宫保鸡丁宮保雞丁
gōng bǎo jī dīng gung1 bou2 gai1 ding1
Named after a Qing-dynasty governor’s honorary title (宮保), this is the dish that travelled the world as “Kung Pao chicken”. The real thing balances 糊辣 — scorched-chili fragrance — with a whisper of sweet-sour sauce.
The story behind it
Ding Baozhen, governor of Sichuan in the 1870s, held the honorary court title 宫保 — “palace guardian” — and his kitchen’s chicken dish carried the title abroad. The Chinese original uses no batter or sweet glaze; its heat comes from chilies toasted to the fragrant edge of burning.
Ingredients
- 300 g chicken thigh, diced and marinated in soy + cornstarch
- Handful of dried chilies + 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 60 g roasted peanuts
- Sauce: 1 tbsp each soy, vinegar, sugar; 1 tsp cornstarch; 2 tbsp water
- Garlic, ginger, spring onion whites
Steps
- Sizzle chilies and peppercorns in oil until fragrant but not black.
- Add chicken; stir-fry until it whitens.
- Add aromatics, then the sauce; toss until it glazes.
- Fold in peanuts last so they stay crunchy.