Here are transition words that you can use to link together parts of your compare and contrast details. Example of both: Chinese take out and Mexican food are both very American things even though they originate in other countries.

Compare

like, similar, as, in the same way, also, too, both, have in common, similarly, as well as, the same as

Contrast

but, although, yet, whereas, however, while, differ, instead, unless, unlike, on the contrary, contrary to, even though, on the other hand, the reverse