stugazzilinho

If you were under the impression that a war general who, in between battles, had created a perfect recipe for chicken, you would be half correct. While this staple of any respectable Chinese takeout establishment was named after a military leader, it was only done so after Zuo Zongtang’s time alive.

Zongtang was in a position of an advisor as to the governor of Hunan. He and his army of 5,000 volunteers drove out the Taiping rebels from Hunan in 1860. In doing so, Zuo was able to push further south into the province of Guangdong (377 miles.) This feat earned Zuo the role of Provincial Governor of Zhejiang in 1863. Not too bad for a man who failed the imperial examination SEVEN times.

Over 100 years later, two Chinese chefs, Peng Chang-kuei and T.T. Wang, both have claimed to be the mastermind behind General Tso’s chicken. The most agreed-upon General Tso’s chicken recipe — where the meat is crispy fried — was introduced by Wang under the name “General Ching’s chicken”. So the recipe came from Mr. Wang, but the name “General Tso’s chicken” can be traced to Peng, who prepared this dish differently.

Chang-kuei, a chef from Hunan who later relocated to Chongqing and Taipei, launched his creation in 1973 when he opened the restaurant “Uncle Peng’s Hunan Yuan” in New York City. Chang-kuei was no slouch behind the wok either. According to the man himself, he was personally put in charge by the Chinese Navy to host a banquet for the US Navy’s visit to Taiwan. Technically, Americans got the first taste of General Tso’s chicken during this visit in 1953. A New York Times review of Uncle Peng’s in 1977 mentioned that their “General Tso’s chicken was a stir-fried masterpiece, sizzling hot both in flavor and temperature.”

Back in Hunan, Chang-kuei’s brainchild was introduced to the locals in the early 90s. The dish was so well received by locals that the restaurant closed down quickly after its opening.

Eleven streets east in New York City on East 55th Street, or however that works, the owner of “Shun Lee Palaces”, Michael Tong claims the dish of choice was invented by an immigrant chef when they opened in 1971. The master chef and partner of Tong, T.T. Wang, was essential to opening not just one, but two restaurants in New York City. The latter, simply named “Hunan Restaurant” opened on 845 Second Avenue (not 2nd) in 1972 and is attributed as the birthplace of not just General Tsos, but orange-flavored beef as well.

I will just be presenting the facts of the situation and passing no judgment on the origin of the recipe or name. I’d like to imagine that either Wang or Peng Chang-kuei tasted the final version of their recipe, and instantly thought of a war general from 100 years prior. I will now be ordering this dish by the traditional name in memory of the great Zuo Zongtang.

Stugazzi