It's an icon, that small white receptacle made from a single piece of cardboard folded into a trapezoid-shaped box. Sometimes there's a wire handle, sometimes a bright red graphic of a Chinese-style pagoda on the side. And inside, deliciousness.
The Chinese takeout container — at least, as it's commonly seen in the United States — is actually about as American as it gets, with its mix of ingenuity, immigrant cultures becoming homegrown staples, and the desire for convenience (also known as sitting at home in your PJs.)
