General Tso’s Chicken has become a staple of American dining; a dish that, were it not for pizza, could be crowned the most popular ethnic food item in the country. And it’s a total cash cow. The dish is carried in most of the 50,000 Chinese restaurants in the United States, produced very cheaply, and sold for about $10 a pop, resulting in billions of dollars in tasty revenue.
‘The Search for General Tso’: The Origins of America’s Favorite Chinese Dish, General Tso’s Chicken, The Daily Beast
Some notable history in this fascinating article: Apparently the Chinese food industry was first borne of the Chinese Exclusion Act, an infamous 19th century anti-immigration law which forced many Chinese immigrants out of the labor force. Self-employment became a necessity, and immigrants moved away from the West Coast partly to avoid persecution.
April 19, 2014 // 15:13 // 9 years ago