What is Bang Bang Chicken? An Exploration of This Popular Chinese Dish

Sichuan province in China is where the cold chicken appetizer known as “bang bang chicken” comes from. It has become popular outside of China because of its crunchy texture, numbing spice, and strong flavors. What is bang bang chicken, though, and where did its strange name come from? This article will look into the dish’s history, ingredients, and cultural effects.

A Brief History

Bang bang chicken was created in the early 1900s in the town of Hang Yang Ba in Sichuan province, which was famous for its delicious chicken. The dish began as a cheap snack for locals and quickly spread to restaurants in Chengdu, the provincial capital, by the 1920s.

The name “bang bang chicken” comes from the sound of wooden mallets hitting cooked chicken to make the meat more tender so it can soak up the tasty sauce better. One story says it got its name from the sound of a chicken cleaver hitting a chopping block. No matter what, the dish got its memorable name from the noisy way it was made.

Initially, bang bang chicken was sold as street food with vendors selling individual pieces over the counter. Customers could purchase as many pieces as they could afford. This made it an accessible meal for people of all income levels. As it grew in popularity bang bang chicken made its way onto restaurant menus, eventually becoming a Sichuan staple and global export.

Traditional Ingredients

The original bang bang chicken consists of just a few main ingredients:

• Chicken – Traditionally thigh and/or breast meat. We steam or boil the chicken and then pound it to break up the fibers.

• Sauce – A mixture of chile oil, black vinegar, toasted sesame paste, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, and sugar. This pungent, spicy, and slightly sweet sauce is called “guai wei” or “strange flavor” sauce. The numbing quality comes from the Sichuan peppercorns.

• Vegetables – Thinly sliced or julienned cucumbers are essential. Carrots, daikon radish, wood ear mushrooms, and scallions may also be added.

• Herbs – Cilantro, Thai basil, mint.

• Sesame seeds – Either white or black toasted sesame seeds.

The sauce ingredients are adjusted to balance the sweet, sour, salty, nutty, and spicy flavors. Chili oil and Sichuan peppercorns add the characteristic málà (numbing spice) flavor. When tossed with the shredded chicken and vegetables, the sauce coats each ingredient and marries the components.

Preparation Method

Making authentic bang bang chicken takes a bit of work but yields impressive results. Here are the key steps:

1. Steam or simmer chicken pieces until cooked through. Chicken thighs work especially well.

2. Pound the steamed chicken with a meat mallet, rolling pin, or heavy pan to loosen fibers. Pound for several minutes until chicken is shredded into fine pieces.

3. Toast sesame seeds in a dry pan. Allow to cool.

4. Mix sauce ingredients (vinegar, soy sauce, sesame paste, chili oil, garlic, ginger, sugar, Sichuan peppercorns). Adjust to preferred spiciness and flavor balance.

5. Julienne, shred, or thinly slice cucumbers and any other vegetables.

6. Chop cilantro, basil, scallions, or other herbs.

7. Place shredded chicken in a bowl. Add vegetables and herbs.

8. Pour prepared sauce over chicken and veggies. Toss thoroughly to coat.

9. Top with toasted sesame seeds.

10. Chill for 30 minutes to 2 hours to allow flavors to meld.

11. Adjust seasoning before serving.

12. Enjoy the medley of tastes and textures in this Chinese chicken salad!

Modern Variations

While traditional bang bang chicken is served cold, Western adaptations often take liberties:

• Breaded, deep-fried chicken chunks instead of steamed chicken

• Chile-spiked mayonnaise instead of Sichuan “strange flavor” sauce

• Warm instead of chilled

• Boneless chicken breast rather than bone-in thighs

• Roasted or grilled chicken for crispy skin

Creative riffs make bang bang chicken accessible for home cooks. But traditionalists insist that skipping the steaming and pounding steps sacrifices the dish’s essence.

Cultural Significance

Beyond its culinary appeal, bang bang chicken also holds cultural importance. As a street food turned restaurant staple, it signifies the rising economic and social mobility in early 20th century Sichuan. The dish is now firmly rooted in the province’s identity. Sichuan chefs around the world proudly serve bang bang chicken as an emblem of their heritage.

On a global scale, the dish represents the growing interchange between Chinese and Western cuisine. Its evolution abroad shows how immigrant dishes morph with new cultures and local ingredients. When you make bang bang chicken, you’re continuing a century-old culinary conversation.

How to Eat Bang Bang Chicken

Part of bang bang chicken’s allure is its engaging ritual of assembly and eating. Some tips:

• Mix the sauce and shredded chicken well with chopsticks or tongs. Don’t be shy with the sauce!

• Add vegetables just before eating so they stay crispy.

• Scoop the chicken into lettuce leaf cups, spread on flatbread, or eat with rice.

• Or pick up pieces with your fingers for a hands-on experience.

• Chill your favorite beer, white wine, or green tea to accompany.

However you choose to enjoy bang bang chicken, its riot of flavors and textures make a fun meal for adventurous eaters.

Give It a Try!

From Chinese street stall snack to global sensation, bang bang chicken has made quite the journey. Its flavorful blend of savory, spicy, aromatic, and cooling ingredients delivers an unforgettable eating experience. For an authentic taste of Sichuan, be sure to try bang bang chicken next time you come across it on a menu or cookbook. Just don’t forget the bang!