Bang bang chicken

File:Bon bon chicken with sauce.jpgBang bang chicken ({{lang-zh|c=棒棒雞|p=bàng bàng jī|l=bang-bang chicken}}), also known by variant names such as bam bam chicken or bon bon chicken, is a popular chicken dish in Chinese cuisine. The name bang bang chicken is derived from the Chinese word for stick, bàng (棒), referring to the baton or cudgel traditionally used to tenderize the meat.

Origins

Bang bang chicken originates in the street food of Sichuan. Some food historians believe it to have originated in the town of Hang Yang Ba during the early 20th century.{{Cite web |last=Erway |first=Cathy |date=2020-03-23 |title=Bang Bang Chicken's Identity Crisis |url=https://tastecooking.com/bang-bang-chickens-identity-crisis/ |access-date=2023-05-25 |website=TASTE |language=en-US}} The name of the dish comes from bàng (棒), the Chinese word for stick. This is a reference to the wooden stick or cudgel used to tenderize the meat.{{Cite web |date=2016-03-10 |title=What Is 'Bang-Bang' Chicken? |url=https://culinarylore.com/dishes:what-is-bang-bang-chicken/ |access-date=2023-05-25 |website=CulinaryLore |language=en-US}} A popular myth claims that the name comes from the sound of tenderizing the meat by pounding it, but this is unlikely.{{Cite web |date=2022-11-06 |title=How Bang Bang Chicken Got Its Name |url=https://www.tastingtable.com/1084176/how-bang-bang-chicken-got-its-name/ |access-date=2023-05-25 |website=Tasting Table |language=en-US}}

File:Bon bon chicken 1.jpg

Preparation

Bang bang chicken is prepared by poaching or steaming chicken. The cooked chicken is banged with sticks to tenderize it and pound it into shreds.{{Cite web |last=Judy |date=2018-08-26 |title=Bang Bang Chicken: The Authentic Sichuan Version |url=https://thewoksoflife.com/bang-bang-chicken-sichuan/ |access-date=2023-05-25 |website=The Woks of Life |language=en-US}} In traditional recipes, the shredded meat is tossed in a sauce made with sesame paste, chili oil, Sichuan pepper and black vinegar.[https://books.google.com/books?id=fsJvn_9qctwC&pg=PA61 The Chinese Kitchen: A Book of Essential Ingredients with Over 200 Easy and ... - Deh-Ta Hsiung]. p. 61. Fresh herbs are also tossed with it.{{Cite book|last1=Tate|first1=Nate|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=axIz6fULaa0C&pg=PA207|title=Feeding the Dragon: A Culinary Travelogue Through China with Recipes|last2=Tate|first2=Mary Kate|date=2011-09-20|publisher=Andrews McMeel Publishing|isbn=978-1-4494-0848-0|language=en}} Variations of the sauce may include chile peppers, peanuts, garlic, ginger and soy sauce.{{Cite news |date= |title=Bang Bang Chicken - The Washington Post |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/recipes/bang-bang-chicken-recipe/17682/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210708153004/https://www.washingtonpost.com/recipes/bang-bang-chicken-recipe/17682/ |archive-date=2021-07-08 |access-date=2023-05-25 }}{{Cite web |title=Bang bang chicken recipe |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/bangbangchicken_82544 |access-date=2023-05-25 |website=BBC Food |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Kwan |first=K. P. |date=2019-10-05 |title=Bang Bang Chicken How To Prepare In 3 Quick Steps |url=https://tasteasianfood.com/bang-bang-chicken/ |access-date=2023-05-25 |website=Taste Of Asian Food |language=en-US}} It is traditionally served with julienned cucumbers.

Variations

File:Bang Bang Shrimp.jpg

Westernized variations of "bang bang chicken" are served in American Chinese cuisine. Many of these recipes are based on breaded and fried chicken or shrimp in a mayonnaise sauce.{{Cite web |last= |title=How to Make Modern Bang Bang Chicken |url=https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-make-bang-ban-chicken-chinese-sichuan |access-date=2023-05-25 |website=Serious Eats |language=en}} These recipes may have been popularized by "bang bang shrimp" dishes on the menus of American fast food chains like Bonefish Grill and have little in common with the authentic Chinese dish.

This variation is prepared by breading pieces of boneless chicken and deep-frying them. The fried meat is then coated in a sauce based on mayonnaise and sweet chili sauce.{{Cite web |date=2019-02-15 |title=We Would Legit Drink The Sauce On This Bang Bang Shrimp |url=https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a53694/bang-bang-shrimp-recipe/ |access-date=2023-05-25 |website=Delish |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Winners |first=Recipe |date=2021-07-07 |title=How To Make Bang Bang Chicken, It's So Easy |url=https://www.recipewinners.com/how-to-make-bang-bang-chicken/ |access-date=2023-05-25 |language=en-US}}

= Bang bang shrimp =

Bang bang shrimp is considered to be the progenitor of mayonnaise-based "bang bang" dishes in the United States. It is prepared in a similar manner as American style bang bang chicken, using whole shrimp instead of chicken pieces.{{Cite web |date=2022-10-26 |title=How to Make 'Bang Bang Shrimp' Exactly Like Bonefish Grill |url=https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/bang-bang-shrimp-bonefish-grill/ |access-date=2023-05-25 |website=Taste of Home |language=en-US}}