Photo: Beyond Meat / Courtesy
The Original Orange Chicken, is the most iconic dish of Panda Express. Now, the American Chinese restaurant chain will add a plant-based version of its crunchy, sweet and spicy star dish to its menu. Although for now, it is not a national launch.
Panda Express has collaborated with Beyond Meat to reinvent their orange chicken in a plant-based version : Beyond the Original Orange Chicken.
Panda Extress’s new plant-based orange chicken will be available in restaurants in New York City and Southeastern California starting July 29 and for a limited time (while stocks last). If the offer is successful, additional stores may include the offer, but nothing is determined.
According to Beyond Meat it is “the irresistibly crunchy and tangy version of Panda’s most popular entree is a new chicken innovation plant base developed together and found exclusively in Panda Express. ”
The development of the plant-based orange chicken required more than a year of work. The appearance is similar to the original and those who have been able to enjoy it during a tasting prior to the public launch point out that it is difficult to distinguish the difference between the plant-based and the true.
Beyond Meat reports that this version of orange chicken is lower in calories, fat and sodium than the original.
The original Panda Express Orange Chicken was developed in 1987 by Chef Andy Kao. Se It is a dish inspired by the flavors of the Hunan Province, it is prepared with crunchy chicken bites seasoned in a sweet and spicy orange sauce.
Panda Express has 38 years of existence and like other food chains is looking for the way to meet emerging dietary trends. They are recognizing that more and more people are becoming flexitarians or completely switching to plant-based diets. “We know that our customer base is also growing and changing,” says Jimmy Wang, Executive Director of Culinary Innovation.
In addition to the Orange Chicken, Panda Express plans to add more plant-based dishes to its menu , update some appetizers, bases and side dishes.
Beyond Meat has also just launched Beyond Chicken Tenders in medium-sized restaurants, which are like traditional breaded chicken fillets. But this orange chicken product is a exclusive collaboration with Panda Express, the first with an Asian cuisine restaurant.
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