Kung Pao chicken

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Kung Pao Chicken (Chinese: ????), also transcribed as Gong Bao or Kung Po, is a spicy stir-fry Chinese dish made with chicken, peanuts, vegetables, and chili peppers. The classic dish in Sichuan cuisine originated in the Sichuan Province of south-western China and includes Sichuan peppercorns. Although the dish is found throughout China, there are regional variations that are typically less spicy than the Sichuan serving. Kung Pao chicken is also a staple of westernized Chinese cuisine.

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History

The dish is believed to be named after Ding Baozhen (1820-1886), a late Qing Dynasty official and governor of Sichuan Province. His title was Gongbao (Kung-pao; Chinese: ??; pinyin: G?ngb?o; Wade-Giles: Kung¹-pao³; literally: "Palace Guardian"). The name "Kung Pao" chicken is derived from this title.

During the Cultural Revolution, the dish's name became politically incorrect because of its association with the imperial system. The dish was renamed "Fast-fried chicken cubes" (Hongbao Jiding) or "chicken cubes with seared chiles" (Chinese: ????; pinyin: Húlà J?d?ng) by Maoist radicals until its political rehabilitation in the 1980s under Deng Xiaoping's reforms.

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Versions

Sichuan version

The original Sichuan version uses chicken as its primary ingredient. In this original version, diced chicken is typically mixed with a prepared marinade. Shaoxing wine is used to enhance flavor in the marinade. The wok is seasoned and then chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns are flash-fried to add fragrance to the oil. In Sichuan, or when preparing Sichuan-style Kung Pao chicken, only Sichuan-style chili peppers such as facing heaven pepper or seven stars pepper (Chinese: ???; pinyin: Q?x?ngji?o; Wade-Giles: Ch'i¹-shing¹-chiao¹) are used. Smaller, thinner Sichuanese varieties may also be used. The most important component of the dish is handfuls of Sichuan peppercorns. It is these peppercorns that give authentic Kung Pao chicken its distinctive numbing flavor. Use of hot and numbing flavor (Chinese: ????; pinyin: Málà wèixíng; Wade-Giles: Ma²-la⁴ wei⁴-hsing²) is a typical element of Sichuan cooking. Then the chicken is stir-fried and vegetables, along with peanuts, are added. Kung Pao chicken starts off with fresh, moist, unroasted peanuts or cashew nuts. These are often used instead of their pre-roasted versions. The peanuts or cashew nuts are dropped into the hot oil at the bottom of the wok, then deep-fried until golden brown before the other ingredients are added.

A variant that uses shrimp instead of chicken is known as "Kung Pao shrimp" (Chinese: ???).

Western versions

Versions commonly found in the west, called "Kung Pao chicken", "Kung Po", or just "chicken chili and garlic", consist of diced marinated chicken stir-fried with orange or orange juice, ginger, garlic, chicken broth, sugar, cooking oil, corn starch, and salt and pepper to taste. The dish often includes or is garnished with whole roasted peanuts. Instead of chicken, western variations sometimes substitute other meat such as pork, duck or fish.

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See also

• List of chicken dishes

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References

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External links

• Media related to Kung Pao chicken at Wikimedia Commons
• Kung Pao Chicken at Wikibook Cookbooks

Source of article : Wikipedia