A recent study in Nature examines the principles of food pairing and the ingredients use in regional cuisines. As eloquently summed up by Lifehacker:
“Western cuisines have a tendency to pair ingredients that share many of the same flavor compounds. East Asian cuisines, however, do precisely the contrary, avoiding ingredients that share the same flavor compounds. The more flavors two ingredients share, the less likely they would be paired together in Asian kitchens.”
However, I need to point out that General Tso’s chicken is still totally American even though it plays on the traditional Hunan flavor combinations.