

The first restaurant was closed in the late 1990s, but Leong helped his son to open a second location about a decade later. Soon, Springfield began to claim the dish as its own, and Springfield-style cashew chicken began to appear all around the region, in both Chinese food restaurants and non-Chinese food restaurants alike. The dish became so successful that Leong was able to open his own restaurant, Leong’s Tea House, which sat hundreds. The classic sauce is then mixed in with the chicken, and a different array of vegetables are stirred into the dish, like onions.

In Leong’s version, the chicken is deep-fried rather than being stir-fried. At the Grove Supper Club in Springfield in 1963, a version of spicy cashew stir fry was first served. He took the classic cashew stir fry dish and began to adjust it to better interest the locals. According to the story, a Chinese chef named David Leong moved to the United States in the 1940s and struggled to create Chinese food dishes that appealed to the residents of Springfield, Missouri. One of the interesting variations of this dish that evolved in the middle of the 20th century was the Springfield-style cashew chicken recipe. Stir fry cooking has been part of Chinese cuisine for over 2,000 years, and the spicy cashew dish is traditionally prepared with chicken, vegetables, and a sauce of garlic and soy sauce. It tells its own unique and evolving history and can be easily adapted even today to fit your preferred flavors and heat levels. Like many Chinese American dishes, cashew chicken stir fry is a product of the American immigration experience and tells a story of travel, access to ingredients, and the tastes of American diners. The history of spicy cashew chicken includes, surprisingly, Springfield, Missouri. Explore this spicy cashew stir fry and begin sharing your favorite flavors with loved ones today. That’s why we carry a wide range of Chinese spices and oils and why we want to share the stories, histories, and cultural contexts that highlight just how important these recipes truly are. We believe that classic and modern Chinese flavors alike should be accessible to everyone. This spicy cashew stir fry dish is the perfect place to start, and Fly By Jing has the ingredients you’ll want for your pantry when you’re ready to begin making Chinese food from the comfort of home. They add a hint of nutty, savory flavor that helps to make your favorite Chinese food dishes really stand out, and can be adjusted for heat level, flavor profile, and ingredients, so you can find-and make-the recipes you really love. Chinese food dishes are a blend of sweet, savory, and umami flavors, which means that nuts are an excellent addition to many meals.
