8.
General Tso's Chicken
OK, this dish frequently sucks, but you can't deny its astonishing influence. The stir-fry of breaded chicken tidbits mired in a thick sweet sauce with a few extraneous toasted chilies is the most famous Chinese dish to have been invented in this country. It was named after 19th-century military strategist General Tso Tsung-tang, who, like Chairman Mao, was associated with the province of Hunan. The dish was first mentioned in The New York Times in 1977, and appears to have been formulated by chef Peng Jia at Peng's, an upscale Midtown Chinese restaurant typical of the time, but he may have been inspired by an earlier dish called General Chin's chicken that had appeared in the late '60s during a Hunan craze in New York City.
Chinese Musician, 151 Greenpoint Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-383-2413
General Chin's chicken may have been the forerunner of General Tso, seen here as made at the Cottage (33 Irving Place, 212-505-8600).
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