Is there supposed to be a difference between General Tso's and Sesame Chicken besides the seeds?
There are three very similar dishes I see on Chinese restaurant menus:
- Orange Chicken
- Sesame Chicken
- General Tso's Chicken
I know Orange Chicken is at least a little bit different (it's typically spicier, I can see the orange rind pieces, I can taste a difference), but with General Tso's and Sesame, it's not so clear.
Anecdotally, a while back I ordered Sesame Chicken from my local place, and when I got there they were still making it. She asked me "General Tso's?" and I said, "No, sesame" and she proceeded to just sprinkle some sesame seeds on it.
More recently, I ordered Sesame Chicken, but upon opening it at home, it had no seeds, and I assume I got General Tso's instead. I kind of feel like it had a slightly different color and flavor, but I couldn't put my finger on it.
So I guess I'm asking a few things:
- Is there supposed to be a difference between General Tso's and Sesame besides just adding sesame seeds on top?
- If yes, what is the difference?
- If yes, is it standard procedure to just use General Tso's and add Sesame seeds for simplicity/laziness/cost reasons?
Best Answer
These recipes aren't very standardized. Your mileage will vary greatly from one restaurant to another.
That said, generally these are three distinct dishes.
- Orange chicken is... Orangey.
- Sesame Chicken is typically salty with a hint of sweetness, served with sesame seeds.
- General Tsos is typically sweeter with a little more heat and served with broccoli and carrots. The sauce is usually more red in color than the brown sauce served with sesame chicken.
I would say it is not widely accepted practice to sprinkle sesame seeds on General Tso's to create sesame chicken.
Pictures about "Is there supposed to be a difference between General Tso's and Sesame Chicken besides the seeds?"
Quick Answer about "Is there supposed to be a difference between General Tso's and Sesame Chicken besides the seeds?"
Sesame Chicken is typically salty with a hint of sweetness, served with sesame seeds. General Tsos is typically sweeter with a little more heat and served with broccoli and carrots. The sauce is usually more red in color than the brown sauce served with sesame chicken.What is the difference between General Tso and General Tso Chicken?
Difference between General Tso and other Chinese dishes The main difference is that General Tso sauce has more ginger flavor, as well as a little more heat from the hot sauce or chili flakes.What is better General Tso or sesame chicken?
What is better Sesame Chicken or General Tso? It all depends. While both dishes have crispiness that comes from the equal use of fried chicken, the lighter-tasting dish is Sesame Chicken, while the spicier and darker flavor profile comes from General Tso's. Just make the choice according to your favor.Never Order General Tso's Chicken At An Asian Restaurant
More answers regarding is there supposed to be a difference between General Tso's and Sesame Chicken besides the seeds?
Answer 2
None of these are authentic Chinese dishes, so it's hard to say what is supposed to go into each one. Every restaurant is free to give their own interpretation. In truth, Chinese restaurants tend to believe quantity on the menu trumps quality. In that spirit, they will likely offer many similar-tasting things under vastly different names. (I've seen places where Szechuan Beef and Hunan Beef contain essentially ingredients.)
Answer 3
In my experience sesame chicken is more sweet and generals is more spicy. I do believe them to be similar and suspect most take out places have very similar recipes for both.
Answer 4
In many Chinese takeout places, the three dishes you mention are essentially made from the same base, i.e. coated deep fried chicken nuggets, using the dark meat.The difference is only in the sauce and other additions. Since these are not traditional Chinese dishes, there's really no standardization, as Preston Fitzgerald noted, apart from that. You can appreciate how, in a fast-food operation, starting with a common base for multiple recipes can be cost- and time-effective. This is really why it's done here, and in fact, my favorite local Chinese takeout restaurant here in Chicago does this exact thing with the three dishes. Not fooling me, but I still like to eat the variations, nonetheless, knowing I'm not getting anything truly authentic (Check out the Wikipedia entry on General Tso's Chicken, along with the Netflix video).
Bottom line: don't sweat it.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Eren Li, Janine Beth Salazar, ROMAN ODINTSOV, Jonathan Borba