Three cup chicken (San Bei Ji ) Submitted by: Jacqueline Baechler, Associate Program Specialist Workforce & Bene ts Administration - Program Planning & Support
My mother always says the key to a great San Bei Ji ( ) is the sauce. It needs to be sweet and savory but with a tiny hint of peppery fire. San Bei Ji, also known as Three Cup Chicken, has been a comfort food of mine since I was little. My mother learned this recipe from her father and brought it with her when she emigrated from Taiwan. She has since passed it down to me. Three Cup Chicken is simple and easy but packs a punch when it comes to flavor. Why is it called Three Cup Chicken? While the main ingredient is the chicken, three cups comes from the equal ratio of one cup of soy sauce, sesame oil, and Chinese rice wine (also known as Shaoxing Wine). Cooking it true to its name will leave you scratching your head and possibly with an upset stomach. My grandpa, his father, and his father’s father have repeatedly changed the recipe to better suit the changing palate. Cooked in an earthen clay pot until almost crispy and topped with crumpled basil, Three Cup Chicken is as easy to make as it is to pronounce.
A photo of Jacqueline’s maternal grandparents and their children, taken in Taiwan. Jacqueline’s mother is in the middle. 30
