Sichuan cuisine originated from Bashu in ancient China. It has gone through four stages: from the Spring and Autumn Period to the budding stage of the Jin Dynasty, from the Sui and Tang Dynasties to the Five Dynasties, from the Song Dynasty to Sichuan and spread to other places, and to the formation of cuisines in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China. Since then, from the Revolution of 1911 to War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, China cuisine has integrated various factions and enriched Sichuan cuisine. The development of Sichuan food culture depends on unique natural conditions. Sichuan has enjoyed the reputation of "Land of Abundance" since ancient times.
Rivers crisscross the territory, with evergreen seasons and rich cooking ingredients: there are delicacies, wild animals, fish, shrimp, crabs and turtles in the river; There are all kinds of fat and delicious livestock, as well as all kinds of fresh vegetables and bamboo shoots that keep coming all the year round; There are many kinds of brewing condiments and planting condiments with excellent quality, such as Zigong salt, Neijiang sugar, Langzhong Baoning vinegar, Deyang soy sauce, Pixian bean paste, Mao Wen pepper, Yongchuan douchi, Fuling mustard tuber, Xufu bean sprouts, Nanchong winter vegetables, Chengdu new pickles, peppers, etc., all of which provide a good material basis for the cooking of various Sichuan dishes. In addition, Sichuan's wine and tea have excellent varieties and high quality, which has also played a certain role in promoting the development of Sichuan's food culture.
The development of Sichuan food culture also depends on people's customs. According to historians' research, Shu people in Cuba have long had the dietary customs of "respecting taste" and "spicy and fragrant". When nobles and rich people get married and entertain guests, there are various banquets such as "kitchen banquet", "picnic banquet", "boat banquet" and "picnic banquet". In the Qing Dynasty, folk weddings, funerals and celebrations also generally organized "family banquets", "field banquets" and "dismounting banquets", thus creating a large number of professionals who are good at cooking, making Sichuan cuisine cooking skills handed down from generation to generation and enduring.
In addition, the development of Sichuan food culture not only depends on its rich natural conditions and traditional customs, but also benefits from being good at absorbing foreign experience extensively. Regardless of the court, government, ethnic and folk dishes, or religious temple dishes, they all absorb and digest, take their essence and enrich themselves. Qin destroyed Bashu, and the rich and powerful people who "migrated" into Sichuan brought the dietary customs of the Central Plains. Later, foreigners who ruled Sichuan in past dynasties also brought their eating habits and famous dishes to Sichuan.
Especially in the Qing Dynasty, more foreigners entered Sichuan. These people who entered Sichuan from other places not only brought their original eating habits, but were gradually assimilated by the traditional eating habits in Sichuan. In this case, Sichuan cuisine absorbs the strengths of various places, implements "southern Sichuan cuisine" and "northern Sichuan cuisine", inherits the development tradition, and constantly improves and perfects, forming a Sichuan cuisine with unique flavor and broad mass base. As we all know, Sichuanese like to eat hot pot, which is famous all over the country for its spicy taste. Hot pot and rich food constitute a wonderful flower in Sichuan food culture. Sichuan is a basin, which is easily associated with hot pot. Hot pot is a small basin, and Sichuan is a big basin.
Anyone who has been to Sichuan knows that the climate in Sichuan is hot and dry in summer and cold and humid in winter. Eating hot pot in cold winter can not only keep out the cold, but also prevent diseases such as arthritis and rheumatism. Hot pot of pepper, pepper, Sanlai, star anise and other things can not only stimulate appetite, but also help to treat diseases. This is why there are so many things like peppers in Sichuan cuisine. It is very different from the hot and sour in Hunan, the salty and spicy in Shaanxi and the spicy in Guizhou. There are many spicy foods in other places, but their original intention has little to do with this humid and cold climate. Hot pot is a hodgepodge, all-encompassing, which has created a great precedent for China's food culture.
Meat and eggs, all kinds of vegetables, anything that can be used for "scalding" can be used as a hot pot material. So Sichuanese call eating hot pot "soup hot pot". It's really big and complete, full of color, flavor and taste. Shu culture is exquisite and profound, which is manifested in hot pot and food culture, but it also has the meaning of "small bridge flowing water". The decoration and packaging of Chengdu hotpot restaurant are simple and generous, while the cooking of soup and food in hotpot restaurant is more exquisite and compact. In Chengdu, hot pot is called "hot bonsai", which is also related to this cultural difference. In the choice of store name, it also fully shows the cultural characteristics of Shu, such as "Mother of Imperial Capital", "Furong Country" and "Lion Building".
Chengdu's hot pot culture comes from Chongqing, but it is more fragrant and fresh than Chongqing's hot pot, and its spicy taste is moderate. Sichuanese are more interested in spicy food, and pay attention to being rigid outside and soft inside. Spicy food is rigid but not soft, while soft food is fragrant but not rigid. The so-called combination of rigidity and softness, combination of rigidity and softness, spicy and delicious, spicy and delicious, and a kind of hemp flavor. Coupled with the slow mixing of the three flavors, the copper pot has an endless aftertaste.
As the saying goes: food in Sichuan, taste in Chengdu. Chengdu is a metropolis in Sichuan and the center of Sichuan food culture. Food is our people's world, and Sichuan cuisine represents the taste of the people in southwest China. Therefore, this is why Sichuan cuisine ranks among the "four major cuisines" in China. Speaking of Sichuan cuisine in Chengdu, it has long been famous. Zuo Si, a writer in the Western Jin Dynasty, once mentioned the delicious color of Chengdu Sichuan cuisine in Shu Du Fu, which made people "drool for three thousands of feet". Scholars of all ages also praised Sichuan cuisine in Chengdu, so there are still dishes named after scholars in Sichuan cuisine.
In a word, Sichuan cuisine has a long history and strong local flavor. With rich varieties, varied tastes and strong adaptability, it enjoys the reputation of "one dish is unique and all kinds of dishes are delicious". It has won the favor of people at home and abroad for its delicious taste and unique style. Many people exclaim that "food is in China, but taste is in Sichuan". The continuous development of Sichuan cuisine has also enriched the connotation of Sichuan cuisine culture.