Peng's Gourmet & Banquet
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Chef Peng Chang-kuei is best known as the inventor of General Tso’s Chicken, sizzling hot in temperature and flavor. A well-known and talented chef, Peng orchestrated and supervised the grand banquets of the Chinese Nationalist government from the end of World War II until they were toppled by Mao Zedong’s Communists in 1949. Peng fled the country and found refuge in Taiwan alongside the Nationalist leadership. He created the dish in 1952 in Taiwan while he was entertaining U.S. Seventh Fleet Commander Admiral Arthur W. Radford. He had already served most of his signature dishes and wanted to cook something new, so he fried chicken thigh chunks and added seasonings to create a sticky-sweet sauce. The dish is named after General Tso, a well-known general from Peng’s hometown in Hunan Province who helped quell the Taiping Rebellion. Uneasy at Taiwan’s ongoing tensions with mainland China, Peng brought the recipe with him when he emigrated from Taiwan to New York City in 1973. He opened a restaurant on 44th Street, between Second and Third avenues. Owing to the restaurant’s proximity to the U.N. headquarters, Taiwanese diplomats often hosted events there. The dish gained notoriety after the release of the popular 2014 documentary, “The Search for General Tso.” Peng’s original recipe has less batter and is less sweet and crunchy than American versions, but more oily, salty, tart and spicy.
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