This sweet and salty concoction is a popular dish in Chinese households.
Coca-Cola is everywhere nowadays, but there was a time in China when it was considered a luxury—and when people got hold of it, they used it to cook, rather than drink.
When the beverage first entered Hong Kong in the 1960s—and then the mainland Chinese market in the late ’70s—people saw it as a foreign novelty and modified the drink to their tastes.
A man holds up a Coca-Cola bottle in the Forbidden City in Beijing in 1981. / Photo: Courtesy of Liu Heung-shing
In Hong Kong, it’s still common to find diners serving boiled cola with ginger, a bittersweet drink similar in taste to traditional Chinese tea. Some even consider it a home remedy for upset stomachs.
But the creme de la creme is Coca-Cola chicken wings. The soft drink is thrown into a frying pan full of oil, ginger, and wings before the whole thing is sautéed in soy sauce.
Chicken wings made with cola and soy sauce. / Photo: Shutterstock
While it might sound gimmicky, the cola is really just a source of sugar that reduces to a sticky coating. It’s an easy dinnertime fix and a popular recipe in Cantonese households.
We taught this recipe to our video producer Hanley Chu, who is quite new to the art of cooking. You can watch the full video here.
He thought it was too salty, though, so we adjusted the recipe accordingly.
By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and European users agree to the data transfer policy.
Recipe
10 chicken wings, pat dry
3 tablespoons of oil
3 thin slices of ginger
1 cup of cola
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of Shaoxing wine
Add oil to a frying pan set to medium heat.
Throw in ginger and gently sauté for one minute.
Add the chicken wings. Sauté until the sides are golden brown.
Add in the cola. Let simmer for a bit. Then add in soy sauce and Shaoxing wine.
Cook until the sauce is reduced to a sticky consistency.
Clarissa Wei is a senior reporter at Goldthread. She spent the bulk of her career as a freelance journalist and has written for outlets like VICE, CNN, Eater, among others. Clarissa has backpacked to over a dozen provinces in China and was once a volcano hiking guide in Nicaragua.