Sichuan cuisine

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

Sichuan cuisine or Sichuanese cuisine, alternatively romanized as Szechwan cuisine or Szechuan cuisine (Chinese: 四川^ⓘ, Standard Mandarin pronunciation: [sɨ̂.ʈʂʰwán] ^ⓘ)^[1] is a style of Chinese cuisine originating from Sichuan province and the neighboring Chongqing municipality. Chongqing was formerly a part of Sichuan until 1997; thus, there is a great deal of cultural overlap between the two administrative divisions. There are many regional, local variations of Sichuanese cuisine within Sichuan and Chongqing.^[2]

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. Four sub-styles of Sichuan cuisine include Chongqing, Chengdu, Zigong (known for a genre of dishes called Yanbangcai), and Buddhist vegetarian style.^[3]

UNESCO declared Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, to be a city of gastronomy in 2011 to recognise the sophistication of its cooking.^[4]

History

In the Middle Ages, Sichuan 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 originally 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.^[5]

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.^[6]^[7]

The superior natural resources of Sichuan Province provided plenty natural resources for the development of cooking. The flow of the Yangtze river through Sichuan Province provided nutrients for fundamental foods, spices, and a source of water.^[8]

Theories of origin

There are also some different theories about the division of Sichuan cuisine regions, Wang Dayu introduced in the compilation of Sichuan cuisine history strategy by the Committee on Literature and History of the CPPCC in the whole country: Sichuan cuisine can be roughly divided into Chengdu Bang, Chongqing Bang, Dahe Bang, Xiaohe Bang, from the inside, each has its own special background and representative menu.^[17] Sichuan cuisine originated in Shu during the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period, the beginning of Qin and Han dynasties, and the formation of classical Sichuan cuisine in Han and Jin dynasties. Characterized by Sichuan peppercorn and ginger. In the Tang and Song Dynasties, Sichuan cuisine was developed further, and Sichuan restaurants spread throughout Kaifeng and Lin'an, and won the favor of many diners for their taste characteristics. During the Song dynasty, Sichuan cuisine became an independent cuisine.

Sichuan is rich in products, and natural crops provide abundant raw materials for Sichuan cuisine. Among them, ginger, Sichuan pepper and other seasonings, as early as the Han dynasty, as Sichuan people "like the flavor of spices" characteristics known throughout the country. This flavor refers to the Sichuan peppercorn and ginger, not chili peppers. The taste of Sichuan people today is far from that of Li Bai Su Shi. If there were no chili peppers from South America in the Ming and Qing dynasties, it would not be Sichuan cuisine for Sichuan people today. Sichuan cuisine claims to have a history of more than two thousand years. However, it is difficult to say how much Sichuan cuisine is related to ancient Sichuan cuisine. One hard evidence is that before the Ming and Qing dynasties, there were no chili peppers in Sichuan cuisine. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Sichuan cuisine developed further until the Republic of China. Modern Sichuan cuisine eventually formed the characteristics of "rich variety", "strong taste and spicy", and developed into the first dish of Chinese cuisine.

Chairman Mao once said on January 30, 1949, "I believe that a Chinese medicine, a Chinese dish, will be China's two major contributions to the world. "This evaluation was repeated in 1953 when he took a nap at the Liuzhuang Hotel in Hangzhou.

Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, was awarded the honorary title of "World Cuisine Capital" by UNESCO in 2010, and only six cities in the world received it. Chengdu Sichuan cuisine has long been the official cuisine of Sichuan Governor and Yamen. Chili peppers were introduced into Sichuan and widely used in Sichuan cuisine, which was a watershed between ancient Sichuan cuisine and modern Sichuan cuisine. Probably during the Kangxi period in the early Qing dynasty. The book "Flower Mirror" written and published by Chen Xiuzi in 1688, Kangxi, is recorded in volume five: "Pepper, a sea mad vine, commonly known as spicy eggplant……the most spicy, used by many people, very fine, winter moon to replace pepper. "Here the paprika, is chili, also known as sea pepper, Qin pepper and so on. The perfect combination of chili peppers and broad beans (i.e., beans) created Sichuan bean, known as the soul of Sichuan cuisine, is widely used in Sichuan cuisine, which is regarded as a symbol of the formation of modern Sichuan cuisine. Peanuts, commonly known as Hu Beans, are the most famous of the many varieties of Sichuan Beans. Among the many varieties of Sichuan chilli bean paste, Pixian chilli bean paste is the most famous. The innovative use of pickled peppers, pickle and black bean sauce in Sichuan cuisine has formed 24 common flavors, 54 cooking methods and more than 3,000 classic traditional dishes in three categories of Sichuan cuisine, which are the hallmarks of modern Sichuan cuisine.

Native to Peru in South America, chili peppers were domesticated as cultivated species in Mexico, introduced to Europe in the 15th century, and introduced from the sea to China in the late 16th century, the late Ming dynasty. Because of the introduction of Western countries, it is also called " Fan pepper". It is also called "sea pepper" because it is introduced from the sea, and Sichuan chili pepper is introduced from Guanzhong to Shu, so it is also called "Qin pepper". Sichuan cuisine is famous for its excellent use of chili chilli peppers and Sichuan peppers, which have been used for more than a thousand years as a characteristic and representative of Sichuan cuisine. Therefore, the Western translation of pepper is literally translated as "Sichuan Pepper", which shows the influence of pepper and Sichuan cuisine in the world.

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.^[5] 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.^[18] 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.^[19] 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.^[5]

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.

Meal styles

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. There are 40 kinds of Sichuan cuisine cooking techniques such as frying, stir fry, oiling, and crispy fried. Taste type to spicy, fish flavor, strange taste as its outstanding characteristics.^[20]

Broad bean chili paste (豆瓣酱; 豆瓣醬; dòubànjiàng) is one of the most important seasonings.^[5] 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.^[21]

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

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 ^[22]
Bon bon chicken		棒棒鷄 / 棒棒雞	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.^[23]
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).^[24]
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.
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	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 old woman's tofu". Spicy sauce similar to yuxiang ("in the style of fish") sauce.^[25]
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	Sichuan hotpot, the most famous Chinese hotpot, is one of the representative dishes in Sichuan cuisine and famous for its numb and spicy taste.^[26] The tradition may owe itself to the area's high humidity, whereby the locals eat spicy food to remove the moisture from their bodies.^[27]
Stir-fried green beans^[28]		乾煸四季豆	干煸四季豆	gān biān sìjì dòu	Also known as "Dry Fried Green Beans",^[29] "Dry Fried String Beans",^[30] "Sichuan Style Green Beans",^[31] "Szechuan Dry Fried Green Beans",^[32] or "Spicy Green Beans"^[33]
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.^[34]
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.
Fish-fragrant eggplant		魚香茄子	鱼香茄子	yúxiāng qiézi	Steamed eggplant in a sauce commonly used in cooking fish ^[35]
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.
Leng dan bei		冷淡杯	冷淡杯	lěng dàn bēi	Leng dan bei is a street food from Chengdu that has emerged in recent years. It consists of cold dishes that are served quickly.^[36]^[37]