Asian foods are the second largest ethnic category in the United States after Hispanic foods, and are relatively long established, although the market has seen considerable change and development over the years.
Chinese foods were the first from Asia to arrive in the United States and they appeared as long ago as the mid-19th century, although at that time they were largely confined to Chinese communities. It was after World War II when U.S. consumers started dining at Chinese restaurants—followed by other Asian cuisines including Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese and Korean. Indian foods also are sometimes included under a South Asian category. Asian fusion has also emerged, combining various modes of Asian cooking with Western ones.