Springfield Chefs Unveil Cashew Turkey for the Holidays

Springfield, MO—This Thanksgiving several restaurants in the Ozarks will feature a new holiday treat, cashew turkey. This offering consists of a simple Chinese-American dish that combines breaded deep-fried turkey, cashews, and a thick gravy sauce. Side options include a cranberry dipping sauce or mashed potatoes.

Several leading chefs, from bygone restaurants such as Leong’s Tea House, Gee’s East Wind and Master Wong’s, were assembled to create the sacred dish and met in secret for months to perfect the recipe. Springfield-style cashew turkey will be served in their honor this weekend at participating restaurants.

The meal will be served at over 70 Chinese restaurants on Thursday, as well as many non-Chinese restaurants, in and around the Springfield metropolitan area, and elsewhere in Missouri and other states.

David Leong, 89, oversaw the recipe development and says this menu item will “suit the palates of Midwesterners with Chinese tastes at Thanksgiving.” Leong developed Springfield-style cashew chicken and first served it in 1963 at the Grove Supper Club in Springfield. Leong’s creation became exceedingly popular in the Springfield area and is often cited as the unofficial “dish of the city”.

Says Fritzle, “I did this last year in Montana and one person was offering up a cricket cake, which is a funnel cake with insects placed on a stick.” Strange fair foods offered at the Ozarks Empire Fair include deep fried Snickers bar suppositories, corn dog con carnies, and injectable fried cheese served in a syringe.

“Inspections on our cuisine is important,” said Ozark Empire Fair director while an unsupervised ride worker was duct taping together two unsoldered pieces of an attraction behind him.

Annual fair attendee Rosa Jones said, “I’m a people watcher. I sit near the tilt-a-whirl where there is a Pork N’ Mayo tortilla booth. I can’t tell you how many people load up on that crap while waiting in line, then unload it while whirling around. I bring plastic to cover my clothing.”

Most attendees have been known to appreciate the Rise ‘n Swine breakfast booth near the stockyards. Bacon, ham and sausage biscuits are a favorite snack for those catching a glimpse of the hogs in the pig pen.

For those looking for flavors off the beaten path, traveling carnies have been known to share secret or underground fair foods collected around the world at a special event held on an undisclosed day known as Taste a Carnie.