Kung Pao Chicken

Kung Pao Chicken

　　Kung Pao Chicken, also known as Gong Bao Chicken, is a traditional and famous Sichuan dish made by stir-frying diced chicken, dried chili peppers, and peanuts. Its bold, spicy-savory taste, paired with tender chicken and crispy peanuts, has made it extremely popular. Especially in Western countries such as the UK and the US, Kung Pao Chicken is so ubiquitous that it’s almost synonymous with Chinese cuisine—much like spaghetti is in Italian cuisine.

　　As for the origins of Kung Pao Chicken, it is generally believed to have been created by Ding Baozhen, the Qing Dynasty governor of Sichuan. Ding, a native of Niuchang Town, Zhijin County, Guizhou Province, once fell into water as a child and was fortuitously rescued by a family living near a bridge. Later, after becoming an official, he remembered the incident and went back to thank them. The family served him this dish, which he found delicious, and he subsequently helped promote it. This is the true story behind the dish (as recorded in the Zhijin County Annals).

　　There are three other popular legends:

　　One version says: Ding Baozhen, originally from Guizhou, became a Jinshi (imperial scholar) during the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty. He served as governor of Shandong and later as governor of Sichuan. He had always enjoyed dishes made with chili peppers stir-fried with pork or chicken. While in Shandong, he reportedly asked his family chef to prepare "soy sauce chicken dice" and similar dishes, which he loved, though the dish wasn’t well-known at the time. After being transferred to Sichuan, whenever he hosted guests, he would have his chef stir-fry chicken with peanuts, dried chilies, and tender chicken pieces. The dish proved very popular among his guests. Later, for his achievements in defending the frontier, the imperial court awarded him the title of “Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent,” and he became known as “Ding Gongbao.” The stir-fried chicken dish made by his chef also came to be called “Gongbao Chicken.”

　　Another version says: When Ding Baozhen arrived in Sichuan, he invested heavily in water conservancy projects. The grateful people, in honor of his preferences, presented him with his favorite stir-fried chicken dish, which they named “Gongbao Chicken.”

　　A third version says: During his time in Sichuan, Ding Baozhen often went undercover among the common people. Once, while dining at a small eatery, he tried a spicy chicken dish stir-fried with peanuts and asked his chef to recreate it. His chef named it “Gongbao Chicken.”