Sichuan cuisine

Sichuan cuisine（四川菜 Sìchuān cài） is one of the four major Chinese cuisines and also eight major Chinese cuisines. Sichuan Cuisine is a local cuisine that developed many years ago, forming part of the culture of ancient Sichuan (the ancient Sichuan now become two parts: Sichuan and Chongqing) in Southwestern China.

Sichuan cuisine has characteristics of most widely used, seasoning changeable, diverse dishes, fresh taste and good at using spicy seasonings. It is famous both in China and worldwide because of its unique cooking methods and rich local flavor.

History of Sichuan Cuisine

Sichuan cuisine originated from the spring and autumn period and formed its classical characteristics in Han and Jin Dynasties.

The classical Sichuan cuisine further developed in the Tang and Song Dynasties. Sichuan restaurants were very popular in the capital Kaifeng and Lin ‘ An at that time for its rich flavors.  Sichuan cuisine as an independent cuisine formed in the Song Dynasty.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Sichuan cuisine was further developed, until the Republic of China, the modern Sichuan cuisine finally formed a “hundred dishes hundred flavor” characteristic, and developed into the first Chinese cuisine.

The introduction of chili pepper into Sichuan for planting and its widespread use in Sichuan cooking is a watershed between the ancient Sichuan cuisine and modern Sichuan cuisine. It was regarded as the beginning of the embryonic form of modern Sichuan cuisine, which was generally in the Kangxi period of the early Qing Dynasty.

During the Qing Emperor Qianlong’s time, Li Huannan, a native of Sichuan province who traveled to work as an officer in Zhejiang province, paid attention to the cooking experience of house-chefs and housewives during his spare time.

Later, his son, Li Diaoyuan, compiled the culinary experience he collected and engraved it into a book, which is called “醒园录xǐng yuán lù”.

“醒园录” is an important food book in the Qing Dynasty, different from the other books at the same time or the previous similar books, it detailed records of both cooking materials selection and cooking procedures. It helps cooking methods of cooks and housewives later tremendously.

In this book, 38 kinds of cooking methods such as frying, slipping, blasting, boiling, and so on, as well as cold appetizer mix, brine, smoked, pickled, preserved, Frozen, sauce and so on.

Because these numerous and varied cooking methods are closely linked to the cooking of lower and mid-level classes, it is clear that modern Sichuan cuisine, which has subsequently risen, has greatly affected by this book.

This book makes the modern Sichuan cuisine in the middle and lower level receives the influence from the Jiangsu and Zhejiang cuisine as well.

These influences can be attributed roughly to the delicate non-spicy Sichuan dishes, which account for about two-thirds of modern Sichuan cuisine.

Sichuan Douban 豆瓣, known as the soul of Sichuan cuisine, is widely used in Sichuan cuisine, which is regarded as the symbol of the formation of the modern Sichuan cuisine.

Douban, a kind of fermented beans has many kinds of different types, in which the Pixian Douban is the most famous.

The use of pickled vegetables and Douchi 豆豉( black fermented soybeans), and the formation of 24 kinds of commonly used flavor, 54 kinds of cooking methods and more than 3000 kinds of classic traditional dishes of Sichuan cuisine is the final shape and become the sign of the first four major Chinese cuisine, in the late Republic of China.

Categories of Sichuan Cuisine

Sichuan cuisine can be divided into three categories. The 上河帮(shànghé bāng)  is wildly spread in Chengdu and Meishan. The 小河帮(xiǎohé bāng) is widely spread in Zigong, Neijiang, Luzhou, and Yibin. The 下河帮(xià hé bāng) is widely spread in Chongqing, Wanzhou, and Dazhou.

Shanghebang 上河帮(shànghé bāng)

Shanghebang mainly contains Chengdu official dishes and Meishan dishes. It has characteristics of relatively light taste, rich, and commonly uses Douban and sugar as seasoning. It is the most widely popular Sichuan cuisine type.

Shanghebang has many classic high-end dishes. They are exquisite and delicate. Many are traditional Sichuan cuisines as the official dishes for the governors of Sichuan and the riches. Mention Sichuan Cuisine and tongue- numbing and spicy tastes come to mind. But most real high-end Sichuan cuisines are non-spicy. They are not as widely spread as the spicy ones because they are too exquisite and expensive. Cabbage in Hot Water开水白菜(kāishuǐ báicài) is the premium Sichuan dish of this kind, which usually used as a standard to judge a chef’s cooking level.

Xiaohebang 小河帮(xiǎohé bāng)

Xiaohebang is formed by Zigong dishes, Nrijiang Dishes, and Yibin dishes.Xiaohebang dishes have characteristics of strange and high-end，because Zigong has many rich salt merchants.

The flavor is salty, strong and rich. The Xiaohebang pays most attention to seasoning. In addition to the “hundred dishes hundred flavors” feature, it also has characteristics of diverse cooking techniques, thick flavor, and spicy.

The Xiaohebang favors pepper and ginger. It is very good at water boiling technique. It is also the origin of Sichuan water boiling technique. The Sichuan water boiling technique gradually becomes a mainstream in Sichuan cuisine and invents famous dishes like Poached Fish in Chili Oil(水煮鱼Shuǐ zhǔ yú) and Poached Beef in Chili Oil(水煮牛肉shuǐ zhǔ niúròu).

Xiahebang 下河帮(xià hé bāng)

Xiahebang dishes are mainly from Chongqing. It has characteristics of bold materials, large usage of pickled peppers and sauerkraut seasoning and not rigidly adheres to the tradition. Because of the mountainous area of Chongqing and other areas in eastern Sichuan, along with the Yangtze River Dock culture, the unique style is produced.

At the same time, by the impact of a large number of Jiangsu and Zhejiang immigrants in the Republic of China and the three-wire construction periods, some Sichuan dishes became easy to learn and easy to do.

Features of Sichuan cuisine

Sichuan cuisine has three basic characteristics of the wide source of materials, the variety of seasonings, and good adaptability. It forms a complete system of official banquet dish, home cooking, civilian banquet dish, and snacks. The special point is “the taste is thick and spicy”.

Sichuan cuisine is rich and diverse, and there are at least ten thousand kinds of dishes. The important reason for the famous of Sichuan cuisine is its distinctive features. Variety of seasoning is the most important feature of Sichuan cuisine. The other two features of Sichuan cuisine are the wide source of materials and adaptable dishes.

Variety of seasoning and the wide range of raw materials make the Sichuan cuisine endless changes.

Because the most important thing of Sichuan cuisine is seasoning, and less demanding on the ingredients, Sichuan cuisine can use all kinds of materials from high-end lobster, crabs to wild vegetables, and giblets. It is easy to promote around the world.

Sichuan common flavors and representative dishes

The flavors of Sichuan cuisine are changeable and abundant. Here are the 10 most famous Sichuan cuisine flavors and their representative dishes:

1 家常味(Jiācháng wèi） homely taste：

Homely taste is an invention of Sichuan cuisine. It is salty with a little bit spicy. The main seasonings are Douban, soy sauce, and salt.

representative dish: 回锅肉(Huíguōròu) Twice Cooked Pork Slices

2 鱼香味(Yú xiāngwèi) fish-flavor:

Fish-flavor is another invention of Sichuan cuisine. It gets its name from the unique cooking method because it is the most commonly used method to cook fish in Sichuan. This flavor has the most typical characteristic of Sichuan cuisine. It has a mixed flavor of salty, sweet and sour, spicy, ginger, onion, and garlic fragrance. It has been used in almost all kinds of dishes. The seasonings are essential for the fish-flavor. The pickled chili plus salt, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, ginger, garlic, onion make this unique flavor.

representative dish: 鱼香肉丝(Yú xiāng ròu sī) Fish-flavored Shredded Pork

3 怪味(guài wèi) strange flavor or multi-flavor:

Strange flavor is a unique flavor type of Sichuan cuisine. It is the harmony and coordination of salty, sweet, hemp, spicy and sour, and fresh. It is made of salt, soy sauce, red chili oil, ground pepper, sugar, vinegar, sesame seeds, sesame oil, MSG, ginger, minced garlic, and chopped green onion. The requirements of the different tastes are the same, not suppressed, and complement each other.

representative dish: 怪味鸡丝(Guài wèi jī sī) Multi-Flavored Shredded Chicken

4 红油味(Hóng yóu wèi) red chili oil flavor:

The red chili oil flavor is spicy, salty with a slightly sweet aftertaste. It uses special seasoned red chili oil with soy sauce, sugar and MSG, sometimes add some garlic and sesame oil. It makes the whole dish covered by a layer of red chili oil and greasy. This flavor is mainly for cold dishes.

representative dish:  红油兔丁(Hóng yóu tù dīng) Diced Cooked Rabbit in Red Chili Oil

5 麻辣味(málà wèi) spicy, tongue-numbing flavor:

This is the most typical Sichuan style. It is spicy, salty with special tongue-numbing taste. It is widely used in cold hot dishes. It mainly contains chili, prickly ash, salt, MSG, cooking wine. It can be derived from a variety of spicy tastes.

representative dish: 麻婆豆腐(Má pó dòufu) Mapo Tofu

6 五香味(Wǔ xiāngwèi) Multi-Spiced flavor:

The multi-spiced flavor is not spicy but full of special and rich fragrance. It is salty with a strong fragrance and can be used in both hot and cold dishes.

representative dish: 五香熏干(Wǔxiāng xūn gān) Multi-Spiced Smoked Tofu

7 荔枝味(Lìzhī wèi) Litchi flavor:

It is sweet and sour like litchi, but still salty. It commonly used in hot dishes. Litchi flavor usually uses salt, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, MSG, cooking wine, ginger, green onion and garlic to make the sauce.

representative dish:  锅巴肉片(Guōbā ròupiàn) Sliced Pork with Crispy Rice

8 糖醋味(Táng cù wèi) sweet and sour flavor:

It has characteristics of sweet and sour with a salty aftertaste. The sauce is made of sugar, vinegar, salt, soy sauce, MSG, ginger, green onion, and garlic.

representative dish:  糖醋排骨(Táng cù páigǔ) Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs

9 蒜泥味(Suànní wèi) garlic flavor:

The garlic flavor has special points of rich garlic flavor with salty and fresh taste. It usually used in cold dishes. It is made from fresh garlic, red chili oil, sesame oil, MSG, and special soy sauce.

representative dish: 蒜泥白肉(Suànní báiròu) Sliced Boiled Pork with Mashed Garlic

10 椒盐味(Jiāoyán wèi) spiced salt flavor:

It is Sichuan hot dishes commonly used flavor type, with tongue-numbing and salty taste. It uses salt and baked prickly ash to form the unique flavor.

representative dish: 椒盐排骨(Jiāoyán páigǔ) Fried Spare Ribs with Spiced Salt