edit: and I'm not sure Chinese see all of our "Chinese food" as trash. Bosk would be the authority here, but my hunch is that while they laugh at General Tso's chicken and are repulsed by sweet and sour pork, there's nothing inherently offensive about an American Szechuan stir fry or crispy duck.
Yeah, pretty much that. And not trying to be a food snob anyway, Chinese or otherwise. I kinda subscribe to a similar theory regarding food in general as what you posted about pizza above. I generally prefer the "good stuff"--i.e., the more authentic versions. But I certainly cannot begrudge anyone their tastes if they in turn prefer the less-authentic or completely inauthentic foods. If they taste good to you, they taste good to you. It's just amusing that people don't realize that the majority of what we label as "Chinese food" in this country really isn't. Kinda like folks thinking that people in Japan eat California rolls.
I mean, I'm sure the meals I eat are served in China too (for the people who eat as boring as I do), but I know it's prepared differently. From what I know, the Chinese like subtle flavoring, while Americans like it strong.
I think that is largely true. But it is difficult to make generalizations like that without losing accuracy. Most of what our culture knows about China, including its cuisine, is based on exposure to a very limited segment of a huge, diverse population. I mean, the vast majority of the Chinese population that has come to this country (and other countries, for that matter), comes from two or three relatively small regions in a country that is bigger and arguably more diverse than the U.S. And all those peoples speak differently, think differently, and, as relevant to this thread, eat differently. But getting back to your post, I think that is largely true of what we think of as "Chinese" from southeastern China. More subtle, "bland" flavors. Whereas farther north, you start to see a lot more spices, heat, and bold flavors.
I like it strong.
As a wise philosopher once said, I like my Chinese food like a like my women! ...er, I have no idea where I am going with this.