How many times have Chinese food enthusiasts eaten General Tso’s Chicken — and not once wondered who the hell General Tso was?

I’ll say this. I was never in the military (and bless our troops and those who have served and continue to do so). But even as a civilian I am extremely impressed that Tso, who in the early 19th century thwarted the Taiping Rebellion, was not only a top-notch leader and strategist but was also a significant gourmet. This was a warrior who apparently ran intense military campaigns and, simultaneously, created and served troops an exquisite battlefield dish that became a much-relished staple — not just in the “mess tent chow” context but also in fine Asian restaurants everywhere!

And so I wondered: was Tso the only high-ranking soldier to achieve fame in the world of culinary arts? You might be surprised at what I discovered.

1. Robert the Bruce (1274-1329), hero in the wars for Scottish independence from England and the first king of Scotland, was the inventor of the fast-food franchise. Though sound in a theoretical context, his McHogget huts, which featured a primitive “double-mutton with curds on a barley loaf” sandwich, didn’t connect with a delicate local palate favoring bog-porridge.

2. Ghengis Khan invented the cinnamon roll.

3. Contrary to what you might expect, “Beef Wellington” is not named after Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. Food-wise, yes, “Wellington” — which alludes to a paté appliqué — is associated with the Duke. But using the paté as a coating for filet came much later. Wellesley actual preferred to butter his shoes with “Wellington” sauce, saying “it provides a crystalline if reeky shine.”

4. George Gordon “Old Snapping Turtle” Meade was the Union General who defeated Robert E. Lee in the Civil War’s Battle of Gettysburg. While historians suggest his nickname was the result of his tenacious approach on the fields of strife, his staff claimed the appellation was because Meade would often relax after combat by making his famous turtle-and-raspberry pies.

5. Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, a highly-respected German military leader in both World Wars, subsisted entirely on corn dogs for the last nine years of his life. “I just really enjoy them,” he was fond of saying, though he courted scandal by preferring American-style yellow mustard to the grainy brands of Der Fatherland.