Cashew chicken

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Cashew Chicken

A plate of cashew chicken
Origin Information
Country of Origin :	United States
Region or State :	Springfield, Missouri
Creator(s) of the dish :	Grove Supper Club 1963
Dish Information
Course Served :	Main course
Serving Temperature :	Hot
Main Ingredient(s) :	chicken cashews oyster sauce assorted vegatables

Cashew chicken (simplified Chinese: 腰果鸡丁) is a simple Chinese-American fusion dish that combines chicken (fried or stir-fried, depending on the variation), cashews, and a thick oyster sauce.

[edit] History

Cashew chicken was first served in 1963 at the Grove Supper Club which was next to the Sweetheart Cup factory. David Leong, the chef, who moved to the United States from China in 1940, struggled to gain acceptance for the foods of his homeland so he began searching for a dish that would appeal to local residents' taste buds. His cashew chicken recipe was so popular he soon opened Leong's Tea House in Springfield, Missouri.^[1] The dish is exceedingly popular in the Springfield area and is often cited as the unofficial "dish of the city".

Borrowing from the local love of fried chicken, David Leong came up with a combination of fried chicken chunks covered with Chinese oyster sauce, a handful of cashews and chopped green onions--an immediate hit with the local crowd. As word spread about the dish, so did the recipe. Springfield-style cashew chicken can be found throughout the nation and is most popular in the region around Springfield in southwest Missouri.

Leong's Tea House closed its doors in 1997, but authentic cashew chicken is still being served at over 100 restaurants in and around the Springfield metropolitan area.

David Leong's son, Wing Leong, carries on the family legacy. The chef at Fire & Ice - an upscale Springfield restaurant - Wing Leong's Wednesday special is cashew chicken.

Other Springfield favorites, mostly along South Campbell Avenue or "Cashew Chicken Road" are Lucy's, Chinese Chef, Peking House and Hong Kong Inn.

The picture shown to the right is not an example of Springfield Cashew Chicken (note the lack of deep fried chicken and the unfortunate mixed vegetables).