When making Three Cup Chicken (or San Bei Ji), ginger slices are sautéed in sesame oil; then chicken, rice wine, and soy sauce are added and stir-fried until the dish is well-seasoned. Although everyone’s recipes may differ, Three Cup Chicken — where golden, tender chicken is coated in a rich sauce, filling the air with an enticing aroma — is a soul-restoring and familiar dish that Taiwanese people hold close to their hearts. It also leaves a lasting impression on tourists who have sampled the irresistible dish, as it can also be often be found in Taiwanese restaurants overseas.
On the gourmet world's stage, Three Cup Chicken is the epitome of authentic Taiwanese flavor. There are many claims about the origin of this popular dish. A common one is that Three Cup Chicken originated in Jiangxi, dating back to the Ming Dynasty. Local residents of Jiangxi made this dish for the captured general Wen Tianxiang when he was imprisoned by the Yuan army. However, according to the research material titled Legend and Taste: In Search of the Evolution of Three-Cup Chicken in Modern Taiwan conducted by Chunghao Kuo (Assistant Professor, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Taipei Medical University), there is no clear evidence to support this claim.
Kuo interviewed many veteran Taiwanese chefs and distilled it down to several theories about the origin of Taiwanese-style Three Cup Chicken. One theory suggests that in the early days of Taiwan, chicken was precious and couldn’t be easily obtained. In order not to waste such a valuable ingredient, when a chicken was found to be possibly sick, it would be slaughtered and cooked with ginger slices, soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine.
Another theory has it that Three Cup Chicken is actually an improved version of Sesame Oil Chicken. He points out that later on, this dish gained popularity throughout Taiwan with the rise of local chicken restaurants and has since then become an iconic dish of Taiwan.
Nowadays, each restaurant has its own version and variation of Three Cup Chicken. For example, Shin Yeh Shiao Ju, a Bib Gourmand restaurant in Taipei, offers the dish of Boneless Three Cup Chicken. They take into consideration that boneless chicken is easier to eat, so they have chosen to cut Taiwanese boneless chicken drumsticks into bite-sized pieces, and then stir-fry them with the signature Three Cup sauce made using soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine, together with rock sugar, maltose, fermented bean sauce, and a house-made soy sauce paste, elevating both the dish’s flavour and texture.
Over at Chi Chia Chuang (Changchun Road), a Bib Gourmand Taiwanese restaurant of over 40 years that specialises in chicken dishes, the signature Three Cup Chicken is a must-try for all diners. (Right Photo: Chi Chia Chuang) According to Chi Chia Chuang’s chef, Hung Tsang-hai, their version has a few differences compared to the conventional Three Cup Chicken.
Firstly, they keep their ingredient list simple. It’s common to add garlic, ginger slices, chilies, and Thai basil while sautéing, but they only use three ingredients — ginger, half a free-range local chicken, and pig’s blood cake — to highlight the natural sweetness of the chicken.
Secondly, they intensify the seasoning. Apart from the Three Cup sauce, Hung mentions that they also add maltose, white sugar, and MSG. White sugar balances the saltiness and adds a depth of flavor, while maltose helps to thicken the sauce, making it easier to coat the chicken.
“The control of heat is crucial for this dish,” Hung says. Using their method, ginger slices are stir-fried over medium heat until fragrant; chicken and pig’s blood cake are then added, and the excess oil is removed. Then, seasoning and water are added, allowing the ingredients to slowly simmer until the flavors have been absorbed. The final step of achieving a viscous sauce with a unique charred aroma all boils down to skills and experience.
The flavor and charm of Three Cup Chicken have become a source of inspiration for many Taiwanese chefs. With their finesse and personal interpretations, this dish has been presented in many fascinating and delectable ways.
With both his parents from Taiwan, head chef Jonathan Yao of one-MICHELIN-Starred Kato in Los Angeles has fond memories of Taiwanese flavors from his childhood. Inspired by Three Cup Chicken, he created the Three Cup Abalone, reimagining the chewy texture and tastiness of chicken, but using abalone. Abalone liver and sesame oil are emulsified to create a sauce. “When I eat that dish in Taiwan, I always think about the heritage chickens that they have there,” Yao says. “They’re super-chewy, but they’re so flavorful. You don’t really get that sensation with typical American chicken, so we wanted to use something with more bite.”
Chef Kai Ho of Taipei’s three-MICHELIN-Starred Taïrroir has also drawn inspiration from Three Cup Chicken and has created several renditions. He said Three Cup Chicken is a dish that brings a lively vibe. "You hear the sound (on the iron pot), you smell the aroma, and you know the dish is on its way," he says with a smile.
With a solid training background on Chinese cuisine and a thorough understanding of the dish, Ho has used western cooking techniques to create several renditions of the dish. In his first version in 2016, he used French chicken raised in Dounan, Yunlin, cooked at a low temperature with rosemary, herbs, and rice straw, and then roasted until the skin became crispy. The chicken leg was stuffed with marinated king oyster mushrooms before it was poached, stir-fried, and then served with a tart of shallots and a salad of pea shoots, sherry vinegar sauce, and chicken liver purée.
His 2017 rendition of Three Cup Chicken was based on the classic French dish of pithivier. The pie crust was made by mixing in ground chicken skin with roasted shallots, and the pie filling contained a mixture of chicken breast, basil sauce, duck liver, and garlic. This was served with a purée of chicken liver jus and and smoked garlic.
Now, in his latest rendition, Ho has made Three Cup Chicken in the form of a Wellington with a basil crêpe and king oyster mushroom duxelles, along with a chicken breast purée that mixed with garlic, ginger, and diced shallots cooked in sesame oil. The mixture is wrapped in a pie crust and baked. Ho's choice to use king oyster mushrooms instead of portobello to make the duxelles is an idea drawn from the fact that Three Cup King Oyster Mushrooms is a familiar and classic Taiwanese dish, too.
At the bottom of the Wellington is a gastrique made with sherry vinegar sauce and pepper to bring out the familiar aromas of ginger and garlic, as well as the caramelized aroma from the sugar. Paired with the dish is a sauce made with basil oil, chicken jus, and sesame oil to enhance the traditional Three Cup Chicken flavors. On the side is a chicken liver salad made with sherry vinegar sauce that is sprinkled with roasted chicken skin. This is to echo the tradition that Wellington is usually served with vegetable or other starches.
The seemingly simple dish is carefully weaved with all the details, flavors, and inspirations from the familiar Three Cup Chicken, lending a new and elegant twist to the familiar Taiwanese flavor.
Hero Image: Shutterstock
The original Chinese article is written by Hsieh Ming Ling and translated by Iris Wong.
