Sichuan Cuisine

Sichuan cuisine, one of the eight major cuisines in China, is famous for its spicy, numbing, fresh, fragrant and diverse cooking techniques. Known for its rich and heavy tastes, especially the flavor of Sichuan peppercorns, which is rare in other local cuisines. Chengdu, the heart of Sichuan food (aka. Szechuan food), was named a “City of Gastronomy” by UNESCO in 2011, the first city in China to earn this title. This shows that Sichuan cuisine has captivated not only the taste buds of Chinese people but also food lovers worldwide. In this guide, we’ll explore the unique flavors, main styles, and must-try dishes, delving into the delectable tastes and culture of Sichuan cuisine.

Special Character

Sichuan’s geography has a big influence on the flavors of its cuisine. The region has a humid climate, with hot, damp summers and cold, wet winters. Sichuan people’s love for chili peppers is often linked to the local weather. As writer Fuchsia Dunlop said, “You need the right spices to drive out moisture and restore balance to the body.” Sichuan people believe that eating spicy food can drive out moisture and restore balance to the body.

Chili peppers were introduced to China from South America by Portuguese traders in the 16th century and quickly became popular in Sichuan. Before that, locals were accustomed to using spices such as cassia bark (cinnamon), black cardamom, and peppercorns for cooking. While spicy and numbing is the most famous flavor of Sichuan food, its real charm lies in its amazing variety of flavors. Sichuan cuisine emphasizes  “one dish, one style; a hundred dishes, a hundred flavors.” Through unique cooking techniques and rich seasoning methods, it creates a perfect balance between spicy, fresh, sweet, and other flavors. It is the essence of Schezwan food. Sichuan cuisine has developed over thousands of years and has formed unique tastes, cooking methods and styles.

1. Spicy and Numbing Flavor: The most well-known feature of Sichuan cuisine is its bold, spicy, and numbing taste. This taste comes from the heavy use of chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns. Chili peppers bring a distinct spicy taste, while Sichuan peppercorns add a tingling numbness. In particular, Pixian broad bean chili paste, the key ingredient, is considered the soul of Sichuan cuisine. Its fresh spicy flavor forms the foundation of countless classic dishes. This combination of spice and numbness gives Sichuan food its distinct taste, leaving a lasting impression on anyone who tries it.

2. Diverse Flavors: While Sichuan cuisine is famous for its spiciness, its taste goes far beyond just spicy. Its distinct taste comes from combining sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, salty, savory, numbing, and other sensations. These basic flavors are mixed into 24 complex ones, like fish-flavored (Yuxiang), spicy and hot (Mala), and odd-flavored (Guaiwei), etc. By balancing the intensity and proportions of these flavors, chefs can create dishes with a perfect blend of color, aroma, taste, and appearance.

3. Varied Cooking Techniques: Sichuan cuisine employs a wide range of cooking methods, including stir-frying, stewing, boiling, deep-frying, steaming, and roasting, each giving a unique flavor to the dish. Dry-frying locks in the natural aroma of ingredients with fast and medium heat; deep-frying enhances the aroma and crispness; or boiling with stir-fried seasoning as the broth highlights the core flavors of Sichuan - spicy, numbing, and savory. These techniques not only enrich the taste of the dishes but also preserve the nutrients and original flavor of the ingredients.

History and Three Flavor Schools

The origin of Sichuan cuisine dates back to the Three Kingdoms era. It was formalized and reached its peak in the Northern Song Dynasty. Sichuan cuisine has evolved through multiple historical stages, from its early beginnings to its establishment and continued development in modern times, becoming one of China's four major regional cuisines. By the late Qing Dynasty, Sichuan cuisine had formed a unique style and steadily developed during the Republic of China, gradually developing into modern Sichuan cuisine. It is mainly divided into three schools: Shanghe Bang, Xiaohe Bang, and Xiahe Bang. Each represents a major local flavor school and the highest level of culinary artistry.

Shanghe Bang

The Shanghe Bang Sichuan cuisine, centered around Chengdu and Leshan areas, is mainly distributed in western Sichuan. Its characteristics are mild, with rich ingredients and relatively light flavors. It is the most widely spread Sichuan cuisine style, making good use of broad bean paste and sugar for seasoning. Shanghe Gang cuisine emphasizes precise and accurate ingredients, strictly following traditional recipes, and also includes high-end dishes from the imperial and official kitchens. Due to its milder flavor, hotpots in this school typically include oil-clearing hot pots. Representative dishes include Mapo Tofu, Kung Pao Chicken, and Fuqi Feipian.

Xiaohe Bang

The Xiaohe Bang Sichuan cuisine focuses on the salt-based cooking style of Zigong in southern Sichuan, including dishes from Yibin, Luzhou, and Neijiang. Known for bold, rich, and intense flavors, the school uses generous amounts of chili, ginger, and spices. With a focus on water-boiling and live cooking methods, it distinguishes itself from other Sichuan styles. Due to Zigong's salt production, the dishes taste spicier and heavier than those of Chengdu. Notable dishes include Leng Chi Tu and Water-cooked Beef.

Xiahe Bang

The Xiahe Bang Sichuan cuisine centers around cities in eastern Sichuan, such as Chongqing, Wanzhou, and Dazhou. It makes extensive use of Sichuan peppercorns, pickled chili, and pickled cabbage. The school is characterized by creativity, and bold use of ingredients, also renowned as unrestricted culinary rules. Chongqing-style dishes, often considered traditional "Jianghu" (riverside) cuisine, include representative dishes like Hotpot, Boiled Fish with Pickled Chinese Cabbage, and Spicy Deep-fried Chicken.

Most Popular Sichuan Dishes

Next, we’ll introduce five must-try popular Sichuan dishes. If you're visiting Sichuan and trying Sichuan cuisine for the first time, these classic dishes are definitely not to be missed:

Twice-cooked Pork

Twice-cooked Pork, known as the king of Sichuan dishes, is a common dish on Sichuan tables. The so-called "twice-cooked" means cooking the meat twice. It is mainly made with pork belly, broad bean paste, fermented black beans, garlic sprouts, and dried red chilies. The pork is cooked, then stir-fried with the iconic Pixian Broad Bean Paste, giving it a savory flavor without being greasy. The greasiness of the pork is balanced by the garlic sprouts, adding a layered taste.

Mapo Tofu

Mapo Tofu is one of the top ten classic Sichuan dishes, well-known both at home and abroad. Known for its numbing, spicy, hot, fragrant, and tender qualities, it fully shows the characteristics of Sichuan’s signature spicy and numbing flavor. It’s made with tofu, broad bean paste, minced beef, garlic sprouts, Sichuan peppercorns, and chilies. The tender tofu absorbs the rich sauce, offering a burst of flavor in every bite.

Hotpot

Sichuan Hotpot is famous for its distinctive Mala (spicy and numb) flavor. The perfect combination of chili and Sichuan peppercorns creates the soul of the hotpot broth. There are two main types of broth: one with clear oil, offering a milder, fragrant taste; and the other with beef tallow, which is stronger and better at absorbing the flavors of other seasonings. Hotpot features a wide variety of ingredients, including poultry, seafood, offal, vegetables, etc. The broth is kept at a rolling boil, and diners cook the ingredients as they eat, combining heat and flavor for a delicious meal.

Kung Pao Chicken

Kung Pao Chicken is a well-known traditional dish, famous both in China and abroad. The dish is made with chicken, peanuts, and dried chilies, stir-fried together for a spicy yet balanced flavor. It tastes sweet and sour, and the meat is smooth and crispy. The tender chicken combined with the crunchiness of the peanuts form a unique taste contrast.

Fish-fragrant Eggplant

Fish-fragrant Eggplant is known for its sweet, sour, slightly spicy flavor, and its distinctive fish-like aroma. Despite the name, there is no fish in the dish. The fish flavor comes from a clever blend of seasonings such as sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, cooking wine, pepper, and salt. The eggplant absorbs the flavors during simmering, resulting in a rich, lasting taste that lingers on the palate.

Small Dishes and Street Food

Sichuan's food culture is not limited to restaurants. Street snacks are also an essential way to explore Sichuan cuisine. Strolling through Chengdu's Kuanzhai Lane and Jinli Street, you’ll encounter mouth-watering food stalls filled with tempting aromas. Famous local snacks like Dan Dan noodles and San Da Pao can be found everywhere. Here are five well-known Sichuan street foods:

Dan Dan Noodles

Dan Dan Noodles are not only a representative Sichuan snack, but also one of China’s top ten famous noodle dishes. It’s named after the vendors who carry the noodles on a pole. The dish features thin noodles topped with stir-fried minced pork, scallions, and crushed peanuts. The flavors are savory and slightly spicy, with a fragrant, flavorful sauce. Dan Dan Noodles can also be served without minced meat, making it a great option for vegetarians.

Bo-bo Chicken

Bo-bo Chicken stalls are commonly seen in the streets and alleys of Sichuan, making it a popular late-night snack for locals. The preparation is simple: cooked ingredients are placed in a large bowl with spicy red oil, and soaked in the flavorful broth. You can pick your preferred ingredients to try such as chicken, potatoes, lotus roots, kelp, etc. The dish is refreshing, with a spicy, numbing, and savory flavor, making it perfect for summer.

Long Chao Shou

Long Chao Shou is a famous traditional Sichuan snack, loved for its thin skin, tender filling, and rich, spicy red oil. Its thin skin and tender filling make the dumplings taste even better, plus Sichuan’s typical red oil, which not only gives them a bright red color but also enhances their spicy and sweet flavor, making them uniquely delicious. Now Long Chao Shou is a time-honored brand in Sichuan, providing a variety of folk snacks.

Fuqi Feipian

Fuqi Feipian (Husband and Wife Lung Slices) is a classic Sichuan dish made from various cuts of beef, including cow's head skin, tongue, heart, stomach, and beef slices. These ingredients are boiled and then sliced thin, with the addition of chili oil, Sichuan pepper powder, and other seasonings. The dish is bright red in color, with a fragrant, spicy, and numbing flavor that is incredibly appetizing. Fuqi Feipian is famous not only in China but also internationally, earning the title of "Appetizer of the Year" in Houston, USA, in 2017.

Bingfen

Bingfen is a popular summer snack in Sichuan, known for its refreshing, sweet, smooth, and cool taste. This dessert is loved by locals and has gained popularity across China in recent years as a perfect summer treat. Traditionally, Bingfen is flavored with brown sugar syrup. Modern versions come with a variety of toppings, such as raisins, peanuts, hawthorn slices, sesame, fermented rice, small rice dumplings, and watermelon, offering a wide range of choices and textures for the eater.

Conclusion

Sichuan cuisine offers various flavors and diverse cooking techniques. From the classic dishes found in restaurants to the delicious street snacks, whether you're an adventurous spice lover or someone who prefers milder tastes, Sichuan cuisine can satisfy everyone's taste. If you're planning to travel to Sichuan, don't miss the chance to experience the distinctive charm of its cuisine. In every bite of its spicy, fragrant dishes, you'll feel the passion and energy of this vibrant land.