{"id":13756,"date":"2017-10-19T17:01:41","date_gmt":"2017-10-19T21:01:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/?p=13756"},"modified":"2017-10-19T17:01:41","modified_gmt":"2017-10-19T21:01:41","slug":"an-intro-to-sichuan-cuisine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/an-intro-to-sichuan-cuisine\/","title":{"rendered":"An Intro to Sichuan Cuisine"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you’ve ever been to a Chinese restaurant, chances are you’ve seen something labeled as “Szechuan” before. This is the outdated spelling (similar to Peking for Beijing) of Sichuan<\/strong><\/a> (\u56db\u5ddd – s\u00ec chu\u0101n), which is a province in southwest China. However you spell it, this corner of China is responsible for some of the country’s most delicious food. Let’s dig in and check it out in an intro to Sichuan cuisine<\/strong> (\u56db\u5ddd\u83dc – s\u00ec chu\u0101n c\u00e0i).<\/p>\n

What is Sichuan Cuisine?<\/h2>\n
\"An<\/a>

The numb and spicy Sichuan hot pot.<\/p><\/div>\n

Sichuan cuisine is one of the most famous and popular in all of China, and it’s one variety of Chinese food that can be found all over the world.\u00a0In fact, Sichuan cuisine may be second only to Cantonese in terms of worldwide popularity. One of the most unique aspects of Sichuan cuisine is the\u00a0Sichuan peppercorn\u00a0<\/strong>(\u82b1\u6912 \u2013 hu\u0101 ji\u0101o \u2013 lit. \u201cflower pepper\u201d) \u2013 an unassuming little pepper that leaves your mouth feeling incredibly numb. Sichuan cuisine is also famous for a few particular flavors:\u00a0numb and<\/strong>\u00a0spicy<\/strong>\u00a0(\u9ebb\u8fa3 \u2013 m\u00e1 l\u00e0),\u00a0fish fragrance\u00a0<\/strong>(\u9c7c\u9999 \u2013 y\u00fa xi\u0101ng), and the\u00a0strange\/exotic taste<\/strong>\u00a0(\u602a\u5473 \u2013 gu\u00e0i w\u00e8i). Both\u00a0ma la<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0yu xiang\u00a0<\/em>can be found all over China, but the\u00a0guai wei<\/em>\u00a0is 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.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/youtu.be\/7e-ndq98V7U<\/a><\/p>\n

Learn about Sichuan cuisine in this short video.<\/em><\/p>\n

Common Sichuan Dishes<\/h2>\n
\"\"<\/a>

Mmmm.. Sichuan food.<\/p><\/div>\n

So… what’s on the menu in a real Sichuan joint? Here are some common Sichuan dishes, including some with very interesting names:<\/p>\n

\u5bab\u4fdd\u9e21\u4e01
\n\u56db\u5ddd\u706b\u9505
\n\u9ebb\u5a46\u8c46\u8150
\n\u62c5\u62c5\u9762
\n\u9c7c\u9999\u8089\u4e1d
\n\u5e72\u7178\u56db\u5b63\u8c46
\n\u592b\u59bb\u80ba\u7247
\n\u6c34\u716e\u9c7c
\n\u9178\u8fa3\u6284\u624b
\n\u56de\u9505\u8089
\n\u8682\u8681\u4e0a\u6811
\n\u9ebb\u8fa3\u5154\u5934<\/div>
g\u014dng b\u01ceo j\u012b d\u012bng
\ns\u00ec chu\u0101n hu\u01d2 gu\u014d
\nm\u00e1 p\u00f3 d\u00f2u fu
\nd\u00e0n d\u00e0n mi\u00e0n
\ny\u00fa xi\u0101ng r\u00f2u s\u012b
\ng\u0101n bi\u0101n s\u00ec j\u00ec d\u00f2u
\nf\u016b q\u012b f\u00e8i pi\u00e0n
\nshu\u01d0 zh\u01d4 y\u00fa
\nsu\u0101n l\u00e0 ch\u0101o sh\u01d2u
\nhu\u00ed gu\u014d r\u00f2u
\nm\u01ce y\u01d0 sh\u00e0ng sh\u00f9
\nm\u00e1 l\u00e0 t\u00f9 t\u00f3u<\/div>
kung pao chicken
\nSichuan hot pot
\nmapo tofu
\ndan dan noodles
\nfish-scented pork
\ndry stir-fried green bears
\nHusband and Wife Lung Slices
\nboiled fish
\nhot and sour wontons
\ntwice-cooked pork
\n“Ants Climbing the Tree”
\nspicy rabbit heads<\/div>
<\/div><\/p>\n

I’m sure you recognize kung pao<\/em> chicken, but you’re probably wondering about a few of those.\u00a0Here’s a description for some of the more famous Sichuan dishes on the list, as well as some of those with a strange name:<\/p>\n

Mapo Tofu<\/h3>\n

This famous dish \u2013 which literally means \u201cpockmarked grandmother tofu\u201d \u2013\u00a0 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\u2019re a vegetarian<\/a>, just tell your waiter, \u201cI don\u2019t eat meat<\/strong>\u201d (\u6211\u4e0d\u5403\u8089 \u2013 w\u01d2 b\u00f9 ch\u012b r\u00f2u) and they\u2019ll whip it up for you minus the pork\/beef.<\/p>\n

Sichuan Hot Pot<\/h3>\n

We can\u2019t 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\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n