Kung Pao Chicken is related to Ding Baozhen, governor of Shandong and governor of Sichuan in the Qing Dynasty.

Kung Pao Chicken, also called Kung Pao Chicken, was invented by Ding Baozhen. It is said that Ding Baozhen was well versed in cooking and liked to eat chicken and peanuts, especially spicy food. When he was the governor of Sichuan, he created a delicious dish made of diced chicken, red pepper, and peanuts stir-fried in a pot. This dish was originally a "private dish" of the Ding family, but later it became more and more popular and became known to everyone.

The so-called "Gongbao" is actually Ding Baozhen's honorary official title. In recognition of his achievements, the Qing court posthumously awarded him the title "Prince Taibao". "Prince Taibao" is one of the "Kung Pao", so the dish he invented was named "Kung Pao Chicken", which can be regarded as a commemoration of him.

Times have changed, and many people no longer know what "Kung Pao" is, so they take it for granted and write "Kung Pao Chicken" as "Gong Bao Chicken". Although there is a one-word difference, it changes the commemoration Ding Baozhen’s original intention.

Characteristics of Kung Pao Chicken in different regions:

1. The Sichuan version of Kung Pao Chicken uses chicken breast. Since chicken breast is not easy to taste, it is difficult to stir-fry chicken. It is easy to be tender and not tender enough. You need to pat the chicken with the back of a knife a few times before sizing it, or add egg whites. This will make the chicken more tender and smooth.

2. The Sichuan version of Kung Pao Chicken must use fried peanuts and dried chili knots as raw materials, and the flavor must be spicy lychee flavor. The chili peppers are fried and fragrant, highlighting the spiciness of the paste.

3. The Shandong cuisine version of Kung Pao Chicken mostly uses chicken legs. In order to better highlight the taste of Kung Pao Chicken, Shandong cuisine also adds diced bamboo shoots or water chestnuts. The preparation of Kung Pao Chicken is roughly the same as that of Sichuan cuisine, but more emphasis is placed on stir-frying in order to preserve the freshness and tenderness of the chicken.

4. The Guizhou cuisine version of Kung Pao Chicken uses glutinous rice cake peppers, which is different from the Sichuan and Shandong cuisine versions. The Guizhou version of Kung Pao Chicken is salty, spicy and slightly sweet and sour. Please pay attention to the word "sour". Hot and sour is one of the important signs that distinguish Guizhou cuisine from Sichuan cuisine.