Zuo Zongtang (General Tso) was a respected Chinese statesman and military leader of the late Qing dynasty, which ruled the country from 1644 until 1912. He played an important role in the Taiping Rebellion, a civil war that was waged in China in the mid-19th century.

Who invented General Tso?

Fuchsia Dunlop argues that the recipe was invented by Taiwan-based Hunan cuisine chef Peng Chang-kuei, who had been an apprentice of Tsao Chingchen (曹藎臣), a leading early 20th-century Chinese chef.

Does General Tso exist in China?

But you might be surprised to learn that General Tso's chicken is actually not very big in China — and it doesn't even originate from mainland China. In fact, it hasn't even been around for long: Its creation is widely credited to Peng Chang-kuei (who recently died) in 1952.