Food and Beverage Blog - A History of General Tso

A History of General Tso

By Quan Tu | Manager of Mian, one of the authentic Asian restaurants in Philadelphia

Pronounced as Zuo zong tang ji or Jo zung gai, the popular General Tso dish was created by an actual Chinese chef, Peng Chang-Kuei, and named after a real general.

It was created in Taiwan in 1955 for a banquet welcoming the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — and was first found in New York City in the1970s at two restaurants, Uncle Tai’s Hunan Yuan and Hunam. It’s consistently a popular dish served every day at restaurants in Philly and all over the world, including Mian at Rivers Casino Philadelphia.

Today, in Philadelphia restaurants like Mian and beyond, the dish is known by many names, including General Tao’s Chicken, Governor Tso’s Chicken, General Tang’s Chicken, General Jong’s Chicken, General Chai Chicken and many more.

A mainstay in Philadelphia dining, the delicious flavors of General Tso are perfectly balanced with steamed white rice, and I’d like to share the key for preparing the rice. In a rice cooker, use a ratio 1:1 (1 cup of rice and 1 cup of water), which may vary depending on which rice cooker you use.

With the stove/steamer, use a ratio 1:2 (1 cup of rice and 2 cups of water) and cook for 17-20 minutes without opening the lid once it’s simmering. Here’s an interesting fact: most Asians will use their hands to measure the water level, barely using a cup.

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