Sichuan style dishes are one of the eight major cuisines in China. They have always enjoyed the reputation of "one dish, one style, one hundred dishes and one hundred flavors". It has a long history and a long history. According to historical records, Sichuan cuisine originated from the ancient countries of Ba and Shu. Sichuan cuisine was originally only popular in the Bashu region. The popularity of Sichuan cuisine across the country began after the reform and opening up in the 1980s. Comrade Deng Xiaoping made great contributions to the development of Sichuan cuisine. Sichuan cuisine includes the characteristics of Chongqing, Chengdu and Leshan, Neijiang, Zigong and other local cuisines. The main feature is the variety of flavors. Chili pepper, pepper, Sichuan peppercorns, bean paste, etc. are the main condiments. Different ratios create spicy, sour, peppery, sesame sauce, garlic paste, mustard, red oil, sweet and sour, fish flavor, strange flavor, etc. The taste types are all thick and mellow, with the special flavor of "one dish, one style" and "hundred dishes and hundreds of flavours", and all kinds of dishes are very popular. As early as more than a thousand years ago, "Ode to the Capital of Shu" written by Zuo Si, a writer of the Western Jin Dynasty, contained the description of "sitting in the middle of a golden barrier, with food spread out on four sides, a glass of clear tincture, and fresh purple scales". During the Tang and Song Dynasties, Sichuan cuisine became even more popular. The poet Lu You once praised Sichuan cuisine with the poem "jade eats the Emei fungus, and gold eats the fish in the Bing cave". After Beijing was established as the capital in the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, as the number of officials in Sichuan increased, a large number of Beijing chefs settled in Chengdu and engaged in the catering industry. As a result, Sichuan cuisine has further developed and gradually become the main local cuisine in my country. There are Sichuan restaurants in the United States, Japan, France, Canada, Southeast Asia and Hong Kong, and they are well received by foreign guests from all over the world. There are as many as 38 cooking methods in Sichuan cuisine, including stir-frying, pan-frying, dry-roasting, deep-frying, smoking, soaking, stewing, stewing, braising, sticking and popping. In terms of taste, special attention is paid to color, aroma, taste and shape, and it has the advantages of both north and south. It is famous for its rich, wide and thick taste. There have always been "seven flavors" (sweet, sour, numbing, spicy, bitter, fragrant, salty) and eight flavors (dry roasted, sour, spicy, fishy, ??dry stir-fried, strange flavor, peppery numbing, and red oil). Sichuan cuisine therefore has three characteristics: a wide range of materials, diverse seasonings, and strong adaptability of dishes. A complete flavor system is composed of five major categories: banquet dishes, popular light dishes, home-cooked dishes, three-steamed and nine-duck dishes, and flavored snacks. It enjoys the reputation of "eat in China and taste in Sichuan" internationally. Among the most famous dishes are: dry-roasted rock carp, dry-roasted mandarin fish, fish-flavored shredded pork, strange-flavor chicken, kung pao chicken, steamed beef with rice flour, mapo tofu, tripe hot pot, dry-fried shredded beef, couple Fei slices, Dengying beef, Dandan noodles, glutinous rice balls, Long Chaoshou, etc. Four-flavor abalone, twice-cooked pork, fish-flavored shredded pork, sesame oil chicken, Kung Pao chicken. Sichuan cuisine is also a cuisine with a long history. Its birthplace is the ancient countries of Ba and Shu. According to "Huayang Guozhi", the Shu Kingdom has "mountain forests and fish, gardens full of melons and fruits, which have been ripe for four generations." The country of Ba "grows grains in its soil and has livestock" and produces fish salt and tea honey. At that time, the condiments of Ba and Shu included brine, rock salt, Sichuan pepper, and "Yangpu ginger". Among the cultural relics unearthed from the cemetery during the Warring States Period, there are various bronzes and pottery utensils, and the germination of Sichuan cuisine can be seen. The formation of Sichuan cuisine roughly occurred between the unification of China by Qin Shihuang and the establishment of the Three Kingdoms. At that time, the political, economic and cultural center of Sichuan gradually moved to Chengdu. At that time, both the selection of cooking raw materials and the use of condiments, as well as the requirements for knife skills, heat and professional cooking levels, had begun to take shape, and the embryonic form of cuisine had already taken shape. King Qin Hui and Emperor Qin Shihuang immigrated to Shu in large numbers twice, bringing with them advanced production technology from the Central Plains, which greatly promoted and promoted the development of production. The Qin Dynasty laid a good economic foundation for Shuzhong, and it became even more prosperous in the Han Dynasty. Zhang Qian went on a mission to the Western Regions and introduced courgettes, beans, walnuts, soybeans, garlic and other varieties, and also added cooking ingredients and seasonings to Sichuan cuisine. During the Western Han Dynasty, the country was unified, and both government-run and private businesses were relatively developed. Five major commercial cities emerged with Chang'an as the center, including Chengdu. During the Three Kingdoms period, Wei, Shu, and Wu were at the same level, and Liu Bei regarded Chengdu as the "capital of Shu." Although the country is divided, Shuzhong is relatively stable and has created good conditions for the development of business, including the catering industry. This gave Sichuan cuisine a solid foundation in its early stages of formation. The progress and development of the culinary industry has led to an increase in the number of professional restaurants and wine shops in Sichuan. "Wen Jun is like a monk, and his appearance is like a clean utensil", which is evidence of progress and change. At this time, the number of professional cooks increased and cooking technology advanced by leaps and bounds. What's more important is that the dignitaries, wealthy businessmen, and celebrities who live in the city are paying more and more attention to eating, drinking and enjoying themselves. They have higher requirements for the style and taste of dishes, and have played a great role in promoting the formation and development of Sichuan cuisine. At that time, Sichuan cuisine paid special attention to the cooking of fish and meat.
In the "Four Seasons Food System", Cao Cao specifically recorded that "Pixian fish, with yellow scales and red tails, comes out of rice fields and can be made into sauce"; yellow croaker "is hundreds of pounds in size, has soft bones and is edible, and comes out of Jiangyang and Jianwei." "Steamed catfish" is also mentioned, which shows that there was a dish of steamed catfish at that time. Zuo Si, a litterateur of the Western Jin Dynasty, described the cooking techniques and banquets of Sichuan cuisine more than 1,500 years ago in "Ode to the Capital of Shu" as "the old custom is that at the end of winter and the beginning of spring, on auspicious days, a wine hall is set up to entertain guests." The capital of poets and saints of poetry in the Tang Dynasty Li Bai has an indissoluble bond with Sichuan cuisine. When he was young, he moved with his father to Longchang, Jinzhou, which is now Qinglian Town, Jiangyou, Sichuan. He did not leave Sichuan until he was 25 years old. During his nearly 20 years in Sichuan, he loved to eat famous local dishes. Steam the duck. After the chef slaughters the duck, he puts the duck into a container, adds wine and other seasonings, injects the soup, seals the mouth of the container tightly with a large piece of soaked tissue paper, and steams it to maintain its original flavor and aroma. In the first year of Tianbao, Li Bai was favored by Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty and went to Beijing to serve Hanlin. He used the stewed duck he had eaten when he was young as a model and presented it to Emperor Xuanzong with steamed fat duck made of century-old Huadiao, wolfberry, and Panax notoginseng. I was very happy and named this dish "Taibai Duck". The poet Du Fu lived in Sichuan Cottage for a long time and sang a hymn about "Taibai Duck" in his "Song of Watching Fishing". Sichuan cuisine in the Song Dynasty crossed the border of Bashu and entered the East. Both are well-known to the world. Coincidentally, there were two great writers and poets in the Song Dynasty who had an inextricable love for Sichuan cuisine, namely Su Shi of the Northern Song Dynasty and Lu You of the Southern Song Dynasty. Su Shi was influenced by Sichuan cuisine when he was 20 years old. He went to the capital with his father and younger brother to take the exam. It was very cold in Kaifeng in the winter, and everyone from the court to the people lived on the vegetables they collected. However, Su Shi’s poems contained many poems about using vegetables in their meals, such as " Autumn comes, frost and dew fill the winter garden, and the reeds bear children and grandchildren. "I have the same hunger as He Zeng, and I don't know why I eat chicken and dolphin so hard." "The kale is like mushrooms, crisp and beautiful, and the teeth and cheeks ring." "White cabbage lamb, bear paws emerging from the soil." These are actually the poet's nostalgia for Sichuan cuisine. He is truly worthy of being a famous gourmet. He not only wrote the popular "Lao Tao Fu", but also created Dongpo Rou, Dongpo Pork, and Dongpo Pork. Delicious dishes such as Po Gengzi and Jade Grits Gengzi have made valuable contributions to Sichuan cuisine. Lu Fangweng, who died at the age of 85, was not satisfied with his career in politics and his love life, but his long life should be attributed to Lu You's open-mindedness and reasonable diet. A native of Zhejiang, he came to Shu at the age of 46 under the emperor's order, and left Sichuan at the age of 54. The nine years during which he left were important in his political career. Although "Xiao Zong missed him for a long time and called him eastward, he never forgot it." "Sichuan". In particular, Sichuan's food made him unforgettable. The flavor of Sichuan cuisine during this period can be seen from the works of literary giants of the Tang and Song dynasties. After the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties established Beijing as their capital, as the number of Sichuan officials increased, a large number of Beijing chefs went there Settling in Chengdu and operating the catering industry, Sichuan cuisine further developed and gradually became the main local cuisine in my country. In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, Sichuan cuisine was seasoned with chili peppers, which established the seasoning tradition of "high taste" and "good fragrance" formed in the Bashu period. It has further developed. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, Li Tiaoyuan, a famous scholar in Luojiang, Sichuan, systematically collected 38 cooking methods of Sichuan cuisine in his "Hanhai Xingyuan Lu", such as stir-fried, stir-fried, stir-fried, stir-fried, fried Soy, fried, boiled, blanched, grits, pan-fried, steamed, pasted, stuffed, rolled, steamed, roasted, stewed, stewed, spread, simmered, braised, soaked, roasted, baked, sticky, boiled, bad, drunk, washed, etc. , as well as cold dishes such as mixed, braised, smoked, pickled, preserved, frozen, sauce, etc., there are many famous dishes in both official and market dishes. During the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty, there was a small restaurant beside Wanfu Bridge outside the north gate of Chengdu. , the lady shopkeeper surnamed Chen with sesame noodles used tender tofu, minced beef, chili, Sichuan peppercorns, bean paste, etc. to cook spicy and delicious dishes, which were very popular. This was the famous "Ma Po Tofu", and later the restaurant It was also renamed "Chen Mapo Tofu Shop". Ding Baozhen, a Xianfeng Jinshi from Guizhou, served as governor of Shandong and later governor of Sichuan. He was named "Prince Shaobao" for his merits in guarding the border and was known as "Ding Gongbao". He likes to eat fried chicken made from peanuts and tender chicken meat. After it spread to the market, it became "Kung Pao Chicken". Since the late Qing Dynasty, Sichuan cuisine has gradually formed a cuisine with extremely rich local flavor, featuring a wide range of materials, diverse seasonings, and dishes. It has the characteristics of strong adaptability. It consists of five types of dishes, including banquet dishes, popular casual dishes, home-cooked dishes, three-steamed and nine-duck dishes, and flavor snacks. It is famous for its spicy food. It has a considerable influence on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and places such as Yunnan and Guizhou. Now, Sichuan cuisine has spread all over the country and even overseas, and is known as "Taste of Sichuan". Sichuan cuisine is represented by dishes from Chongqing and Chengdu. .
The condiments used are both complex and diverse, and full of characteristics; especially the so-called "Three Peppers" Sichuan peppercorns, peppers, and chili peppers, the "Three Spices" of onions, ginger, garlic, vinegar, and Pixian bean paste are used frequently and in large quantities. , far beyond comparison with other cuisines. In particular, the "fish flavor" and "strange smell" are inseparable from these condiments. If substitutes are used, the taste will be compromised. Sichuan cuisine has a saying of "seven flavors and eight flavors". The "seven flavors" refer to sweet, sour, numbing, spicy, bitter, fragrant, and salty; the "eight flavors" refer to fish flavor, hot and sour, spicy, strange, spicy, Red oil, ginger juice, homemade. There are as many as 38 cooking methods. In terms of taste, Sichuan cuisine pays special attention to "one dish, one style", and has excellent color, aroma, taste and shape. Therefore, there is a saying in the international culinary circle that "food is in China, taste is in Sichuan". There are more than 300 famous Sichuan dishes including Dengying beef, camphor tea duck, tripe hot pot, husband and wife lung slices, Dongpo cuttlefish, steamed Jiang Tuan, etc. Among them, "Dengying Beef" is made in a unique way with a unique flavor; the beef hind leg meat is cut into thin slices, sprinkled with fried salt to dry out the moisture, wrapped into a cylinder to dry, and spread flat on a wire rack. , dry it in the oven, steam it in a steamer, take it out, cut it into small pieces and steam it thoroughly. Finally, put it in the wok and fry it thoroughly, add the seasonings, let it cool, and then drizzle it with sesame oil. This dish is translucent, as thin as paper, bright red, and smooth. When placed under a lamp, the red shadow of the beef slices can be reflected on the paper or wall, like a lantern shadow play. "Couple's Beef Slices" is a well-known flavor dish in Chengdu. According to legend, in the 1930s, a hawker named Guo Chaohua and his wife made cold beef lung slices and hawked them in the streets and alleys. People jokingly called it "couple's lung slices" and it is still used today. "Dongpo Cuttlefish" is a delicacy in Leshan, Sichuan related to Su Dongpo, the great writer of the Northern Song Dynasty. Cuttlefish is not a squid in the sea, but a kind of cuttlefish with a small mouth, a long body and a lot of meat in the Minjiang River at the foot of Lingyun Mountain and Wulong Mountain in Leshan City. It is also called "squid". It is said that when Su Dongpo went to Lingyun Temple to study, he often went to Lingyun Rock to wash inkstones. The fish in the river ate his ink, and his skin was as black as ink. People called it "Dongpo Cuttlefish"; they also called it Jiang Tuan and Fei Huan. It is one of the three famous fish in Sichuan and has become a special dish of Sichuan cuisine. "Steamed Jiangtuan" is known as Jialing's delicacy and the best delicacy. During the Anti-Japanese War, the famous chefs Zhang Shijie and Zheng Zuhua of Yunliu Restaurant in Chengjiang Town, Sichuan were famous for their dishes such as "Barbecued Pork Jiang Tuan" and "Steamed Jiang Tuan". General Feng Yuxiang also tasted Jiangtuan at Yunliu Restaurant before going to the United States to inspect water conservancy. After eating, he praised "Sichuan Jiangtuan is truly well-deserved." The reason why authentic Sichuan cuisine has its own characteristics and excels in taste is closely related to the condiments used. For example, when making twice-cooked pork and fish-flavored shredded pork, it would be difficult to appreciate the "authentic" taste without Sichuan's Pixian douban and pickled peppers. Some chefs from other provinces and cities learn Sichuan cuisine. Although they have mastered some cooking and seasoning techniques of Sichuan cuisine, when they return to the local area, because they do not have some necessary seasonings for cooking Sichuan cuisine, the Sichuan cuisine they cook is always not "authentic" enough. ". It can be seen that to cook Sichuan cuisine, important condiments such as Sichuan salt, Sichuan peppercorns, Pixian watercress, pickled peppers, etc. are absolutely indispensable. For Sichuan restaurants opened outside Sichuan, the special main ingredients, auxiliary ingredients and condiments used are also shipped from Sichuan. The purpose is still to maintain the "authenticity" of real Sichuan cuisine.