Known in the West as General Tso, Zuo Zongtang was a Qing dynasty general who launched his political career by helping suppress the Taiping Rebellion. In the debate among Chinese officials about whether the coast or inland frontier was more vulnerable to attack, Zuo argued that Western interests were commercial in nature and could be contained diplomatically but that Russia’s ambitions were territorial and warranted solid frontier defense. How did a popular chicken dish come to be named for him? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary