Kung Pao

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KUNG PAO--427,000 Google hits
KUNG BAO--9,830 Google hits
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This dish (in today's NY Times) is not in the OED (of course). That's why
they pay me the millions that they do.
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I'll do a cookbook search at another time.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/23/dining/23gong.html
Finally, he came to  the light, brownish sauce. "Sichuan chefs use a bean
sauce, but we use a sweet  sauce, and that's a big difference," Mr. Wang said.
"After the leg meat is  chopped, a little fermented rice soup should be added.
Authentic gong bao jiding  should carry a little aroma of litchi. A little
sweetness is a must."
That  cooks in the next province can get a relatively simple dish so wrong,
according  to one of Guiyang's best chefs, provides an instructive hint of just
how far  American versions of this dish, and many others, may have strayed
from their  origins. The commonly accepted story here is that gong bao jiding
was named for  a palace guard, or "gong bao," in the late 19th century, who went
on to become a  provincial governor.
"Last but not least, authentic gong bao jiding should  have absolutely no
peanuts," Mr. Wang said sternly. Unlike Sichuan or American  versions, the dish
was indeed peanut-free. "One must not be even slightly  careless in the choice
of materials," the chef added.
Of course, they forgot  to tell the cooks in Sichuan that. "We were not even
taught to add peanuts, as  it's so natural to do so," said Li Wanming, a
Sichuan chef who is vice president  of a food company in Chengdu, the provincial
capital. "People who order the dish  would feel strange if there's no peanuts in
it. Peanuts make the dish more crisp  and fragrant, and that's very
important."
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_http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook:Kung_Pao_Chicken_
(http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook:Kung_Pao_Chicken)
Kung Pao Chicken is a spicy Chinese-Szechuan recipe made with diced  chicken,
chili peppers and peanuts, named after a court official. It is a  popular
dish served at Chinese restaurants throughout the United States.
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_http://chinesefood.about.com/od/poultry/r/kungpaodeepfry.htm_
(http://chinesefood.about.com/od/poultry/r/kungpaodeepfry.htm)
Kung Pao Chicken
>From Rhonda Parkinson,
Your Guide to Chinese  Cuisine.

Named after a court official or "Kung Pao," Kung Pao Chicken is  a spicy
Szechuan dish made with diced chicken, peanuts and chili peppers. This  recipe
calls for deep-frying; for a lighter version, try Kung Pao Chicken  Stir-fry.
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_http://www.almanac.com/recipes/search/onerecipe.php?number=5518_
(http://www.almanac.com/recipes/search/onerecipe.php?number=5518)
This dish is named for Ding Bazohen, the governor of Sichuan, who ruled
during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It was said that the governor's favorite
dish was spiced chicken with peanuts; in time, this peanut dish was named for
him through his official title-Gong Bao. Give this recipe a try and see if you
can feel the pao.
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Bill's Bill of Fare Is Exotic; Golden Nuggets Go Like Hot  Cakes
By Winzola McLendon. The Washington Post and Times Herald (1954-1959).
Washington, D.C.: Aug 23, 1957. p. C1 (2 pages)
First page:
>From the  garden, the guests went into the house for a superb dinner of "Kung
Bao Chee  Ding" (an exotic chicken dish),...
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Mrs. Ball's Empress Restaurant: Fast before eating there
by Donald  Dresden. The Washington Post (1974-Current file). Washington,
D.C.: Apr 7, 1974.  p. P46 (1 page)
The courses followed each other quite well--the next one was  highly spiced
_kung bao_ shrimp.
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Lowly No More The Time of the Peanut
By CRAIG CLAIBORNE. New York  Times (1857-Current file). New York, N.Y.: Jan
19, 1977. p. 50 (1 page)

One of the greatest of Szechwan dishes is Kung Pao chicken, a stir-fried
dish made with cubed chicken breasts, peanuts and a hot chili sauce. It was
named for Ting Kung Pao, a Chinese official who fled Szechwan as a political
refugee a few hundred years ago during the Ching Dynasty. We cannot vouch for  the
fact that the original dish contained peanuts, but at whatever century they
were added to the dish it was a marvelous inspiration.
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Peanuts in the  kitchen; Nuts go into great Oriental dishes
Craig Claiborne. Chicago Tribune  (1963-Current file). Chicago, Ill.: Feb 24,
1977. p. E28 (1 page)
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China Gourmet; TURNING TABLES
Phyllis C. Richman. The Washington  Post (1974-Current file). Washington,
D.C.: Apr 3, 1977. p. 344 (2 pages)