There's A Documentary About The History Of General Tso's Chicken!
It might be – for better or, likely, for worse – the dish that the majority of Americans associate with Chinese cuisine. It's available in pretty much all of the 50,000 or so Chinese restaurants in the United States. It's sweet and sticky, with just the right amount of heat for the American palate. But how exactly did General Tso's Chicken reach such levels of ubiquity? And who was General Tso in the first place?
Premiering at this year's Tribeca Film Festival with three screenings, the feature-length documentary The Search for General Tso seeks to uncover the origins of a dish that Americans have been quick to adopt as their own. Director Ian Cheney travels to Hunan and Shanghai – and employs the knowledge of leading Chinese food authorities like Ed Schoenfeld – to find out more about the Westernized takeout special, and just how Chinese food became so...American. Take a look at the trailer and showtimes below. For more information, head to the documentary's website.
Sunday, April 20 (3:30 p.m.) – SVA Theater 1 Silas
Monday, April 21 (3:00 p.m.) – Bow Tie Cinemas Chelsea 7
Thursday, April 24 (9:00 p.m.) – Bow Tie Cinemas Chelsea 7
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