When it comes to Sichuan cuisine, the first thing friends think of is spicy. Indeed, spicy Sichuan food can easily give people this impression. It was so spicy that I screamed at the entrance, but after the spicy degree was slightly reduced, I couldn't help but try it, and then I tasted the freshness, fragrance, sweetness and hemp of Sichuan cuisine under the stimulation of spicy taste.
The taste of Sichuan food can be restored. It's hard to say whether it's all sweet or Chili oil. After all, in the cooking of Sichuan cuisine, spicy is not the main flavor, but only one of the compound flavors. It is really the core of Sichuan cuisine, not the pepper in the morning, not the Chili oil, but the seasoning.
Bean paste, I will see them in the cooking process of most Sichuan dishes. Braised pork, spicy tofu and kung pao chicken are all classics of Sichuan cuisine, and Pixian bean paste is the source of taste. Sichuanese love Pixian bean paste so much that even hot pot ingredients should be stir-fried with Pixian bean paste, which is enough to prove the influence of Pixian bean paste in their minds.
When did red bean paste appear in Sichuan?
In Sichuan, bean paste has a history of more than 400 years. From the Xianfeng period in the late Qing Dynasty, the fragrance of Pixian bean paste has been accompanied by Sichuanese. Pixian bean paste with spicy and mellow taste is not only deeply engraved in the hearts of Sichuanese, but also taken out of the country by Sichuanese. In Chinatowns all over the world, you will see all kinds of private restaurants, and you can smell the thick bean paste as soon as you enter the door.
Why Pixian bean paste can be handed down in Sichuan?
Sichuan is "the land of abundance in Chengdu", but its geographical position is unique, with mountains and water and a cold and humid climate. More than 400 years ago, the refrigerator was not invented, but people's farming technology has already been upgraded to a higher level. A large number of cowpeas were planted and eaten at one time, and in a few days they began to mold.
The thrifty Sichuanese didn't want to throw away cowpea, so they mixed it with peppers that were widely planted at that time. Save the leftovers this time and eat them next time. Unexpectedly, the taste of cowpea is getting better and better, which complements the spicy taste of pepper, so it was transformed into Pixian bean paste today.
How is Pixian bean paste made?
Pixian bean paste, light and mellow, takes a year. During the period, it needs to be turned over, aired and exposed constantly, and the production process is very complicated. Therefore, it is a great thing that Chengdu Pixian can inherit the ancient skills of Pixian bean paste. Bean paste is also famous.
Soak the full-grained cowpeas first, sprinkle with baking powder, and then wrap them with flour. After a few days, cowpea grows and develops Aspergillus flavus. Then mix the cowpea with salt and put it in a big salting pool. Ten months later, the taste of cowpea changed.
Then fermented with bad pepper, and after a long period of stirring, drying and fermentation, Pixian bean paste was finished. A can of Pixian bean paste needs to be dried 12 times a day, three-year special Pixian bean paste needs to be dried 13 140 times, and five-year top-grade bean paste needs to be dried at least 2 1900 times.
How delicious is the bean paste?
Bean paste is characterized by crispy and granular cowpea and strong sauce flavor. From the appearance, Pixian bean paste has bright color, resonance and moderate viscosity. Although spicy, but sweet, the meaning is still unfinished. Stir-fried Sichuan-style pork, you must add Pixian bean paste, pork belly is fragrant but not greasy, and vegetable oil is completely solved by cowpea.
The most popular spicy little seafood in Sichuan is Pixian bean paste. Stir-fry seafood in a pot, and a little cooking wine can remove the fishy smell. Finally, dig a spoonful of bean paste, stir-fry until the seafood is cooked, the trowel fades, and the shellfish opens its mouth, then serve. Generally speaking, whether it is seafood or meat, you only need to add bean paste, and the taste is first-class.