kung pao

English

Etymology

From Wade–Giles romanization of Mandarin 宮保 / 宫保 (kung¹-pao³, “palatial guardian”), the title of Ding Baozhen, a late Qing Dynasty official born in Guizhou.

Pronunciation

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Noun

kung pao (uncountable)

1. A Sichuan dish of chicken, pork, etc. with peanuts, chilis etc.

   kung pao chicken

   kung pao pork

   • 2021 March 28, Joe Yonan, “Kung pao tofu is a spicy, tingly celebration of Sichuan cooking”, in The Washington Post‎^[1], →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 16 May 2021‎^[2]:

     Speaking of those peppercorns, they feature prominently, as they should, in Shiue’s take on kung pao.

   • 2022 July 22, Genevieve Ko, “The Irresistible Thrill of Kung Pao”, in The New York Times‎^[3], →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 22 July 2022, Food‎^[4]:

     A steaming plate of kung pao anything feels like the part of a fireworks show when small, bright bursts pop without deafening booms.

   • 2023 March 17, Rose Astor, “The Indian city that’s everyone’s talking about”, in The Times‎^[5], →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 18 March 2023, Travel‎^[6]:

     At members’ mixers, those involved in hospitality, film, art, fashion and tech discuss the latest Mumbai gossip over drinks — typically the club’s signature picante cocktail (tequila based with a fiery chilli and coriander bite) — and canapés such as kung pao chicken and vegetable momos.

Alternative forms

• gong bao
• kung po