Origin of Kung Pao Chicken Dish

Ting Baizhen's original home was in Guizhou. He was originally a Jinshi from the Qing dynasty during the Fengtian period.He had once held the position of in Shandong province. Later, he served as the of Sichuan province.He always enjoyed eating chili peppers and stir-fried dishes with pork, and chicken.When serving guests in his residence in Sichuan, his personal chef would prepare stir-fried chicken cubes using peanuts, rice, dried chilies,and tender chicken meat. The meat was tender and flavorful, much to the guests' delight.Later, due to his military achievements in defending the border against enemies, he was bestowed the title of "Taizi Shao Baofu" by the imperial court, known as "Ding Gongbao". His family chef's stir-fried chicken cubes were also called "Gongbao Chicken Cubes".