Sichuan cuisine

Sichuan cuisine
Kung Pao chicken
Chinese	四川菜
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Sìchuān cài
Chuan cuisine
Chinese	川菜
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Chuān cài

Geographic extent of Sichuan cuisine

Sichuan cuisine, alternatively romanized as Szechwan cuisine or Szechuan cuisine (Chinese: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: [sî.ʈʂʰwán] ), is a style of Chinese cuisine originating from Sichuan Province. It has bold flavours, particularly the pungency and spiciness resulting from liberal use of garlic and chili peppers, as well as the unique flavour of Sichuan pepper. Some examples are Kung Pao chicken and Yuxiang shredded pork. There are many local variations within Sichuan Province and the neighbouring Chongqing Municipality, which was part of Sichuan Province until 1997. Four sub-styles of Sichuan cuisine include Chongqing, Chengdu, Zigong and Buddhist vegetarian style.

UNESCO declared Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, to be a city of gastronomy in 2011 to recognise the sophistication of its cooking.

History

Sichuan in the Middle Ages welcomed Middle Eastern crops, such as broad beans, sesame and walnuts. Since the 16th century, the list of major crops in Sichuan has even been lengthened by New World newcomers. The characteristic chili pepper came from Mexico, but probably overland from India or by river from Macau, complementing the traditional Sichuan peppercorn (花椒; huājiāo). Other newcomers from the New World included maize (corn), which largely replaced millet; white potatoes introduced by Catholic missions; and sweet potatoes. The population of Sichuan was cut by perhaps three quarters in the wars from the Ming dynasty to the Qing dynasty. Settlers from the adjacent Hunan Province brought their cooking styles with them.

Sichuan is colloquially known as the "heavenly country" due to its abundance of food and natural resources. One ancient Chinese account declared that the "people of Sichuan uphold good flavour, and they are fond of hot and spicy taste." Most Sichuan dishes are spicy, although a typical meal includes non-spicy dishes to cool the palate. Sichuan cuisine is composed of seven basic flavours: sweet, sour, numbing-spicy (like in Sichuan pepper), spicy, bitter, fragrant/aromatic, and salty. Sichuan food is divided into five different types: sumptuous banquet, ordinary banquet, popularised food, household-style food and snacks. Milder versions of Sichuan dishes remain a staple of American Chinese cuisine.

The superior natural resources of Sichuan Province provided plenty natural resources for the development of cooking. The flow of Yangtze river through Sichuan Province provided nutrients for fundamental foods, spices, and a source of water.

Features

A chili hot pot characteristic of Sichuan cuisine

The complex topography of Sichuan Province, including its mountains, hills, plains, plateaus and the Sichuan Basin, has shaped its food customs with versatile and distinct ingredients.

Abundant rice and vegetables are produced from the fertile Sichuan Basin, whereas a wide variety of herbs, mushrooms and other fungi prosper in the highland regions. Pork is overwhelmingly the most common type of meat consumed. Beef is somewhat more common in Sichuan cuisine than it is in other Chinese cuisines, perhaps due to the prevalence of oxen in the region. Sichuan cuisine also uses various bovine and porcine organs as ingredients, such as intestine, arteries, head, tongue, skin and liver, in addition to other commonly used portions of the meat. Rabbit meat is also much more popular in Sichuan than elsewhere in China. It is estimated that the Sichuan Basin and Chongqing area are responsible for about 70 percent of China's total rabbit meat consumption. Yoghurt, which probably spread from India through Tibet in medieval times, is consumed among the Han Chinese. This is an unusual custom in other parts of the country. The salt produced from Sichuan salt springs and wells, unlike sea salt, does not contain iodine, which led to goiter problems before the 20th century.

Sichuan cuisine often contains food preserved through pickling, salting and drying. Preserved dishes are generally served as spicy dishes with heavy application of chili oil.

The most unique and important spice in Sichuan cuisine is the Sichuan pepper (花椒; huājiāo; 'flower pepper'). Sichuan peppercorn has an intense fragrant, citrus-like flavour and produces a "tingly-numbing" (麻; má) sensation in the mouth. Other commonly used spices in Sichuan cuisine are garlic, chili peppers, ginger and star anise.

Broad bean chili paste (豆瓣酱; 豆瓣醬; dòubànjiàng) is one of the most important seasonings. It is an essential component to famous dishes such as Mapo tofu and double-cooked pork slices. Sichuan cuisine is the origin of several prominent sauces/flavours widely used in modern Chinese cuisine, including:

• Yuxiang (魚香)
• Mala (麻辣)
• Guaiwei (怪味)

Other examples of mixed flavor including spicy and hot (Mala), fish flavor (Yuxiang), hot and sour, the five spices (Wuxiang; 五香), ginger juice, mashed garlic, sweet and sour, spice salt (Jiaoyan; 椒盐), dried tangerine or orange peel (Chenpi; 陈皮), burnt chili, pot-stewed fowl (Lu; 卤味), odd flavor (Guaiwei; 怪味), and other recombinations of these seasonings.

Common preparation techniques in Sichuan cuisine include stir frying, steaming and braising, but a complete list would include more than 20 distinct techniques.

Meal styles

Sichuan hotpot, the most famous Chinese hotpot, is one of the representative dishes in Sichuan cuisine and famous for its numb and spicy taste. The tradition may owe itself to the area's high humidity, whereby the locals eat spicy food to remove the moisture from their bodies.

Leng dan bei is a style of street food that has emerged in Chengdu, Sichuan in recent years. Initially, leng dan bei mainly took the form of outdoor stalls, offering beer and simple snacks to accompany the drinks during summer nights. But now, it has developed into a local specialty, to the extent that many restaurants that offer other cuisines will also set up leng dan bei stalls at night. Therefore, leng dan bei is very popular in Chengdu.

The dishes served in leng dan bei mainly consist of cold dishes that are served quickly. Typical dishes include boiled peanuts, boiled edamame, braised dried tofu, braised pig's head meat, cold noodles, and other cold salads and braised dishes. There are also stir-fried dishes such as cold shredded potatoes, crispy green peppers, stir-fried green beans, stir-fried snails, and stir-fried crayfish, depending on the style. Some leng dan bei restaurants also offer hot dishes such as gan guo, Sichuan-style seafood, and barbecue.

Leng dan bei generally does not involve staple foods, like rice. Customers mainly drink beer, but some places also offer plum wine, limoncello, and other infused alcohols.

Notable foods

English	Image	Traditional Chinese	Simplified Chinese	Pinyin	Notes
Ants climbing a tree		螞蟻上樹	蚂蚁上树	mǎyǐ shàng shù	So called because the dish has bits of ground meat clinging to noodles, evoking an image of ants climbing a tree
Bon bon chicken		棒棒	棒棒鸡	bàngbàng jī	Chicken mixed with dark, toasty sesame sauce. So-called from the sound of the cleavers being hammered into the chicken to shred it.
Braised pork ribs with konjac		魔芋燒排骨	魔芋烧排骨	móyù shāo páigǔ
Chili oil wontons		紅油抄手	红油抄手	hóng yóu chāoshǒu
Dandan noodles		擔擔麵	担担面	dàndàn miàn	Originally a Chengdu street snack sold by men with "carrying poles" (dan).
Fish with pickled mustard greens		酸菜魚	酸菜鱼	suān cài yú	Shredded chicken breast, pork, or any other meat ingredients can be substituted for the fish fillets.
Fragrant and spicy fish slices		香辣魚片	香辣鱼片	xiāng là yú piàn
Hot and sour noodles		酸辣麵, 酸辣粉	酸辣面, 酸辣粉	suān là miàn, suān là fěn	Typically a vegetarian noodle dish primarily made with brassica juncea, vinegar, hot oil, and soy sauce. It has different flavors such as sour, sweet, fragrant, spicy and salty. Commonly is for breakfast but also a popular street snack in Sichuan, Yunnan, and Hubei.
Hot and sour noodle soup		酸辣肉絲湯麵	酸辣肉丝汤面	suān là ròu sī tāngmiàn	A noodle soup dish primarily made with the ingredients of brassica juncea, stir-fried shredded meat, noodle, and broth.
Kung Pao beef tendon		宮保牛筋	宫保牛筋	gōngbǎo niú jīn
Kung Pao chicken		宮保雞丁	宫保鸡丁	gōngbǎo jīdīng	Beef or lamb can be substituted for the chicken.
Mao xue wang		毛血旺	毛血旺	máo xuě wàng	A traditional dish from Chongqing made from pig's blood, tripe, duck's blood, ham and chicken gizzard. Beansprouts, chili, Sichuan peppercorn, sesame and other spices are often added as seasoning.
Mapo doufu		麻婆豆腐	麻婆豆腐	mápó dòufǔ	Literally "pockmarked Ma's tofu". Spicy sauce similar to yuxiang ("in the style of fish") sauce.
Sliced beef/beef tripe/ox tongue in chili sauce		夫妻肺片	夫妻肺片	fūqī fèipiàn	Literally "husband and wife lung pieces"
Shredded chicken cold noodles		雞絲涼麵	鸡丝凉面	jī sī liáng miàn
Shredded pork in garlic sauce		魚香肉絲	鱼香肉丝	yúxiāng ròusī	Literally "sliced pork with fish aroma"
Sichuan hotpot		四川火鍋	四川火锅	Sìchuān huǒguō
Stir-fried green beans		乾煸四季豆	干煸四季豆	gān biān sìjì dòu	Also known as "Dry Fried Green Beans", "Dry Fried String Beans", "Sichuan Style Green Beans", "Szechuan Dry Fried Green Beans", or "Spicy Green Beans"
Spicy deep-fried chicken		辣子雞	辣子鸡	làzǐjī
Tea-smoked duck		樟茶鴨	樟茶鸭	zhāngchá yā
Three-pepper chicken		三椒煸雞	三椒煸鸡	sān jiāo biān jī
Double-cooked pork		回鍋肉	回锅肉	huíguōròu	Literally "meat returning to the wok". Fresh pork is first boiled, then fried.
Water-cooked meat		水煮肉	水煮肉	shuǐzhǔ ròu
Steamed sweet pork with sticky rice.		甜燒白	甜烧白	tián shāo bái	Fill mashed red beans into sliced pork belly and lay the pork on steamed sweet sticky rice.
Eggplant in the style of fish		魚香茄子	鱼香茄子	yúxiāng qiézi	Steamed eggplant in a sauce commonly used in cooking fish
Shredded chicken salad	Sichuan shredded chicken salad	涼拌雞絲	凉拌鸡丝	liáng bàn jī sī	Shredded chicken mixed with spicy garlic sauce.
Bo-bo chicken		缽缽雞	钵钵鸡	bǒbǒ jī	A kind of cold hot pot filled with vegetables and chicken on wooden sticks, different from Bon bon chicken.
Mala duck tongue		麻辣鴨舌	麻辣鸭舌	málà yā shé	Duck tongues stir-fried with Sichuan pepper and chili.
Stir-fried chicken kidney		爆炒腰花	爆炒腰花	bàochǎo yāo huā	Stir-fried chicken kidney with pickled pepper sauce.
Sichuan signature barbecue		川味燒烤	川味烧烤	chuān wèi shāo kǎo	Barbecue with Sichuan pepper as seasoning.
Leshan douhua		樂山豆腐腦	乐山豆腐脑	lèshān dòu fǔ nǎo	Tender tofu with specially made sauce, originated from Leshan, Sichuan.
Leng chi tu		冷吃兔	冷吃兔	lěng chī tù	Marinated spicy rabbit meat.

See also

• Hunan cuisine
• Chen Kenmin
• Chen Kenichi
• List of Chinese dishes

Further reading

• Dunlop, Fuchsia (2003), Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking, New York: Norton, ISBN 0393051773. Internet Archive ONLINE
• Fuchsia Dunlop. Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper: A Sweet-Sour Memoir of Eating in China. (New York: Norton, 2008). ISBN 9780393066579. The author's experience and observations, especially in Sichuan.
• Chiang, Jung-Feng (1976), Mrs. Chiang's Szechwan Cookbook : Szechwan Home Cooking, Ellen Schrecker and John E. Schrecker, New York: Harper & Row, ISBN 006015828X. Internet Archive ONLINE.
• E. N. Anderson. "Sichuan (Szechuan) Cuisine," in Solomon H. Katz, William Woys Weaver. Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. (New York: Scribner, 2003; ISBN 0684805685). Vol I pp. 393–395.
• Lu Yi, Du li. China Sichuan Cuisine (Chinese and English) Bilingual . Sichuan Publishing House of Science and Technology, 2010. ISBN 9787536469648.
• Che Fu. Talk About Sichuan Flavor (Chinese Edition). Sichuan Literature & Art Publishing, 2011. ISBN 978-7541131523.

External links

• NPR story on Sichuan cuisine and a cookbook about the cuisine