for a mellow and non-
greasy flavor. This cuisine prominently features freshwater fish along with other
ingredients. The main methods of cooking are quick frying, stir-frying, braising and
deep-frying.
V. Fujian Cuisine (Min Cuisine)
In Southern China, with diverse geographical features, the Fujian Province is famous
for its cuisine having combination of seafood and woodland-based ingredients.
Umami flavor is one of the main features of this region. Soup is preferred in all meals.
Cooking methods involved are stir-frying, baking, and quick-frying.
VI. Cantonese Cuisine (Guangdong Cuisine)
In Southern coastal area of China, Cantonese cooking mainly based on braising,
stewing, and sautéing. These methods make the dishes tender and moist retaining the
original flavours of the ingredients. The sauces prepared have little sweet taste.
VII. Hunan Cuisine (Xiang Cuisine)
Hunan Cuisine is originated in Hunan region which has plenty of agricultural
resources. Sea food is also abundance in this area. The dishes are rich, moist, and
creamy that almost always contains a potent punch of Chili. The most common
methods of cooking include sautéing, stir-frying, steaming and smoking.
VIII. Si Chuan Cuisine (SiChuan Cuisine)
SiChuan Cuisine is the most popular among the China‟s regional cuisines. This
cuisine has a rich spicy-sour & pungent flavour due to use of Si-chuan Pepper and
Chili Oil. Generally stir-frying and steaming methods are used in this cuisine
originating from Chengdu and Chongqing.

In addition to these eight major regional cuisines, Chinese food also includes cooking
traditions of Yunnan, Mongolia, Shanghai, Beijing, Dongbei, Hubei regions and of the Uygur
ethnic group.

Chinese cuisine in India:

Ignoring these distinct cuisines, in India, Chinese cuisine has taken a totally different shape
and taste. For most Indians, choices of Chinese food are mainly restricted to few of the
common dishes which are found to be spicy, oily & reddish in colour. (Sankar A. 2017). In
India, to match the palate of the customers, most of the restaurants serve some sort of
Indianized-Chinese food when Chinese food is ordered. Dominating flavour of ginger, garlic,
red chili & soya sauce is also considered as Chinese.
In Indian context, we consider Rice or some Indian bread like Roti/Paratha as staple food and
along with these we take some accompaniments like Daal, Sabzi etc. Similarly, when an
average Indian orders for Chinese food, he prefers Rice or Noodles with some Veg & Non-
Veg items. Concept of food combination remains same in both cases.
Mostly the Chinese food menu & recipes are dominated with nonveg items. Compared to the
Chinese, average Indian has distinctively less nonveg consumption food habit. In average,
yearly non-veg consumption per capita is approximately 3 kg in India whereas in China it is
50 kg. In ancient days consumption of nonveg food was very popular in India. But scientific
research in the field of Ayurved revealed that consumption of some specific types of meat are
not suitable for human body in most of the Indian climatic conditions. Survey conducted on
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food habit of Indians by National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) on 1 lakh sample size with
one month recall period revealed that there is a steady increase in the Non-Veg consumption
habits in India. A further survey conducted in 2014 also supported the fact

Percentage of Non-Veg
Year of Survey
population in India
1993-94 56.7 %
2004-05 58.2 %
2011-12 62.3 %
2014 71.0 %

Table No -1 Source: Government of India, Ministry of statistics and program Implementation

Food habits in India:

It is already stated that India has diverse food habits due to various reasons. Statistics shows
that state wise nonveg food consumption follows a noticeable pattern. States in the North-
Western region are more vegetarian than states of South-Eastern region. State-wise survey
revealed that some states like Punjab, Gujrat, Haryana, Rajasthan etc. have almost 25% Non-
veg population whereas Kerala, Tamilnadu, Telengana, Andhra Pradesh, Orisha, Bengal and
North-East states have more than 90% of Nonveg population. Thus, we can expect, the
habitants of these more Non-vegetarian states may accept the nonveg dominated Chinese
cuisine delightfully.

Figure No-1 Source: Sample Registration System Baseline Survey 2014

Due to globalization, now-a-days most of international food ingredients are available on the
shelves of various grocery stores. One can find exotic Chinese food ingredients either fresh or
in canned form. Supply may increase if proper demand is noticed in the market. Local food

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ingredients can be identified which are suitable for authentic Chinese cuisine. Meat & various
seafoods are abandon in the Eastern, North-Eastern & South-Eastern states of India and also
in places like Goa, Kerala on the Western side. As Chinese food has a natural inclination
towards nonveg items, these regions of India are almost in a ready-to-accept situation for
authentic Chinese cuisine. Provided with other ingredients, the not-so-non- vegetarian states
can also get the tastes of real Chinese food if proper cooking methods and presentations are
followed.

2. Overview
Among the various cuisines available in India, Chinese food secured its place in the menu of
restaurants in India. Chinese food is also prepared at home for change in taste from the
regional cuisine. On survey it is noticed that people prefer Chinese food for various reasons.
Few of which are as mentioned below:
 Variety – Veg & Non-Veg, Spicy & Non-Spicy
 Inexpensive – compared to elaborate meals it is cheap
 Fast – cooking is fast, hence less waiting time
 Tasty – suitable for all palate
 Small pieces – easy to portion
 Leftovers – can be reused easily
Most of the Chinese foods popular in India are blend of local cuisine with few of the typical
Chinese ingredients which give a distinct flavor to the dish. Influences of local ingredients
and cuisine are also noticed on these Indianized-Chinese foods. Methods of cuisine are also
chosen in such a way, that the taste of main ingredient is subdued. This concept is never
followed in real Chinese food. In authentic Chinese cuisine, care is taken to retain the flavor
of main ingredient.

3. Review of literature
Though dishes in the name of Chinese Food are extremely popular in all over India, very little
work has been done about the origin and authenticity of the same. One would find a great
deal of work is done on Chinese Food but most of them are related to recipes (mostly
Indianized) only. Unfortunately, regarding the authentic Chinese Food, there is lack of
initiative noticed in this area. People had already developed a taste for the blended cuisine
and the originality is found somehow neglected. Over sweetened variant of Cantonese food is
offered as Chinese food in restaurants outside China. Taste of final products also varies as
ingredients differ from the actual one used in China (Lipman J. 2010). Flavor of main
ingredient is very crucial in Chinese cuisine. (Menghua Wu et. al, 2012). Sankar (2017) in his
study stated that the food served in India as Chinese food is not authenticone. As per Indians'
imagination and preconceived expectation, Indianized-Chinese foodies customized. Sankar
also stated that to attract customers, the restaurants create a pseudo-Chinese environment by
including red, golden colour, random Chinese scripts, Chinese food related equipment like
oak, chopsticks etc. in the decoration.

4. Objectives
To explore the popularity of existing Indianized-Chinese food generally consumed as Chinese
food in India
To access the possibilities of accepting Authentic Chinese food in Indian palate

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5. Data collection
For the current study, relevant data collection is very important. Informal interviews, well
structured questionnaire, personal visits are used for collection of primary data. Journals,
books, articles, reviews in magazines and newspapers, websites etc. are considered as sources
of secondary data.

6. Scope of study
India is a land of diversity in all regards. Depending upon the position of a state and the raw
materials produced the food habits are developed by the habitats. For a given area food habits
of the people are controlled by tangible factors like topography climatic conditions. Intangible
factors like religion local culture also influence the choice of food items.
Diversities within Indian cuisines are typically dominated by availability of ingredients,
religion and belief. Restrictions in selection of ingredients create diversities at the base level.
Some items are permitted whereas some others are having taboo. Hence in India, food habits
vary within the same geographical boundary also. This creates an opportunity for Chinese
cuisine to seep into the local food habit in our country. In India Chinese Food denotes only
generalized form of Chinese cuisine neglecting the vast variations available from different
provinces. Considering these vast variations in selection of food ingredients and taste of
people, there is a gap to explore the possibilities of including these real and authentic Chinese
cuisines in menus of restaurants in India.

Result & Discussion: Data Analysis & Interpretation

A well structured questionnaire was developed to authenticate the study. The questionnaire
was having two sections. Questions related to demographic characteristics of participants
were included in the 1st section whereas 2 ndsection was focused on their choices between
Authentic Chinese food and Indianized-Chinese food. The questions in 2ndsection were
framed keeping the views of variables related to objectives.

Figure No- 2, Geographical Locations of respondents in India

Figure shows that respondents were from various zones of India which includes North, East,
West, South, Central and North Eastern regions of India. Highest respondents i.e. 52.4%
were from Northern part of India.

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Figure No-3, Native places of respondents

As shown in above graphical presentation, considerable number of respondents werefrom
West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Haryana. But it is also noticed that people from
almost all of other states of India came out with their views.

Figure No- 4, Religious Backgrounds of respondents

As shown in above graphical representation respondents were from different religious

backgrounds. This point will help to authenticate the study. Though the respondents were
from different religions, but 80.3% were followers of Hinduism.

Figure No- 5, Food Habit of respondents

Food habit is a necessary point during any study related to food. In current study most of
respondent‟s i.e. around 71.7% replied that they like non-vegetarian food as a choice. Only
20.7% respondents replied with a vegetarian option. But among the rest, 2.4% were vegan
and 4.5% were eggetarian. Some other people also explained their non vegetarian choices.
Thus, we can conclude that 76.9% consume Non vegetarian &23.1% prefer Vegetarian food.

Figure No- 6, followers of Religious food in India

When respondents asked about their religious food restrictions if any, 59.0% replied with

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negative answer. This indicates that majority of the Indiansdo not consider religious taboo
about food. Rest almost 40% has different religious restrictions which are not of same nature.

Figure No-7, Frequency of Chinese food intake of respondents

Above graphical presentation shows the frequency on Chinese food intake. The data indicates
popularity of Chinese food in India. 30.7% consume at least once in month, 23.8% twice in
month and 25.9% four times in month. That means around 50% of Indians consume Chinese
food once in a fortnight and around 80% once in a month. Rest almost 20% are not so fond of
this cuisine and they generally include it in their menu occasionally. The result shows people
from various part of India has Chinese food in their food preferences.

Figure No- 8, Represent the factors to choose Chinese restaurant by respondents

Most of respondents i.e. 72.4%, replied that they choose the Chinese restaurants as per their
past experiences. 53.1% visit the restaurants as per recommendation by their friends and
relatives. Around 26.9% of the customers have given importance to reviews in media also.
15.2% have their Chinese food as per comfort of availability. The statistics shows the past
experiences always considered as a prime factor. It also helps in word-of-mouth marketing.
These responses indicate that customer satisfaction is one of the most important factors for
catering industry. Further it can be stated that good food & service can convert a customer
into a repeated one.

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Following data analysis has been done with the help of SPSS where (n=290)
Sr.N Frequenc
Question Percent
o y
1 19 6.6
2 29 10.0
3 70 24.1
1 I like Chinese food
4 76 26.2
5 96 33.1
Total 290 100.0
1 27 9.3
2 40 13.8
3 68 23.4
2 I am aware of Authentic Chinese food
4 76 26.2
5 79 27.0
Total 290 100
1 91 31.3
2 73 25.2
I am aware of different regional cuisines of 3 59 20.3
3
China 4 34 11.7
5 33 11.4
Total 290 100
1 41 14.1
2 75 25.9
I prefer Home-Made Chinese food than from 3 76 26.2
4
restaurant. 4 39 13.4
5 59 20.3
Total 290 100
1 80 27.6
2 52 17.9
I prefer to cook Chinese food myself while 3 65 22.4
5
having at home 4 53 18.3
5 40 13.8
Total 290 100
1 26 9.0
2 29 10.0
I like the way Chinese food is served in most 3 85 29.3
6
of the restaurants in India. 4 84 29.0
5 66 22.8
Total 290 100
1 17 5.9
2 25 8.6
I am satisfied with Indianized-Chinese food
7 3 68 23.4
available in restaurants.
4 95 32.8
5 85 29.3

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Total 290 100

1 19 6.6
2 29 10.0
Compared to other cuisines Indianized- 3 76 26.2
8
Chinese food is less costly. 4 99 34.1
5 67 23.1
Total 290 100
1 83 28.6
2 52 17.9
I prefer Authentic Chinese food over 3 71 24.5
9
Indianized-Chinese food 4 51 17.6
5 33 11.4
Total 290 100
68 23.4
2 36 12.4
I expect the restaurants in India should serve 3 79 27.2
10
Authentic Chinese food. 4 63 21.7
5 44 15.2
Total 290 100
1 39 13.4
2 54 18.6
Chinese ambiance in restaurant increases my 3 86 30.0
11
satisfaction level. 4 69 23.8
5 42 14.5
Total 290 100
1 46 15.9
2 48 16.5
Chinese food is better enjoyed with Chinese 3 71 24.5
12 tableware (Chopstick, Chinese soup bowl &
4 64 22.1
spoon etc.).
5 61 21.0
Total 290 100
1 101 34.8
2 36 12.4
I combine food of other cuisines while 3 65 22.4
13
ordering for Chinese food. 4 51 17.6
5 37 12.8
Total 290 100
1 46 15.9
2 41 14.1
I Prefer to have Chinese food in Chinese 3 74 25.5
14
restaurant than Multi-cuisine restaurant 4 61 21.0
5 68 23.4
100
15 Portion size of most of the items served, is one 1 15 5.2
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of the determinants of restaurant selection. 2 34 11.7

3 85 29.3
4 103 35.5
5 53 18.3
Total 290 100
1 7 2.4
2 4 1.4
Quality of food is most important compared 3 32 11.0
16
to other factors of the restaurant. 4 74 25.5
5 173 59.7
Total 290 100
1 6 2.1
2 9 3.1
I give preference to clean and hygienic 3 57 19.7
17 environment of the restaurant over taste of
4 62 21.4
food
5 156 53.8
Total 290 100
1 17 5.9
2 28 9.7
I prefer to visit same restaurant repeatedly 3 68 23.4
18
for Chinese food. 4 96 33.1
5 81 27.9
Total 290 100
1 36 12.4
2 84 29.0
Number of items generally I order in 3 111 38.3
19
Restaurant from Chinese menu ? 4 48 16.6
5 11 3.8
Total 290 100
1 68 23.4
2 30 10.3
I would accept new style of Chinese 3 66 22.8
20
(authentic) food in restaurant. 4 69 23.8
5 57 19.7
Total 290 100
1 60 20.7
2 38 13.1
I would accept typical Chinese ingredients 3 71 24.5
21
used in authentic Chinese food in restaurant 4 56 19.4
5 65 22.4
Total 290 100

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Table No-2

Above table shows the frequency and percentage, calculated with the help of SPSS. When
respondents were asked about the liking of Chinese food, only 16.6% expressed their
disliking and 59.3% replied with a positive response. Around 24% were found to be neutral.
Though majority of people are aware of authentic Chinese food (27.0% and 26.2% replied
with „Strongly Agree‟ and „Agree „respectively) but result shows that most of the people have
very little or no knowledge about different regional cuisines of China. Almost 23% stated
their awareness whereas 31.3% and 25.2% respondents replied with „Strongly Disagree‟ and
„Disagree‟ respectively. In current study, it is found that people are confused that whether
they like homemade Chinese food or food from restaurants as 14.1% replied that they did not
like homemade and 26.2% were neutral with the responses. Whereas 13.4% and 20.3% stated
their liking of homemade Chinese food by choosing the reply with „Agree‟ and „Strongly
Agree‟ respectively. But when the question of cooking comes, most of the respondents
disagree (45.5%) and only around 32% liked to prepare Chinese food at home. 22.4% were
found to be neutral.

When asked about the style of Chinese food served in most of the restaurants in India29.0%
agreed and 22.8% strongly agreed that they like the way it is served. 29.3% of the
respondents were natural and 19.0% expressed their disliking. Resultant most people like the
type of Chinese food served in Indian restaurant.
While discussing about Indianized Chinese food more than 62% of respondents out of 290
stated that the like it (32.8% respondents agreed 29.3% strongly agreed), Only 14.5%
respondents replied that they are not satisfied with the Indianized-Chinese food served in
Indian restaurants.
Study shows that Chinese foods which are available in Indian restaurants seems to be less
costly as observed by the respondents. When asked about the price factor, 23.1% and 34.1%
replied with „Strongly Agree‟ and „Agree‟ with the statements, whereas 6.6% and 10% chose
„Strongly Disagree‟ and „Disagree „with the same.
Indian foodies are quite happy with Indianized-Chinese food when compared to authentic
Chinese food. 28.6% strongly disagreed and 17.9% disagreed when asked whether they
would prefer authentic Chinese food over Indianized-Chinese food or not. But people want a
bit more authentic Chinese food to be served in Indian restaurants as 21.7% and 15.2% were
agree and strongly agree with this statement, even though 28.6% people are happy to which is
being served. People are generally neutral about the Chinese ambiance restaurantsoffering
Chinese food and do not have much effect the satisfactory level of consumer as 23.8% and
14.5% strongly agreed with this statement and 13.4% and 18.6% found to strongly disagree
and disagree respectively, whereas 23.8% did not reply in any ways and answered neutral
reply.
When respondents asked that Chinese food is better enjoyed with Chinese tableware, 22.1%
and 21.0% replied „Agree‟ and „Strongly Agree‟ with this statement, whereas 15.9% and
16.5% replied with „Strongly Disagree‟ and „Disagree‟ statement. This shows that people
prefer to have Chinese food with Chinese tableware for more satisfaction. Most people did
not like to combine Chinese food with other food as 101 respondents out of 290 i.e. 34.8%
replied that they did not like to add any other food while ordering Chinese.
The result shows that people like to enjoy their Chinese food in specialized restaurants as
23.4% and 21.0% replied with „Strongly Agree „and „Agree‟ options. Portion size is a
prominent factor while selecting food, as per the study 18.3% and 35.5% replied with
„Strongly Agree‟ and „Agree‟ options. Quality of food is also a prime factor as 173 out of 290
i.e. 59.7% of respondents strongly agreed and 25.5% agreed with the same. In the same

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manner clean and hygienic environment is a choice factor as 53.8% replied with „Strongly
Agree „and 21.4% replied with „Strongly Agree „for this.
People like to visit the same restaurant when they satisfied with food and other elements. as
33.1% and 27.9% respondents agreed and strongly with this statement. Only 5.9% strongly
disagreed about revisiting the same restaurant.
We got mixed opinions when observing the results about accepting of authentic Chinese food
and also typical Chinese ingredients. People are confused to accept new style (authentic
Chinese) food to be served in Indian hotel as 23.4% and 10.3% replied with „Strongly
Disagree‟ and „Disagree‟ statement, whereas 23.8% and 19.7% replied with „Agree‟ and
„Strongly Agree‟, even though 22.8% were found neutral with their answer. When
respondents asked whether they accept typical Chinese ingredients used in authentic Chinese
food in restaurant, it was again equally answered as 20.7% and 13.1% replied with „Strongly
Disagree‟ and „Disagree‟ statement, whereas 22.4% and 19.4% replied with „Strongly Agree‟
and „Agree‟ answered. On critical scrutiny when we checked with opinions of vegetarians, we
found they are willing to accept new ingredients. But the non vegetarians in this regard found
to be little conservative.

7. Conclusion
From the survey and other sources of information it is found that somehow general customers
of India have not yet developed the taste for authentic Chinese food. They are still favouring
the Indianized-Chinese foods which are catered by most of the restaurants. Order for the
Chinese items is limited to some common dishes which have already created a pre-image in
the customers‟ mind. These dishes are either originated in India or dominated with Indian
style of cuisine and ingredients. Most of the customers & caterers consider Chinese dishes as
fast, low cost, tangy and colorful food. Numerous food joints are satisfying customers by
offering such food and earning good revenue. In India, authentic Chinese food is served in
star category hotels and limited number of restaurants. Compared to the total business in this
field, such cuisine is catering limited number of customers. In present situation, considering
all the facts, we can conclude that most of Indians would prefer Indianized-Chinese cuisine
over authentic Chinese cuisine. Study also define people are confused to accept authentic
Chinese food in their choice. Result shows even Indianized- Chinese food is accepted by
Indian people in Indian plates, but, there is a lot of chance to improve Indianized-Chinese
food with respect to style of serving, Chinese cutlery, portion size, Chinese ambience in
Indian restaurants and of course cleanliness and hygiene of the restaurants.
Result of the study shows, if Indianized-Chinese food effectively presented by hotels and
restaurants, food business had a chance to increase more with reference of Indianized-Chinese
food. Stakeholders take initiative for marketing Indianized-Chinese food, so that more
revenue can be generated by hotels, restaurants and other food outlets.

Disclosure Statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

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