The Search for General Tso

Released Jan 2, 2015

1h 12m

Documentary

List

90%

Tomatometer

21 Reviews

75%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Filmmaker Ian Cheney explores the origin of a spicy-sweet chicken dish that is a popular item in many of America's Chinese restaurants.

Critics Consensus

The Search for General Tso digs into the history of a beloved dish and uncovers a heaping helping of powerfully nourishing history along the way.

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Ty Burr

Boston Globe

Keeps digging and digging until it has not only solved the enigma of this particular dish but cast a light on an entire secret chronology of food, immigrant culture, and the way the two amplify each other.

Rated: 3.5/4

Mar 5, 2015

Full Review

John Hartl

Seattle Times

Cheney (who worked on the unforgettable "King Corn"), obviously had a good time collecting their testimony, though he tends to side with the idea that the only authenticity is deliciousness.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 20, 2015

Full Review

Michael O'Sullivan

Washington Post

At just over an hour, it's a surprisingly satisfying and tasty dish for anyone looking for something a bit less bland than the typical history documentary.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 15, 2015

Full Review

Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

A crash course in the culinary evolution of Chinese American food is really what Cheney charts, though with such heady elements, one would have hoped there was more to savor.

Rated: 2.5/5

Jul 17, 2019

Full Review

Stephen Saito

Moveable Fest

Not only has Cheney made something that tantalizes the tastebuds, but it's good for you too.

Nov 20, 2018

Full Review

Sherilyn Connelly

SF Weekly

The Search for General Tso is also a history of the Chinese immigrant experience in America, as the way into the hearts of xenophobic white Americans was through their stomachs.

Aug 24, 2017

Full Review

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Charles C

A fun, informative search into the origins of not just General Tso's chicken, but American Chinese food as we know it today. Quite well produced.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/23/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I thought that almost all of the documentary was great. I would have liked a little more description of what actually was in the original version, more than just it doesn't have sweetener, broccoli, and scallions. But I thought that they did the "search" well. However, am I the only person that was horrified by some of the imaging used? Did they seriously use something that looked like the Japanese rising sun flag when showing the Chinese immigrants spreading from the San Francisco Bay area to other parts of the US? They also used this cartoon-like imagery a few more times later in the film. I was horrified and I'm not even of Asian decent.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I found this a fascinating documentary on a food I eat once a month.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Although it does come off as brief and superficial like a TV special (or Netflix special?), this documentary is enjoyable food porn and is a lot more interesting when telling us about the history of Chinese-American food than trying to find out who this elusive General Tso was.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

So the dish was inventor is in Taiwan ;D Felt so weird that there were so many foreigners in the movie talking about Chinese history ..

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

"Chickity China, the Chinese chicken!"

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

Full Review

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Ian Cheney

Director

Ian Cheney

Screenwriter

Jennifer 8 Lee

Producer

Amanda Murray

Producer

Lily Spottiswoode

Producer

Taylor Gentry

Cinematographer

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Synopsis

Filmmaker Ian Cheney explores the origin of a spicy-sweet chicken dish that is a popular item in many of America's Chinese restaurants.

Director: Ian Cheney
Producer: Jennifer 8 Lee, Amanda Murray, Lily Spottiswoode
Screenwriter: Ian Cheney
Distributor: Sundance Selects
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: Chinese
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 2, 2015, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 5, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $9.3K
Runtime: 1h 12m

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