It’s a book I know I’m going to hold on to forever. Today, I’m sharing Kian Kho Liam’s recipe for one of the easiest versions of General Tso’s chicken from his book, Phoenix Claws and Jade Trees:Essential Techniques of Authentic Chinese Cooking. Did General Tso from the Hunan region really like chicken a lot? Is this dish a representation of some of his favorite meals, is General Tso’s chicken as popular in China as it is here? These and many more questions are answered in this highly informative documentary. The mystery behind this iconic dish and its origins are told through the history of Chinese immigrants, and it also includes an appearance from Chef Peng, who created this saucy fried chicken recipe. If you haven’t seen it already, I highly recommend watching it.
A few weekends ago, I was aimlessly scrolling through the Netflix menu until I fortuitously came across a documentary called The Search for General Tso. The story of General Tso’s chicken is one such dish that tells the story of Chinese immigrants in the United States and their arduous path to acceptance. Food is much more than taste and flavor or a means for nutrition to also, in many ways, is a way for cultures to adapt and survive.
