Fuchsia Dunlop

Kung Pao or Gong Bao chicken 宫保鸡丁is one of the best known Chinese dishes, almost universally adored and found on menus everywhere from state banquets in Beijing to the American fast-food chain Panda Express. It is even one of the dishes provided to Chinese astronauts on their voyages into space. But where does the dish actually come from, and what can it tell us about Chinese food culture in general? In this talk, cook and food writer Fuchsia Dunlop recounts her investigations into the origins of Kung Pao chicken, from southwestern Guizhou Province, via Shandong, the home region of Confucius to the Sichuanese capital, Chengdu. Touching on matters both culinary and cultural, she shows how the dish expresses some of the key themes of Chinese cooking and gastronomy, and asks what it can tell us about the evolution and invention of Chinese regional cuisines.