Kung Pao chicken, also transcribed as Gong Bao chicken (Chinese: 宫保鸡丁; Mandarin Pinyin: Gōngbǎo Jīdīng; Jyutping: gung1 bou2 gai1 ding1), is a spicy stir-fry dish made with chicken, peanuts, vegetables, and chili peppers. The dish is popular both within China and in westernized Chinese cuisine in North America. The classic dish in Szechuan cuisine, originating in the Sichuan Province of central-western China also includes Sichuan peppercorns. The dish is believed to be named after Ding Baozhen, a late Qing Dynasty official, a one-time governor of Sichuan. His title was Gong Bao (Chinese: 宫保; pinyin: Gōng Bǎo; literally "palatial 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 Ding Baozhen. The dish was renamed "fast-fried chicken cubes" (hong bao ji ding) or "chicken cubes with seared chiles" (hu la ji ding) until its political rehabilitation in the 1980s.
Read more about Kung Pao Chicken: Sichuan Version, Westernised Versions
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