The dish originates in the southern Chinese coastal province of
Guangdong, which was known as Canton. Most versions which are found today are a Cantonese hybrid both in the United States and Asia. Literally meaning "Hibiscus egg", this dish is prepared with beaten
eggs and most often made with various vegetables such as
bean sprouts,
bamboo shoots, sliced
cabbage,
spring onions,
mushrooms, and
water chestnuts. When meat is used as an ingredient, a choice of roast
pork,
shrimp,
chicken,
beef, or
lobster may be offered. In
Chinese Indonesian cuisine, it is known as
fu yung hai (, literally "Hibiscus crab"), sometimes spelled
pu yung hai. The
omelette is usually made from a mixture of vegetables such as
carrots, bean sprouts, and cabbages, mixed with meats such as
crab meat, shrimp, or minced chicken. The dish is often served in
sweet and sour sauce with
peas. In Western countries, the dish usually appears as a well-folded omelette with the non-egg ingredients embedded in the egg mixture. It may be covered in or served with
sauce or
gravy. Chinese chefs in the
United States, at least as early as the 1930s, created a pancake filled with eggs, vegetables, and meat or seafood. Strictly, according to
hai in the name, it should contain crab, but it is often served without this ingredient. == Comparison ==