Summary

General Tso’s and Chinese orange chicken are American Chinese foods with high amounts of carbs and sodium. However, they are rich in vitamins, minerals, and protein. Consuming these foods in moderation is essential since they increase metabolic and cardiovascular disease mortality risks.

Introduction

This article is a comparison between 2 American Chinese dishes, General Tso’s chicken and Chinese orange chicken.

General Tso’s chicken is a dish that originated in Taiwan and was later brought to the US. In comparison, Chinese orange chicken is also an American Chinese dish, which is claimed to be a variation of General Tso’s chicken recipe.

Ingredient differences

It is essential to understand the main ingredients in each dish. The base is chicken. However, there exists a difference in the preparation of the chicken. General Tso’s chicken is made from chicken thigh cuts, breaded, and fried. In comparison, orange chicken is chicken breast fried till golden crispy.

The other main difference is the sauce in that the chicken gets drizzled.

General Tso’s chicken sauce contains rice vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, chili flakes, and cornstarch.

In comparison, orange chicken contains orange juice, sugar, orange zest, cornstarch, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger.

From the ingredients of the sauce, we can differentiate the taste also. The orange chicken will have a sweet and savory flavor, whereas general Tso’s chicken will give a milder, spicer, and more savory flavor.

Nutritional content comparison

In this section, we will be considering 100g of each.

Calories

They are high in calories. General Tso’s chicken contains nearly 300 calories. In comparison, orange chicken is lower in calories at 260 calories.

Carbs

They contain high amounts of carbs. Their carb content is nearly similar, 24g for General Tso’s chicken and 23g for orange chicken.

Proteins

Orange chicken contains higher amounts of proteins than general Tso’s chicken, at 15g for orange chicken and 13g for general Tso’s chicken. Orange chicken has a leaner cut which is chicken breast.

Fats

General Tso’s chicken contains higher amounts of fats compared to orange chicken. General Tso’s chicken contains 16g of fat, whereas orange chicken has 12g.

Minerals

Both these dishes are very high in sodium. In comparison, orange chicken contains higher amounts of sodium than general Tso’s chicken.

General Tso’s chicken is richer in iron. In contrast, Chinese orange chicken is richer in selenium and phosphorus.

Below we can visualize their mineral profiles.

Vitamins

General Tso’s chicken is richer in vitamins K and E. Chinese orange chicken is richer in vitamins B2, B3, B5, and B6.

Below we can visualize their vitamin profiles.

Health impacts

Cardiovascular diseases

High-sodium foods increase the risk of hypertension and mortality rates from cardiovascular diseases. One of these foods’ major significant health impacts is their high sodium intake. In this case, Chinese orange chicken poses a higher risk since it contains higher amounts of sodium. Consume these foods in moderation and at lower frequencies. (1)

Metabolic diseases

Since these foods are high in carbs, consuming high-carb foods increases the risks of several metabolic diseases, including obesity and diabetes. It is also important to remember that these foods are primarily associated with white rice, which increases carbohydrate intake. (2)

References

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34579105/
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30091316/

Top 5 calories in general tso chicken with fried rice edited by Top Chef