Gongbao Chicken 宫保鸡丁

Gongbao Chicken is one of the representative dishes of traditional Sichuan cuisine of China. It’s not only very popular in China but also well-known internationally. Many foreign friends have gained a deeper understanding of Chinese food culture by trying Gongbao Chicken. Additionally， it is commonly served at various banquets and family gatherings.

宫保鸡丁是中国传统川菜的代表菜肴之一，不仅在国内广受欢迎，在国际上也有很高的知名度。许多外国朋友通过品尝宫保鸡丁，对中国美食文化有了更深入的了解。此外，宫保鸡丁也是各种宴席和家庭聚餐的常见菜。

Origin

起源

It is said that during the Qing Dynasty， there was an official named Ding Baozhen who had a keen interest in cooking. While serving in Sichuan， he combined the cooking methods of Shandong and Sichuan cuisine to create this dish.

据说清朝有一名官员叫丁宝桢，他对烹饪很感兴趣。他在四川为官时，将鲁菜和川菜的烹饪方法结合起来，创制了这道菜。

Since Ding Baozhen was honored with the title “Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince” and respectfully addressed as “Ding Gongbao”， the dish was named “Gongbao Chicken”.

由于丁宝桢曾被封为“太子太保”，被人尊称“丁宫保”，所以这道菜被命名为“宫保鸡丁”。

Flavor Profile

口味特点

Gongbao Chicken is bright red in color and has spicy， salty， sweet， and sour flavors. The interplay of spiciness， saltiness， sweetness， and sourness creates a rich and layered taste that is loved by people from different regions.

宫保鸡丁色泽红亮，口感咸辣酸甜。辣味、咸味、甜味、酸味相互交融，味道丰富而有层次，深受不同地区人们的喜爱。

Ingredients

食材原料

Main ingredients： Chicken （typically breast or thigh meat for tenderness） and fried peanuts. The peanuts should be plump and crunchy.

主要原料：鸡肉、油炸花生米。鸡肉一般选用肉质鲜嫩的鸡胸肉或鸡腿肉，花生米选用颗粒饱满、口感香脆的。

Additional ingredients： Dried chili peppers， Sichuan peppercorns， green onions， ginger， and garlic.

辅料：干辣椒、花椒、葱、姜、蒜。

Seasonings： Salt， sugar， vinegar， soy sauce， cooking wine， and starch.

调料：食盐、糖、醋、酱油、料酒、淀粉。

Cooking Method

制作方法

1. Clean and dice the chicken， then place it in a bowl. Add salt， cooking wine， and starch， and marinate for a while to enhance flavor and tenderness.

鸡肉洗净切丁，放入碗中，加入食盐、料酒、淀粉腌制一会儿，使其入味并增加嫩滑口感。

2. Mix the sugar， vinegar， soy sauce， cooking wine， and starch together and set aside.

将糖、醋、酱油、料酒和淀粉混合在一起，搅拌均匀备用。

3. Pour oil into a wok and heat it. Once hot， add the marinated chicken and stir-fry until it changes color， then set aside.

锅中倒入油，油热后放入腌制好的鸡肉丁翻炒至变色，盛出备用。

4. In the same wok， add a little oil and sauté the dried chili peppers， Sichuan peppercorns， green onions， ginger， and garlic until fragrant.

同一锅中加入少许油，放入干辣椒、花椒、葱、姜、蒜爆香。

5. Add the cooked chicken into the wok and stir-fry， then pour in the sauce mixture and stir evenly.

锅中加入炒过的鸡肉丁继续翻炒，然后倒入调料汁翻炒均匀。

6. Finally， add the peanuts and stir-fry quickly before serving.

最后加入花生米，快速翻炒几下即可出锅。

Word Bank

representative /'reprɪ'zentətɪv/ adj. 典型的

cuisine /kwɪ'ziːn/ n. 饭菜，菜肴

gain /ɡeɪn/ v. 获得

official /ə'fɪʃl/ n. 官员

combine /kəm'baɪn/ v. 结合

interplay /'ɪntəpleɪ/ n. 相互影响（或作用）

marinate /'mærɪneɪt/ v. 腌

evenly /'iːvnli/ adv. 均匀地