Mapo tofu, a popular Chinese dish at home and abroad. [Photo/IC]

A recent survey by the National Restaurant Association in the US shows that 36 percent of the 1,000 people interviewed said they eat Chinese food at least once a month, and 42 percent said they eat it a few times a year.

Chinese food is still among the "big three" foreign cuisines in the US, with Italian and Mexican, the survey said. Italian food, the most popular, was eaten at least once a month by 61 percent and a few times a year by 26 percent.

Younger people were more likely to be Chinese food lovers, and the appreciation of Chinese food was found mostly among respondents below age 54, according to the survey via the Sing Tao Daily.

In terms of geographical distribution, Chinese food was more popular in the Northeast, where 43 percent said they eat it frequently, compared with the South (39 percent), the West (37 percent) and the Midwest (25 percent).

In a multiple choice question, those who preferred to order Chinese food for delivery (56 percent) or to dine in the restaurant (53 percent) were almost equal, and only 20 percent would choose to cook at home.