General Tso’s chicken was a stir-fried masterpiece, sizzling hot both in flavor and temperature. When chef Peng learned that his dish was such a huge sensation in the US, it wasn’t long before he moved to New York to set up his own restaurant to raving reviews. Wang’s success was infectious and it wasn’t long until Chinese restaurants across North America began offering their own versions of General Tso’s Chicken on their menus. For the American people, the event sparked a new curiosity about Chinese culture and its food in particular.Īmerica was ready to move on from the Chop Suey houses that were ubiquitous in the first part of the century. The visit greatly helped improve relations between the two superpowers. Back home, viewers witnessed the president sampling authentic Chinese cuisine with the Chinese premier. President Richard Nixon had just made his historic visit to China. And the arrival of General Tso’s chicken couldn’t have come at a better time. This was that shot in the arm that American-Chinese restaurants needed. It was added to the menu at his Manhattan restaurant, Shun Lee Palace, in 1972. Wang was so impressed with the dish that he decided to bring it back to America. When visiting Peng’s restaurant, New York restaurateur T. But Peng’s General Tso chicken was not known outside of Taiwan. Photo: Joshua SortinoĪfter renowned chef Peng Chang-kuei, fled Hunan for Taiwan in the 1960s, he created a dish that would be representative of his homeland while honouring one of its most celebrated leaders. The mystical Zhangjiajie Mountains, Hunan, China. General Tso, as he’s mostly known in the west, is celebrated for his military exploits as well as his contributions to advancements in agriculture and publishing. The inspiration for this dish is Zuo Zongtang (1812-1885), a Qing dynasty military leader from China’s Hunan Province. This dish has become one of the most popular North American Chinese restaurant items since it first appeared in the early 1970s.
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