In 2019, iSee Taiwan Foundation commissioned former National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism professor Yang Chao-Chin to conduct the “Study on the Flavor Typologies of Taiwanese Cuisine,” in which Three-Cups Chicken was identified as the representative dish of the “Three-Cup Flavor.” The name “three cups” comes from its three core seasonings: one cup of soy sauce, one cup of rice wine, and one cup of black sesame oil, supplemented with ginger, garlic, and chili, and finished with Jiucengta basil, which imparts its signature fragrance.

Taiwan’s distinctive version of Three-Cups Chicken emerged through the incorporation of local ingredients. Today, two indispensable elements in Taiwanese-style Three-Cups Chicken are black sesame oil and Jiucengta Basil. Although Jiucengta basil is not native to Taiwan, after being introduced from elsewhere and adapting to the local climate, it gradually evolved into a variety with a distinctive aroma of its own. In addition, Taiwanese-style Three-Cups Chicken originated in the rural south of Taiwan, while the black sesame oil at the heart of its seasoning also comes largely from sesame-producing regions in central and southern Taiwan. Tainan accounts for the largest share, producing roughly 70 percent of the island’s total output.

From Rural Ingenuity to a Popular Classic

In his book A Connoisseur's Tour of East Asian Cuisine, Kuo Chung-Hao, assistant professor at the National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism, notes through interviews with a number of Taiwanese cuisine chefs that the development of Taiwanese-style Three-Cups Chicken is closely tied to the rural south. In earlier farming communities, life was frugal and refrigeration was unavailable. After a chicken was slaughtered, it was dry-braised with black sesame oil, soy sauce, and rice wine. Through the sealing effect of hot oil and the use of strong seasoning, the meat could be kept longer at room temperature, reflecting the resourceful, waste-conscious wisdom of rural society.

In the 1970s, tu ji cheng (free-range chicken restaurants) began appearing across Taiwan. Because these establishments specialized in fang shan chickens (mountain free-range chickens) known for their firm texture, the distinctive dry-braising (a technique in which the sauce is reduced until it coats the meat) technique of Taiwanese-style Three-Cups Chicken allowed the flavor to penetrate the meat while preserving its pleasantly chewy bite. As a result, it became a signature dish at such restaurants and helped drive the wider popularization of Taiwanese-style Three-Cups Chicken. Today, it is not only a much-loved dish at stir-fry restaurants but has also spawned variations such as Three-Cup Calamari and Three-Cup King Oyster Mushrooms, becoming one of the most popular offerings at Taiwanese restaurants both in Taiwan and abroad.