Bon bon chicken

Bon bon chicken (Chinese: 棒棒鸡; pinyin: bàng bàng jī; lit.: 'bang-bang chicken') is a popular chicken dish in Chinese cuisine. The name bang bang chicken is derived from the manner in which the meat is tenderized using a stick or hammer.[1][2][3]

Bon bon chicken without sauce served with a salad

Legend

According to a legend concerning the Ming and Qing dynasties, there was a dedicated chef in the remote areas of Ya'an who enjoyed experimenting with foods. After studying and practicing the art of soup-mixing for a long time, he successfully invented a formula to produce aromatic chicken meat and broth. However, chicken was a luxury and was only served on holidays.

Bon bon chicken with sauce

Someone came up with a strategy: cut the whole chicken into thin slices and sell it by slice. This strategy proved to be very effective, and "chicken slices" gained a good reputation. However, another problem occurred: a kitchen knife could not cut a whole chicken into slices evenly, and customers are often picky when making purchases. However, it was found that beating the chicken into pieces with a giant stick would solve this problem. At the same time, juice broth infuses into the chicken and adds flavor. When preparing the dish, one holds a stick and another holds a knife; the sound made by the stick and the knife striking each other has a rhythmic, almost musical quality, hence the name bang bang chicken.

See also

References
  1. The Chinese Kitchen: A Book of Essential Ingredients with Over 200 Easy and ... - Deh-Ta Hsiung. p. 61.
  2. Ezard, Teage (July 2007). Lotus: Asian Flavors. Periplus Editions (HK) Limited. ISBN 978-0-7946-0492-9.
  3. Tate, Nate; Tate, Mary Kate (2011-09-20). Feeding the Dragon: A Culinary Travelogue Through China with Recipes. Andrews McMeel Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4494-0848-0.

Further reading
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