The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Sichuanese Foods. If you manage to be in an Sichuanese restaurant or you are visiting Sichuan in China, I recommend the following:
1. Ants Climbing a Tree
It consists of glass noodles in spicy sauce with minced pork. The name comes from the visual appearance of the dish, where the noodles represent branches, the chopped green onions represent leaves and the minced pork represents ants. It is recommended to add a little more broth or soy sauce according to personal preference, as the noodles will absorb the sauce. In Sichuan, cooks often add finely chopped fresh or dried chillies to the dish, while in other parts of China and Taiwan, the dish is less spicy and a mild bean paste is used.
2. Dan Dan Noodles
These are true classics of Chinese food. The star of this dish is the spicy sauce served with the noodles. Made with chilli oil, kimchi, peppercorns and sometimes tahini or peanut butter, the sauce is spicy and complex. Meat is also often added, usually ground pork or beef, but mainly as a garnish.
3. Hot and Sour Soup
Sweet and sour soup is a classic meal for all occasions and most climates. It usually contains ingredients such as lily shoots, bamboo shoots, tofu, mushrooms and pork blood broth. The spiciness comes from red or white pepper, while the acidity is achieved through the use of vinegar. Sweet and sour soup is usually drunk after a big meal or as a hangover remedy.
4. Kung Pao Chicken
A favourite among Chinese expatriates and a staple of Western Chinese cuisine, Kung Pao chicken is a spicy stir-fry made with diced chicken, vegetables, peanuts and peppercorns. It originates from Sichuan province and has a unique and interesting origin story.
5. Mala Sauce
It is a thick spicy sauce made from Sichuan peppercorns, chillies, oil and a small amount of various spices. It is considered one of the most popular sauces in Chinese cuisine, with many local variations. The sauce is so hot that it is even implied in its name, the word málà literally means hot, evoked by the Sichuan peppercorns.
6. Mapo doufu
It consists of tofu cubes soaked in a spicy sauce containing ground meat, traditionally beef or pork, and fermented black beans known as tempeh. The name Ma Po is an abbreviation that translates as grandmother with pockmarks, which refers to the appearance of a woman. The dish’s mind-blowingly hot and spicy flavour comes from Sichuan peppercorns, chilli oil and bean paste, and other ingredients include rice wine, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, chopped green onion and optional starch. It is used as a thickener.
7. Pào cài
Served as an appetizer, as a refreshment or as a side dish, it is a Sichuan-style pickled dish made with a variety of vegetables, mainly Chinese cabbage, carrots, mustard greens, long beans, radishes, radish, cucumbers, ginger and bell peppers. These crunchy and spicy pickles are always available, and almost every home kitchen has a large jar filled with a variety of seasonal vegetables served in a simple watery vinegar seasoned with salt, sugar and peppercorns.
8. Shuizhu
Thin slices of meat or fish are briefly boiled in water or broth and then served on a bed of various vegetables such as onions, mushrooms, spinach, bean sprouts or celery. The dish is then topped with a spicy sauce made from roasted chillies and Sichuan peppercorns and finished with a generous drizzle of teppanyaki oil. The characteristics of the cooked vegetables are spicy and the main ingredients are fresh and tender.
9. Sichuan Hot Pot
It is an extremely spicy dish that is prepared by melting ingredients in a pot of boiling broth. Toppings can include sliced meats, offal, seafood, vegetables, noodles and, most importantly, peppercorns. Eating stew is a communal activity, so people often gather around the pot to socialise and add ingredients.
10. Twice Cooked Pork
Twice-boiled pork is a Sichuan meat made from a fatty pork leg or belly cooked in two different ways. The pork is first cooked in a pot and then cooled in the refrigerator to allow the meat and fat to solidify. The meat is then thinly sliced and sautéed with vegetables such as cabbage, peppers, leeks and mushrooms until browned and the skin is crispy around the edges. Ingredients vary according to the chef, but most include a sauce made from chilli beans, fermented black beans and rice wine, as well as meat and vegetables in the pot.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional Asian Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.