Chinese Language Blog

China’s Great Culinary Traditions – Western Cuisine

Posted on 02. May, 2012 by sasha in Culture, food, Uncategorized

For the latest in our series about China’s Great Culinary Traditions, we head West to explore the rich flavors of this region in China. When it comes to West China cuisine, the two most notable examples are certainly Sichuan (四川菜 – sì chuān cài) and Hunan (湖南菜 – hú nán cài), both of which are included in the “8 Great Culinary Traditions of China” list that I touched on in the last post. Both known for their incredibly spicy dishes, these two famous styles of Chinese cuisine have been influenced heavily by foreigners – for example, Buddhist missionaries introducing the heavy spicing techniques prevalent in Indian cuisine, and Spanish traders bringing chiles in the 16th century. Western China cuisine also makes heavy use of vinegar, garlic, onions, ginger, and sesame oil. Due to the hot and humid climate of the area, a variety of food-preservation techniques are used, including pickling, salting, drying, and smoking. Let’s head West and delve deeper into these two renowned styles of Chinese food:

Sichuan

The hua jiao - the key to Sichuan's spiciness.

More commonly spelled as Szechuan in the West, this particular style of Chinese food may be second only to Cantonese in terms of worldwide popularity. One of the most unique aspects of Sichuan cuisine is the Sichuan peppercorn (花椒 – huā jiāo – lit. “flower pepper”) – an unassuming little pepper that leaves your mouth feeling  incredibly numb. Sichuan cuisine is also famous for a few sauces: numb and spicy (麻辣 – má là), fish fragrance(鱼香 – yú xiāng), and the strange/exotic taste (怪味 – guài wèi). Both ma la and yu xiang can be found all over China, but the guai wei is mostly only popular in Sichuan province. Although Sichuan cuisine is mostly known for its spicy dishes, not every dish from this region will leave you sweating and red in the face.

A brief introduction to Sichuan food, courtesy of NTDTV.

Here are some of the most popular Sichuanese dishes:

Bang Bang Chicken (棒棒鸡 – bàng bàng jī)

Served cold as an appetizer, this dish is a combination of shredded chicken, cucumber, and bean thread noodles, topped off with a sesame based sauce. It’s a great way to start a meal, and especially good on a hot summer’s day.

Bang Bang! This chicken is awesome.

Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐 – má pó dòu fu)

This famous dish – which literally means “pockmarked grandmother tofu” -  has a famous tale that accompanies it about the woman who created it. Although there are different varieties of this dish, the basic recipe calls for tofu, chili/bean based sauce, fermented black beans, and diced meat. If you’re a vegetarian, just tell your waiter, “I don’t eat meat” (我不吃肉 – wǒ bù chī ròu) and they’ll whip it up for you minus the pork/beef.

That grandma sure knew how to make tofu.

Twice Cooked Pork (回锅肉 – huí guō ròu)

For this fantastic Sichuan dish, pork is first boiled, then returned to the pot to be stir-fried with peppers, chili, and soy. Thus the Chinese name, which literally means “returned to the pot meat.” Some Muslim restaurants make this dish with beef, which I personally prefer to the fatty pork used in most other places, but they’re both delicious.

Twice cooked to perfection.

Dan Dan Noodles (担担面 – dàn dàn miàn)

A big bowl of noodles served in a spicy chili-sauce with preserved vegetables, minced pork, and scallions, this dish gets its name from a type of carrying pole that was used by vendors who carried and sold this dish on the street. As such, it can also be called “Peddler’s Noodles” in English.

Nothing like a bowl full of spicy noodles.

Sichuan Hot Pot (四川火锅 – sì chuān huǒ guō)

We can’t talk about Sichuan food without mentioning its legendary hot pot. In what is without a doubt one of the most fun ways to eat on Earth, a pot of spicy chili oil is boiled right at your table, where you’re free to order up your favorite meats, seafood, and vegetables and toss them in to the boiling, spicy goodness. I usually go for the half and half, with one side incredibly spicy and the other being a mixture of chicken broth and mushrooms.

Talk about a fun feast!

Hunan

Also known as Xiang Cuisine (湘菜 – xiāng cài), the cuisine comes from the “land of fish and rice” of Hunan province. Known for being “dry hot” (干辣 – gàn là), Hunan cuisine is often spicier than Sichuan food, simply due to a higher chili content. Relying mainly on fresh, local ingredients, Hunan dishes change with the seasons. For example, during the hot summer, a meal may start with a cold dish full of chilies to open up the pores, and one a cold winter night, hot pot will be the meal of choice. Here are some of Hunan’s renowned dishes:

Mao’s Braised Pork (毛氏红烧肉 – Máo shì hóng shāo ròu)

Yes, this dish is named after that Mao. As a native of Hunan province, this dish was Chairman Mao’s favorite, and he even had Hunanese chefs cooking it up for him when he lived in Beijing. Featuring pork belly, wine, ginger, cinnamon, and other ingredients, it’s no wonder the Chairman loved this dish.

Chairman Mao's fave.

Hot and Spicy Chicken (麻辣子鸡 – má là zǐ jī)

First, chicken is marinated with soy sauce, sherry, and ginger. It is later cooked with scallions and chili peppers, resulting in a tender and spicy dish. Here’s a good recipe so you can try to whip it up at home.

Super spicy chicken.

Steamed Fish Head in Chili Sauce (剁椒蒸鱼头 – duò jiāo zhēng yú tóu)

This dish dates back to Qing Dynasty mathematician Huang Zongxian. Apparently, he got caught in a rainstorm and took shelter in a local kitchen. Inside, he saw a woman salt and sautee a fish, and then throw two handfuls of chopped chilies – one red, one green – in to the mix before steaming the fish. Being a mathematician, Huang later said he could reproduce the recipe exactly, and this famous dish was born. With a mathematician’s eye for detail and proportion, the scholar later had his cook reproduce the recipe and thus the Hunan fish head with chopped chilies was born.

Mmmm... fish heads.

Well that’s it for this edition. Stay tuned to the blog for more on China’s Great Culinary Traditions in the near future!

Tags: Bang Bang chicken, Chairman Mao's braised pork, China's great culinary traditions, chinese food, Dan Dan noodles, Hot and Spicy Hunan Chicken, Hunan food, Mapo Tofu, numb and spicy, Sichuan food, Sichuan hot pot, Sichuan peppercorn, steamed fish head in chili sauce, Szechuan food, Twice Cooked Pork, Xiang Food, 剁椒蒸鱼头, 四川火锅, 四川菜, 回锅肉, 担担面, 棒棒鸡, 毛氏红烧肉, 湖南菜, 湘菜, 花椒, 麻婆豆腐, 麻辣, 麻辣子鸡

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About sasha

Hailing from the mean streets of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, Sasha graduated from Michigan State University (Go Green!) in 2008 with a BA in Digital Media. Shortly thereafter, he moved to Beijing, where he still lives and works as an English teacher, Video Production teacher, and writer/video producer for Transparent Language.

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