So I was on the phone with my best friend, Brian, who is currently at school while I'm on internship in New York (so sad we are on different co-op cycles). You can probably call this a joint article since Brian and I wrote it together over the phone. But anyhow, he called to ask me where I order Chinese food from when I'm in Boston and that led to an entire discussion about the names of Chinese dishes that vary by every state or city you go to, and then within that, several restaurants within the city. It made us laugh and made us ponder...
We've seen the following names for "General" chicken:
1. General Gau
2. General Tso
3. General Tsau
4. General Cho
5. General Chow
At PF Chang's it's called Chang's Spicy Chicken.
Who are all of these "Generals" and is there a difference? Where'd they all come from? What do they call this chicken in your town, state, or city, and have you noticed a variation in names between restaurants?
This article coposted by Brian
recommend this
email
print
link to this page
Comments: 44
Well the real name of this dish is "左宗棠 chicken". But I bet you can't read that. So people started to translate his name into English. And if the person who translated it had an accent, the alphabet would become different as a result. At PF Chang, they simply didn't translate his name.
And yes, he was a famous General in ancient Chinese history, and he invented this dish. It was just him, one person.
Read about it at Wikipedia ( excerpted here ):Since the chicken is fried, too much is not good for you.
There are other things but I can't remember them just at the moment.
This whole thing started when I was on the phone with Arielle and I was ordering Chinese food. I've found that items are pretty much standard at most Chinese restaurants I've been to, but the names are always different. Our conversation on "General Gau, Tso, or Chow, etc" made is laugh so hard that we had to cross post it on Gather. BUT - we also had an extensive conversation on Chow Mein v. Lo Mein - which can also be very perplexing! Glad to see I'm not hte only one with such difficulties.
Also, this might sound strange, but I was nervous when I ordered my lo mein because I had my options, "Chicken Lo Mein, Been Lo Mein, Pork Lo Mein, Shrimp Lo Mein, Vegetable Lo Mein." Believe it or not, I was concerned by this because there were no ingredients, and I didn't know if it would actually have meat in it, or be meat "flavored." All I wanted was whatever it is that you get on the side automatically when you order the two entree meal at Panda Express, and I didn't know what it was called on the menu I was looking at!
Well after a few months I figured chow mein is the kind with gravy and lo mein is without. I never had the kind with gravy before so it made me nuts. LOL I kept muttering to my husband, "These people on the mainland don't know how to cook Chinese food!" My husband laughed and said "But they're Chinese!"
Go figure. LOL
Nathan Schauer - PF Chang is **no where near** "real Chinese food". They are "good food" but not Chinese.
Brian Cox - I agree with you that if the dish is not made the way it was (which wasn't "fried" either - it was "partched," I believe), then it is not the original dish any more. Of course Arielle you can have it steamed any way you want. As long as the food is yummy and healthy, who cares, right? But then it's really a brand new dish and not the original dish.
Have you ever noticed that around Chinese Restaurants, there are no stray dogs and cats? Gives one to wonder.....
Courtney - Golden Temple is probably the best but you can also order from Chinatown #1 or Sunrise. Those two are pretty good and as a New Yorker (best Chinese food in the country) I have fouond Chinatown #1 and Sunrise to be the best in "typical" Chinese food. Golden Temple is more for your night nights out with friends. If you want take-out or delivery, go with the other two.