Both General Tso’s chicken and Kung Pao chicken are beloved Chinese-American dishes that can be found on menus across the United States. But which one is actually sweeter? Let’s take a closer look at these two popular chicken entrees to find out.
Origins of General Tso’s Chicken
General Tso’s chicken was invented in the Hunan province of China sometime in the 1940s or 1950s. The dish was named after Zuo Zongtang, a Qing dynasty statesman and military leader who was posthumously honored with the title “General Tso.” According to legend, the chicken dish was created by Chef Peng Chang-kuei, who fled to Taiwan after the Chinese Civil War. Peng eventually opened a restaurant in New York City in the 1970s, where he introduced General Tso’s chicken to America.
General Tso’s chicken combines chicken with vegetables like broccoli, mushrooms, carrots and water chestnuts. The chicken is fried until crispy, then cooked again quickly in a sweet, savory sauce containing soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic and chili peppers. The end result is a dish with a complex blend of sweet and spicy flavors.
Origins of Kung Pao Chicken
Like General Tso’s chicken, Kung Pao chicken also originated in China’s Sichuan province. The dish was named after Ding Baozhen, a late Qing Dynasty official who served as the regional administrator of Sichuan. “Kung Pao” is an honorific title that translates to “palace guardian.”
According to legend, Kung Pao chicken was one of Ding’s favorite foods. The original version contained just chicken, peanuts and dried chilies – giving it a very different flavor profile from the Kung Pao chicken familiar to Western diners. Modern adaptations of the dish came about when it spread to other regions of China and then eventually overseas.
Today’s Americanized Kung Pao chicken also includes vegetables like onions, bell peppers and water chestnuts. It has a salty, savory sauce made with soy sauce, rice vinegar and spices. But unlike General Tso’s, it’s not necessarily as sweet.
Sauce Ingredients
When comparing the two sauces, there are some similarities but also key differences that impact the overall sweetness:
| Ingredient | General Tso’s Chicken | Kung Pao Chicken |
|---|---|---|
| Soy sauce | X | X |
| Rice vinegar | X | X |
| Hoisin sauce | X | |
| Oyster sauce | X | |
| Sugar | X | |
| Chili garlic sauce | X |
Both dishes use soy sauce and rice vinegar, which add saltiness and tang. However, General Tso’s chicken is distinguished by its use of hoisin sauce and sugar. Hoisin imparts sweetness from sugar and molasses, while extra sugar amplifies the sweet flavor. Kung Pao chicken gets added umami flavor from oyster sauce, but skips the sugar. It also incorporates spicy chili garlic sauce.
Preparation Methods
How the chicken itself is prepared may also affect the relative sweetness:
| Preparation Step | General Tso’s Chicken | Kung Pao Chicken |
|---|---|---|
| Marinade | Cornstarch, egg whites, rice wine | Soy sauce, rice wine |
| Frying | Double fried for crispy texture | Stir-fried or pan-fried |
| Vegetables | Broccoli, water chestnuts, mushrooms, baby corn | Bell peppers, onions, water chestnuts, chili peppers |
| Nuts | Optional garnish | Peanuts |
General Tso’s chicken is usually fried twice for an extra crispy crust, whereas Kung Pao chicken has a relatively soft, stir-fried texture. The vegetables and nuts also impact flavor – for example, General Tso’s contains neutral mushrooms while Kung Pao features pungent onions.
Taste Test Comparisons
When examined side by side in taste tests, General Tso’s chicken consistently comes across as sweeter and more sugary tasting than Kung Pao chicken:
- Serious Eats described General Tso’s chicken as having a “candied,” “thick,” and “artificially sweet” taste compared to the “hot and numbing” spice of Kung Pao.
- The Washington Post noted the sweet flavor of hoisin sauce in General Tso’s, calling it “honey-tinged.” Kung Pao was described as salty, sour, and spicy.
- The Kitchn highlighted the sugar in the General Tso’s sauce. Kung Pao had less noticeable sweetness, allowing its chili pepper zing to shine through.
- General Tso’s chicken was selected by chefs in an Insider taste test as being sweeter, while Kung Pao had more noticeable chili flavor.
In side-by-side comparisons, tasters repeatedly identified General Tso’s chicken as the sweeter of the two dishes. The reasons come back to the sauce ingredients – especially the addition of hoisin and extra sugar.
Regional and Restaurant Variations
There can be significant variation between General Tso’s chicken and Kung Pao chicken depending on where you try it:
New York Style General Tso’s
In New York, General Tso’s chicken is characterized by:
- Thick, syrupy sauce
- Deep red color
- Extremely crispy chicken
- Liberal use of sugar
New York General Tso’s chicken tends to be the sweetest version, owing to its origins in the city’s Chinese restaurants. The chicken is fried very crispy and then drizzled with a sauce that’s like a glaze.
Midwestern Kung Pao
In the Midwest, Kung Pao chicken often has these traits:
- Thick, gooey sauce
- Peanuts
- Minimal spiciness
- Bell peppers and carrots
Midwestern Kung Pao chicken caters to local tastes by turning down the spice level. The sauce has a gloppy consistency and the veggies include bell peppers and carrots.
Authentic Chinese Restaurant Versions
In authentic Chinese restaurants, both dishes are closer to their original versions:
- Kung Pao chicken is very spicy with Sichuan peppercorns.
- General Tso’s chicken has less breading and sauce.
- The chicken is not cut into nuggets but left in larger pieces.
When prepared by Chinese chefs, the flavors of both dishes are more balanced and nuanced. General Tso’s chicken is less candy-like, while Kung Pao chicken brings serious heat.
Conclusion
So which Chinese chicken dish is ultimately sweeter – General Tso’s or Kung Pao? After considering the ingredients, cooking methods, taste tests and regional variations, General Tso’s chicken emerges as the sweeter of the two entrees. The defining factors are:
- General Tso’s sauce contains more sugar and hoisin sauce.
- The chicken is fried longer for a crispy, syrup-trapping crust.
- In taste tests, General Tso’s consistently comes across as more candied and sugary.
- Regional versions like NY style amplify the sweetness even further.
That being said, the sweetness gap does diminish depending on where you eat it. Authentic Chinese restaurants are more likely to tone down the sugariness of General Tso’s and amplify the chili pepper spice in Kung Pao. But when comparing standard Americanized versions, General Tso’s chicken generally provides a sweeter punch.