Cashew chicken (simplified Chinese: 腰果鸡丁) is a simple Chinese-American fusion dish that combines chicken (fried or stir-fried, depending on the variation), cashews, and a thick oyster sauce. HistoryCashew chicken was first served in 1963 at Leong's Tea House in Springfield, Missouri. Owner David Leong, who moved to the United States from China in 1940, struggled to gain acceptance for the foods of his homeland so he began searching for a dish that would appeal to local residents' taste buds. The dish is exceedingly popular in the Springfield area and is often cited as the unofficial "dish of the city".Borrowing from the local love of fried chicken, David Leong came up with a combination of fried chicken chunks covered with Chinese oyster sauce, a handful of cashews and chopped green onions--an immediate hit with the local crowd. As word spread about the dish, so did the recipe. Springfield-style cashew chicken can be found throughout the nation and is most popular in the region around Springfield in southwest Missouri.Leong's Tea House closed its doors in 1997, but authentic cashew chicken is still being served at over 100 restaurants in and around the Springfield metropolitan area.David Leong's son, Wing Leong, carries on the family legacy. The chef at Fire & Ice - an upscale Springfield restaurant - Wing Leong's Wednesday special is cashew chicken.Other Springfield favourite's, mostly along South Campbell Avenue or "Cashew Chicken Road" are Lucy's and Chinese Chef. References^ Bridges, Amos. "Cashew chicken satisfies Ozarkers' palates", Springfield News Leader. Retrieved on 2007-02-05.