The story
General Tso's chicken is named for Zuo Zongtang, a 19th-century general from Hunan, but the dish is far younger. Peng Chang-kuei, a Hunanese chef who followed the Nationalists to Taiwan in 1949, said he created it in Taipei for a state banquet during a visit by a US admiral, which records date to 1953. His original was hot, sour and salty, with no sugar. In 1973 he opened a restaurant in New York and adapted the dish for American tastes; chef T. T. Wang of Shun Lee also claimed to have introduced a crispy version there. The sweeter style spread across North America.
Rival claims
Created by Hunanese chef Peng Chang-kuei in Taipei in the 1950s (a 1953 state banquet is the usual story); the sweet version known abroad was developed in New York in the 1970s, by Peng and, in a rival claim, by T.T. Wang of Shun Lee.
Also known as General Tao chicken, General Gau's chicken, 左宗棠雞, Zuo Zongtang chicken.
On the Meridish menu
General Tso's chicken was the main course on menu No. 25 on October 25, 2026. Its clue in the game, which hints at the place without naming it:
Crispy chicken in a hot, sour glaze, named for a 19th-century general. An exiled chef created it here in the 1950s; his sweeter Manhattan remake made it world-famous.
In Meridish, every dish is pinned to the town or city most widely credited with creating it. A guess within 25 km scores all 100 points. How scoring works.
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Tso%27s_chicken
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peng_Chang-kuei
- scientificamerican.com/blog/food-matters/chronicling-the-creation-of-general-tsos-chicken
Food history is often disputed. Think we've pinned it in the wrong place? Tell us at hello@meridish.com, ideally with a source.
