From LATimes.com: Chinese fast-food chain Panda Express thrives on orange chicken
It is an empire largely built on the thighs of chickens -- the dark meat.Orange Chicken, fried rice, and an egg roll. That's the ancient Chinese secret to healthy eating!
When other fast-food chains started to offer white-meat chicken nuggets and sandwiches in the late 1980s, Panda Express figured out what to do with the rest of the chicken. And it has paid off.
The chain started using boneless and skinless dark meat cooked in a light flour batter to hold the moisture. Then it drizzled on top an orange sauce that Panda executive chef Andy Kao described as "a little sweet, a little sour and a little spicy."
By 1991, it had become the chain's biggest seller. Now, 4 out of 10 people who walk into Panda Express include orange chicken in their orders. Panda Express sells 45 million pounds of orange chicken annually.
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