The Search for General Tso is a documentary film that premiered at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival. It was directed by Ian Cheney and produced by Amanda Murray and Jennifer 8. Lee. Sundance Selects acquired it in December 2014, and was released January 2, 2015, in theaters and on demand.Synopsis
The film's opening explores theories about General Tso, before moving to China, where few recognize the eponymous dish. The film then traces Tso's real-life history in the Qing Dynasty as well as the history of Chinese immigration to America. Interviewed are a number of notable figures in Chinese food, such as Cecilia Chiang of The Mandarin and a world record-holder for restaurant menus. Also interviewed are Chef Peng Chang-kuei, who invented the dish in Taiwan, and T.T.Wang, who coined the Americanized version.