Sichuan cuisine, also known as Sichuan dishes, refers to the culinary traditions of the Sichuan region. It is one of the four great traditions of Chinese Han cuisine, the most distinctive, the most popular among the people, and is honored with the title "the cuisine of the common people." Sichuan cuisine flourished during the late Qing Dynasty and the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. It primarily consists of home-style dishes, using everyday ingredients, and its characteristics are that the "red" flavor emphasizes numbness, spiciness, and aroma, while the "white" flavor is salty and fresh with a hint of spiciness. Representative dishes include Yuxiang Rou Si (Fish-flavored Shredded Pork), Kung Pao Chicken, Fuqi Feipian (Husband and Wife's Lung Slices), Mapo Tofu, Huiguo Rou (Twice-cooked Pork), and Dongpo Pork.
Kung Pao Chicken
Classic Dish:
Originating from the Sichuan region, it is characterized by numbness, spiciness, freshness, and aroma. Sichuan cuisine mostly uses common household ingredients, occasionally using delicacies from mountains and rivers for banquets. It excels in cooking methods such as stir-frying, dry-stir-frying, dry-braising, and pickling, braising, etc. It is famous for its "flavor" with a wide variety of flavor types, among which Fish-flavored, Red oil, Mala (numbing and spicy), and Guaiwei (strange flavor) are more prominent. The style of Sichuan cuisine is simple yet fresh, with a strong local flavor. Famous representative dishes include: Yuxiang Rou Si (Fish-flavored Shredded Pork), Huiguo Rou (Twice-cooked Pork), Mapo Tofu, Shuizhu Yu (Water-boiled Fish), Fuqi Feipian (Husband and Wife's Lung Slices), etc.
It is the Sichuan cuisine system, divided into three schools: the Shanghe Bang (Upper River School) centered on Chengdu and Leshan in western Sichuan, the Xiahe Bang (Lower River School) centered on Chongqing, Nanchong, and Dazhou in eastern Sichuan, and the Zhonghe Bang (Middle River School) centered on Zigong and Yibin in southern Sichuan.
The flavor of Sichuan cuisine includes the characteristics of local dishes from Chengdu, Leshan, Neijiang, Zigong, Nanchong, etc. The main feature is the diversity of flavor types, that is, the use of composite flavors. Chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, broad bean paste, etc., are the main seasonings. Different ratios create various flavor types such as Mala (numbing and spicy), Sour and spicy, Jiaoma (peppery), Majiang (sesame paste), Garlic paste, Mustard, Red oil, Sweet and sour, Fish-flavored, Guaiwei (strange flavor), etc. All are rich and mellow, possessing the special characteristics of "one dish, one style" and "a hundred dishes, a hundred flavors," making every dish a delight. In terms of cooking methods, Sichuan cuisine has as many as thirty-eight, including stir-frying, pan-frying, dry-braising, deep-frying, smoking, pickling, stewing, braising, braising in soy sauce, steaming, quick-frying, etc.
In terms of taste, it pays special attention to color, aroma, flavor, and appearance, combining the strengths of both northern and southern cuisines, and is known for its numerous, broad, and rich flavors. It has always been said to have "seven flavors" (sweet, sour, numbing, spicy, bitter, fragrant, salty) and "eight aromas" (dry-braising, sour, spicy, fish-flavored, dry-stir-frying, strange flavor, peppery, red oil).
Therefore, the Sichuan cuisine system has three characteristics: a wide range of ingredients, diverse seasonings, and strong adaptability of dishes. It forms a complete flavor system composed of five major categories: banquet dishes, popular casual dishes, home-style dishes, "Sanjiu Kou" dishes (a type of steamed and braised dish), and local snacks. It enjoys the international reputation of "The best food is in China, and the best flavor is in Sichuan." Among them, the most famous dishes are: Dry-braised Rock Carp, Dry-braised Mandarin Fish, Yuxiang Rou Si (Fish-flavored Shredded Pork), Liao Paigu (Liao's Spare Ribs), Guaiwei Ji (Strange Flavor Chicken), Wuxiang Lu Paigu (Five-Spiced Braised Spare Ribs), Fen Niu Rou (Steamed Beef with Rice Flour), Mapo Tofu, Maodu Huoguo (Tripe Hot Pot), Ganbian Niusi (Dry-stir-fried Shredded Beef), Dianying Niurou (Shadow Beef), Dandan Noodles (Noodles with Spicy Sauce), Lai Tangyuan (Lai's Rice Balls), Long Chaoshou (Dragon Wontons), etc. The six most famous dishes in Sichuan cuisine are: Yuxiang Rou Si (Fish-flavored Shredded Pork), Kung Pao Chicken, Fuqi Feipian (Husband and Wife's Lung Slices), Mapo Tofu, Huiguo Rou (Twice-cooked Pork), and Dongpo Pork.
Pipper chicken