NEW YORK – Few food containers are as recognizable as the small white carton folded from a single sheet of cardboard into a trapezoid-shaped box. Some feature a wire handle; others display a bright red Chinese-style pagoda. Inside, of course, is the promise of something delicious.
The Chinese takeout container as Americans know it is, in many ways, distinctly American: a product of inventive design, immigrant cultures becoming part of everyday life and the enduring appeal of convenience — including eating dinner at home in pajamas.
The concept of a paper bucket dates to 1894, when inventor Frederick Weeks Wilcox received a patent for what he described as “a new and useful improvement” to pails used for transporting oysters. His design folded a single piece of material into a sturdy container that minimized leaks and included a lid.
That explains the container. But what about the food traditionally associated with it?
Chinese immigrants began arriving in the United States in the mid-1800s, joining the Gold Rush and helping build the railroads. The communities they established, known as Chinatowns, developed in San Francisco and eventually in cities across the country. Their restaurants helped shape the foundations of an Americanized Chinese cuisine.
Following World War II, Chinese food grew far beyond chop suey and chow mein. “There was a real profusion of Chinese restaurants,” says Michelle King, a professor of Chinese history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “We see this explosion of interest and growth in Chinese food.”
That period also cemented the public association between Chinese food and affordable prices, broad availability and convenience, King said. Restaurant owners wanted their businesses to feel accessible, and takeout helped make that possible. “You need to take it home, you have a dinner party you want to cater for, we can do that for you, right?” she said.
Sometime in the 1970s, Fold-Pak, a packaging company by that name at the time, added the familiar pagoda design. Some versions also included wording in a font intended to evoke stereotypical associations with Chinese culture.
“It kind of becomes claimed as a Chinese American food eatery item, like the pizza box or something like that might be for Italian food,” King said.
Today, takeout cartons are available in many shapes, while the food placed inside them can represent an ever-expanding range of cuisines — not just Chinese dishes or the oysters that inspired the original design.
Still, the carton remains an icon. In fact, it is one quite literally: just look at the emoji for “takeout.”
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This story is part of the recurring series “American Objects,” marking the 250th anniversary of the United States. For more American objects, click here. For additional stories about the anniversary, click here.
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