On the cusp of the 20th century, chop suey was reportedly first created, quickly becoming trendy and elevating the demand for Chinese cuisine despite being an entirely American creation.
That launched America’s love affair with Chinese food, and was also the first of many dishes that don’t actually exist in the places one might think they hail from based on the name.
Such is the case with Chinese restaurant staple Mongolian beef, which originated in Taiwan in the 1950s before becoming hugely popular in the States. The one place that has nothing to do with the dish’s origin or popularity is Mongolia.
DeMarcus Cousins learned that recently while playing basketball in the Mongolian basketball league. During a recent episode of Run It Back, Cousins was asked about how the local Mongolian beef stacked up, setting up an all-too-predictable bit on the cultural curiosities around Americanized Chinese food.
Mongolian beef doesn’t exist in Mongolia 🤯
“They asked me what my favorite dish is and I said that dumb s***. It doesn’t exist here, at all.” – @boogiecousins
“Chinese food doesn’t exist in China.” – Lou Williams
😂@MichelleDBeadle | @ChandlerParsons | @TeamLou23 pic.twitter.com/DJGgvDueIZ
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) March 9, 2026
“How’s the Mongolian beef?” asked Chandler Parsons. “I’ve got to know.”
“Oh, for the love of all things,” added Michelle Beadle, perhaps knowing where this was going.
“You know what’s crazy? I was here last season, and they asked me, what did I think about Mongolia? Asked me what my favorite dish was. And I actually said that dumb sh*t, and it doesn’t exist here. At all,” said Cousins.
“Of course, it doesn’t,” added Beadle.
“Chinese food doesn’t exist in China,” said Lou Williams.
“Exactly. So I thought Mongolian beef was a real dish as well, but obviously, it’s not,” said Cousins. “I thought the same thing. It doesn’t exist.”
“It’s just beef, y’all. He’s in Mongolia,” said Beadle, miming her head exploding.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.