Szechuan (Sichuan) cuisine is a style of Chinese cuisine originating in Sichuan Province of southwestern China which has an international reputation for being hot and spicy.
The common ingredient in Szechuan cuisine is Sichuan peppercorn, or Fagara. This is an indigenous plant whose peppercorns produce a fragrant, numbing, almost citrusy spice. Also common are Chilli, ginger, star anise, fennel seed, coriander, chili bean paste, garlic and spicy herbs.
This emphasis on spice may derive from the region's warm, humid climate, where people need a good sweat and necessitates sophisticated food-preservation techniques which include pickling, salting, drying and smoking.
Common cooking methods include smoking, stir frying, braising and simmering, which allow peppers and aromatic seasonings time to infuse food with unforgettable tastes and aromas, but a complete list would include more than 20 distinct methods.
Beef is somewhat more common in Szechuan cuisine than it is in other Chinese cuisines, perhaps due to the widespread use of oxen in the region. Stir-fried beef is often cooked until chewy, while steamed beef is sometimes coated with rice flour to produce a very rich gravy.
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A tip from 'Metropolasia-Man' :
Although the Sichuan cuisine is known for being ultra-spicy, many of its dishes are actually quite mild.
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Some well-known Szechuan dishes include Kung Pao chicken, Ma Por tofu and Twice Cooked Pork.
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Although many dishes live up to their spicy reputation, often ignored are the large percentage of recipes that use little or no hot spices at all, including dishes such as the famous Tea Smoked Duck.
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