There are several theories about the origin of the famous Dominican chicharron de pollo. According to Rosa NG, founder of the Barrio Chino, this dish emerged in the Cibao and today is part of the menus of all Chinese restaurants in the country. Rosa says that Rodolfo Wu, a Chinese cook who arrived in the Dominican Republic in the 1920s to work with John Sang, owner of the Royal Palace restaurant in La Vega, was the creator of the dish.

Rosa recounts that Rafael Leonidas Trujillo, a regular customer of the Sang family’s restaurants, showed up one day without notice and asked for something quick to eat. Rodolfo, having nothing prepared, used some chicken thighs he had set aside, cut them into medium pieces, seasoned them with salt, white pepper, rum, and lemon, coated them in seasoned flour, and fried them in very hot oil. To everyone’s surprise, Trujillo loved the result, and Rodolfo, caught between fear and excitement, called his creation "chichalon de pollo," a name that over time became the well-known chicharron de pollo.

Thanks to John Sang, this dish was added to the menus of Chinese restaurants in the Cibao and in the capital, becoming one of the favorites in Dominican gastronomy. Today, chicharron de pollo is found in pica pollos, restaurants, and fast-food establishments throughout the country, recognized for its flavor, affordable price, and variety of presentations.

If we look deeper into the dish’s origins, we find that fried chicken became one of the most popular foods during the Middle Ages, when the English and Scots, who later emigrated to the United States, adopted and spread this simple and tasty recipe. Likewise, Africans who lived on the island also played an important role in the history of fried chicken, although they did not call it by that name. Unable to transport a variety of foods during their workdays, they made this product one of their main food alternatives.