history Archives - Page 2 of 3

September 3, 2021 0

The first Chinese restaurants in Cambridge

The first Chinese restaurants in Boston’s Chinatown appeared during the 1880s, but when did the first Chinese restaurant appear across the river, in Cambridge? It appears their first Chinese restaurant was not established until June 1902, with the opening of the Harvard Chinese Restaurant. It was located at 527 Massachusetts Avenue, on the second floor of the building, and employed only three people: a Chinese cook and two Chinese waiters. The Cambridge Chronicle, June 28, 1902, noted that it possessed two dining […]

August 20, 2021 0

The first August Moon Festival in Chinatown

by Richard Auffrey

In 1885, Boston’s Chinatown celebrated their first public celebration of Chinese New Year, their most important holiday. Curiously though, their second most important holiday, the August Moon Festival, wasn’t celebrated publicly in Chinatown until 1970. It is unclear why it took so long for this festival to be celebrated, but it would continue to be celebrated nearly every year afterwards. The history of the August Moon Festival, also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Moon Festival, and the Mooncake Festival, […]

July 23, 2021 0

An Early History of Chinese Herbalists in Boston

by Richard Auffrey

Within two years of the establishment of Boston’s Chinatown, there was a Chinese herbal doctor in the community. In the early newspapers, the importance of such herbalists was very evident, and they’re still vital in Chinatown today. One of the first detailed references to a Chinese herbalist, who wasn’t named, was in the Boston Post, April 26, 1896. The writer sought treatment for a severe cold in his chest and the herbalist felt his pulse. He then wrote a prescription which […]

Chinese laundry business through history

June 11, 2021 0

An early history of Chinese laundries in Boston

by Richard Auffrey

During the 19th century, the most prevalent occupation for Chinese men who settled in the Boston area was being a laundryman. This was also true for many cities across the country, especially as the Chinese had few available options, being barred from many other occupations. The first Chinese laundry in the U.S. likely opened in San Francisco in 1851, and the first Chinese laundry in Boston, noted as a “California Chinese Laundry,” opened in February 1875 at 299 Tremont Street. […]

May 21, 2021 0

What’s A Chop Suey Sundae?

by Richard Auffrey

(請點這裡閱讀中文版。) The most popular item in the earliest Chinese restaurants in the U.S. was chop suey, a mixture of meat and vegetables in a brown sauce. The origins of chop suey are murky but the dish certainly had a strong impact. It was such a popular term that it was even co-opted by others, to apply to non-Chinese foods, such as the Chop Suey Sundae. A Chop Suey Sundae? Meat, vegetables and a brown sauce over ice cream? No, this […]

Moy Auk band leader and Chinatown restaurant owner

May 7, 2021 0

Moy Auk: band leader & famed chef

by Richard Auffrey

(請點這裡閱讀中文版。) During the late 1880s, one of the first and most famous restaurants in Boston’s Chinatown was owned by Moy Auk, who also led a famous Chinese musical band. His restaurant was referred to as the “Delmonico’s” of Chinatown. At this time, Delmonico’s, in Manhattan, was considered one of the finest restaurants in the country so this was very high praise. When Moy Auk traveled from China to the U.S., he first settled in San Francisco and opened a small restaurant. […]

March 19, 2021 0

The first attempt to eradicate Chinatown

by Richard Auffrey

(請點這裡閱讀中文版。) Around 1884, Boston’s Chinatown coalesced as a neighborhood and community, especially on Harrison Avenue. Only seven years later, the first attempt to eradicate Chinatown arose, fueled by racism and propelled by businesses seeking to get wealthier. At this point, there were less than 1000 Chinese living in Boston, and 70% of those worked in laundries. The endeavor to eliminate Chinatown centered on a proposal to widen Harrison Avenue, the section between Essex and Beach Streets. The Boston Globe, April 14, […]

Dim sum Chinese dumplings sold at blob joint restaurants

March 5, 2021 0

Blob Joints: a history of dim sum in the U.S.

by Richard Auffrey

The delights of dim sum! Numerous trolley carts of bamboo steamers with bao, dumplings, and other dishes are pushed around the room, and you simply point at the dishes you want. Sometimes you order off a menu, selecting from a long list of intriguing choices. You might have your own favorite dim sum spot in Chinatown, or maybe elsewhere. When did dim sum first come to the U.S.? What was the first dim sum restaurant in Boston’s Chinatown? Its origins […]

the celebration of Chinese New Year in Boston, with lanterns

February 5, 2021 0

The 150th anniversary of Chinese New Year in Massachusetts

by Richard Auffrey

This year, Chinese New Year starts on Friday, February 12, beginning the Year of the Ox. It’s also the 150th Anniversary of the first public celebration of Chinese New Year in Massachusetts. Although you might suspect that the celebration occurred in Chinatown, it actually began in North Adams, a city in the far northwestern region of the state. Prior to 1870, there were only a handful of Chinese living in Massachusetts, and any celebration of Chinese New Year was more […]

January 22, 2021 0

A Boston origin of… duck sauce?

by Richard Auffrey

If you dine at local Chinese restaurants, you’ve probably been served a container of duck sauce, a versatile sweet and sour sauce that is commonly used for dipping fried foods, from eggrolls to chicken fingers, fried wontons to crab rangoons. It has become such a familiar sauce that you can find it at non-Chinese restaurants too, especially with an order of chicken fingers. What is the origin of this curious sauce? Theories abound about its origin, most believing it acquired its name […]

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