Is there supposed to be a difference between General Tso's and Sesame Chicken besides the seeds? There are three very similar dishes I see on Chinese restaurant menus:


Orange Chicken
Sesame Chicken
General Tso's Chicken


I know Orange Chicken is at least a little bit different (it's typically spicier, I can see the orange rind pieces, I can taste a difference), but with General Tso's and Sesame, it's not so clear.

Anecdotally, a while back I ordered Sesame Chicken from my local place, and when I got there they were still making it. She asked me "General Tso's?" and I said, "No, sesame" and she proceeded to just sprinkle some sesame seeds on it.

More recently, I ordered Sesame Chicken, but upon opening it at home, it had no seeds, and I assume I got General Tso's instead. I kind of feel like it had a slightly different color and flavor, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

So I guess I'm asking a few things:


Is there supposed to be a difference between General Tso's and Sesame besides just adding sesame seeds on top?
If yes, what is the difference?
If yes, is it standard procedure to just use General Tso's and add Sesame seeds for simplicity/laziness/cost reasons?
These recipes aren't very standardized. Your mileage will vary greatly from one restaurant to another. 

That said, generally these are three distinct dishes. 


Orange chicken is... Orangey. 
Sesame Chicken is typically salty with a hint of sweetness, served with sesame seeds. 
General Tsos is typically sweeter with a little more heat and served with broccoli and carrots. The sauce is usually more red in color than the brown sauce served with sesame chicken. 


I would say it is not widely accepted practice to sprinkle sesame seeds on General Tso's to create sesame chicken.