What is Sichuan cuisine? Why is it one of the eight major cuisines?
SiChuan style dishes is one of the eight major cuisines in China. It has always enjoyed the reputation of "one dish is unique, and all kinds of dishes are delicious". It has a long history and a long history. According to historical records, Sichuan cuisine originated in ancient Pakistan and Shu. Sichuan cuisine was originally popular only in Bashu area, and its popularity in the whole country began after the reform and opening up in 1980s. Comrade Deng Xiaoping made great contributions to the development of Sichuan cuisine. Sichuan cuisine includes Chongqing, Chengdu, Leshan, Neijiang and Zigong. The main feature is the variety of flavors. Pepper, pepper, pepper, bean paste and so on are the main condiments. With different proportions, various flavors such as spicy, hot and sour, pepper hemp, sesame paste, garlic paste, mustard, red oil, sweet and sour, fish flavor and strange taste are produced, all of which are thick and mellow, with the special flavor of "one dish in a row" and "all kinds of dishes are delicious". As early as more than 1000 years ago, there was a description of "sitting in the golden base, dishes separated by four Chen, licking with clear tincture, and rarely with purple scales" in Shu Du Fu written by Zuo Si, a writer in the Western Jin Dynasty. During the Tang and Song Dynasties, Sichuan cuisine became more popular. Lu You, a poet, once wrote a poem praising Sichuan cuisine: "Jade eats Emei fungus, and golden fish eats cave C". After the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties established Beijing as the capital, with the increase of officials entering Sichuan, a large number of Beijing chefs went to Chengdu to settle down and run the catering industry, so Sichuan cuisine has been further developed and gradually became the main local cuisine in China. There are Sichuan restaurants in the United States, Japan, France, Canada, Southeast Asia and Hong Kong, which are well received by foreign guests from all over the world. There are thirty-eight cooking methods of Sichuan cuisine, such as frying, frying, dry-burning, frying, smoking, soaking, stewing, stewing, stewing, pasting and frying. In taste, it pays special attention to color, fragrance, taste, shape, and the length of both north and south, and is famous for its variety, breadth and thickness. There has always been a saying of "seven flavors" (sweet, sour, hemp, spicy, bitter, fragrant and salty) and eight flavors (dry burning, sour, spicy, fish-flavored, dry stir-fried, peculiar smell, pepper hemp and red oil). Therefore, Sichuan cuisine has three characteristics: extensive materials, diverse seasonings and strong adaptability of dishes. A complete flavor system is composed of five categories: banquet dishes, popular casual dishes, home-cooked dishes, three-steamed and nine-buckled dishes and flavor snacks. Enjoy the international reputation of "Food in China, Taste in Sichuan". Among them, the most famous dishes are: dry-roasted rock carp, dry-roasted mandarin fish, shredded pork with fish flavor, exotic chicken, kung pao chicken, steamed beef with rice flour, Mapo tofu, beef chafing dish with beef omasum, sliced pork with shredded beef, husband and wife's lungs, Dengying beef, Dandan Noodles, Lai Tangyuan, and dragon wonton soup. Four-flavor abalone, Sichuan-style pork, fish-flavored pork and sesame-oil chicken kung pao chicken Sichuan cuisine is also a cuisine with a long history, and its birthplace is ancient Pakistan and Shu. According to the records of Huayang National Records, Shu State is "full of fish in the mountains and fruits in the gardens. Four generations of festivals are ripe, and there is no ambiguity". Pakistan "grows five grains locally and has six animals", and produces fish salt and tea honey; At that time, the condiments in Pakistan and Shu had brine, rock salt, Sichuan pepper and "Yangpu Ginger". Among the cultural relics unearthed in the cemetery during the Warring States period, there have been various bronzes and pottery utensils, and the germination of Sichuan cuisine can be seen. The formation of Sichuan cuisine was roughly between Qin Shihuang's unification of China and the tripartite confrontation of the Three Kingdoms. At that time, the political, economic and cultural center of Sichuan gradually moved to Chengdu. At that time, no matter the raw materials for cooking, the use of condiments, the requirements of cutting and cooking and the level of professional cooking, it had begun to take shape and had the embryonic form of cuisine. Qin Huiwang and Qin Shihuang immigrated to Sichuan twice, which also brought advanced production technology in the Central Plains, which greatly promoted the development of production. Qin dynasty laid a good economic foundation for Shu, and it became richer in Han dynasty. Zhang Qian went to the Western Regions, introduced varieties such as Cucurbita pepo, Hudou, Walnut, Soybean and Garlic, and added cooking materials and seasonings for Sichuan cuisine. In the Western Han Dynasty, the country was unified, and government-run and private businesses were relatively developed. Five major commercial cities with Chang 'an as the center have emerged, including Chengdu. During the Three Kingdoms period, Wei, Shu and Wu stood in the balance, and Liu Bei took Chengdu as the "capital of Shu". Although it is divided in the whole country, it is relatively stable in central Sichuan, which has created good conditions for the development of commerce, including catering industry. So that the Sichuan cuisine has a solid foundation at the early stage of its formation. With the progress and development of the cooking industry, there are more professional food shops and wine shops in central Sichuan. "Wen Jun is like a washerwoman", which is evidence of progress and change. At this time, the number of professional cooks increased and the cooking technology advanced by leaps and bounds. More importantly, dignitaries, businessmen and celebrities who live in cities are paying more and more attention to eating, drinking and enjoying themselves. They have higher requirements on the style and taste of dishes, which has greatly promoted the formation and development of Sichuan cuisine. At that time, Sichuan cuisine paid special attention to the cooking of fish and meat. In "Four Seasons Food System", Cao Cao specially remembered that "Pixian Ziyu, with yellow scales and red tails, can be used as sauce when it comes out of rice fields"; The yellow croaker "weighs hundreds of pounds, and its bones are soft and edible. It is out of Jiangyang and Qianwei." Also mentioned "steamed catfish", it can be seen that there was a dish of steamed catfish. Zuo Si, a writer in the Western Jin Dynasty, described the cooking skills and grand banquet of Sichuan cuisine more than 500 years ago as "if it is old-fashioned, winter will start in spring, and it will be a good day, and wine will be set up in a high hall to entertain guests." In the Tang Dynasty, the immortals and saints of poetry had an indissoluble bond with Sichuan cuisine. Poet Li Bai moved with his father to Longchang, Jinzhou, now qinglian town, Jiangyou, Sichuan, and didn't leave Sichuan until he was 25 years old. During his nearly 20 years' life in Sichuan, he loved to eat stewed duck, a famous local dish. After the chef slaughters the duck, he puts the duck into the container, adds various seasonings such as wine, injects the soup, seals the mouth of the container with a large piece of soaked tissue paper, and keeps the original flavor after steaming, which is both fragrant and tender. In the first year of Tianbao, Li Bai was favored by Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty and went to Beijing to worship the Hanlin. Based on the stewed and steamed ducks he had eaten when he was young, he dedicated the steamed fat ducks, such as carved flowers, medlar and notoginseng, to Xuanzong. The emperor was very happy and named this dish "Taibai Duck". Du Fu, a poet saint, lived in Sichuan Caotang for a long time, and sang a hymn about "Taibai Duck" in his "Watching Fishing Song". In the Song Dynasty, Sichuan cuisine crossed the Bashu boundary and entered the eastern capital, which was known to the world. Coincidentally, there were two great writers and poets in the Song Dynasty who were inextricably linked with Sichuan cuisine, namely Su Shi in the Northern Song Dynasty and Lu You in the Southern Song Dynasty. Su Shi was influenced by the habit of Sichuan cuisine since childhood. At the age of 20, he went to Beijing with his father and brother to take the exam. Kaifeng is freezing in winter, from the palace to the folk, we all live on some vegetables collected. However, in Su Shi's poems, vegetables are particularly popular. For example, "Qiu Lai's winter garden is full of frost, and reeds give birth to mustard and grandchildren. I'm as full as ever, and I don't know why I eat chicken and dolphins. "Chinese kale is like a mushroom, crisp and beautiful. White-skinned lambs, take the soil out of the bear's paw. " These are actually the poets' nostalgia for Sichuan cuisine, and they are really worthy of being famous gourmets. Not only wrote the well-known "Gourmet Fu", but also created Dongpo meat, Dongpo soup and Yunang soup and other delicacies, making valuable contributions to Sichuan cuisine. Lu Fangweng, who died at the age of 85, was not satisfied with his official career and love life, but his longevity should benefit from his open-mindedness and reasonable diet. Although Lu You was from Zhejiang, he was ordered by the emperor to live in Shu at the age of 46 and leave Sichuan at the age of 54. In the meantime, nine years was an important period in his political career. Although "filial piety missed him for a long time, he was interested in calling to the east, but he never forgot Shu for a day." In particular, the diet in Sichuan made him unforgettable, and the flavor of Sichuan cuisine during this period can be seen from the legacy of writers in Tang and Song Dynasties. After the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties established Beijing as the capital, with the increase of Sichuan officials, a large number of Beijing chefs went to Chengdu to settle down and run the catering industry, which further developed Sichuan cuisine and gradually became the main local cuisine in China. In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, Sichuan cuisine was seasoned with Chili, which further developed the seasoning tradition of "respecting taste" and "being fragrant and spicy" formed in Bashu period. During the Qianlong period of Qing Dynasty, Li Diaoyuan, a famous scholar in Luojiang, Sichuan Province, systematically collected 38 cooking methods of Sichuan cuisine, such as frying, sliding, frying, frying, frying, boiling, scalding, cooking, pasting, brewing, rolling and frying. There are many famous dishes, whether official or local. During the reign of Tongzhi in the Qing Dynasty, there was a small restaurant near Wanfuqiao outside the north gate of Chengdu. The food cooked by the female shopkeeper named Chen with hemp grains was spicy and delicious, which was very popular. This was the famous "Mapo Tofu", and later the restaurant was renamed "Chenmapo Tofu Shop". Ding Baozhen, a scholar from Xianfeng, Guizhou Province, was once the governor of Shandong and then the governor of Sichuan. Because of his meritorious service in guarding the border, he was named "Prince Shaobao" and called "Ding Gongbao". He likes to eat fried diced chicken made of peanuts and tender diced chicken, which became "kung pao chicken" after being introduced into the market. Since the late Qing Dynasty, Sichuan cuisine has gradually formed a cuisine with extremely strong local flavor, with the characteristics of extensive materials, diverse seasonings and strong adaptability of dishes. A complete flavor system is composed of five kinds of dishes, such as banquet dishes, popular casual dishes, home-cooked dishes, three steamed dishes with nine buttons and flavor snacks. Its flavor is clear, fresh, mellow and strong, and it is famous for its spicy taste. It has a considerable impact on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and Yunnan and Guizhou. Now, Sichuan cuisine has spread all over the country and even overseas, and it has the reputation of "taste in Sichuan". Sichuan cuisine is represented by the dishes in Chongqing and Chengdu. The condiments used are complex and diverse, and full of characteristics; In particular, the pepper, pepper and pepper, the onion, ginger, garlic, vinegar and Pixian bean paste, which are known as "three peppers", are used frequently and in large quantities, far from being comparable to other cuisines. In particular, "fishy smell" and "strange taste" are inseparable from these condiments. If substitutes are used, the taste will be discounted. Sichuan cuisine has the saying of "seven flavors and eight flavors", which means sweet, sour, hemp, spicy, bitter, fragrant and salty; "Eight flavors" are fish flavor, sour and spicy, pepper hemp, strange taste, spicy, red oil, ginger juice and homely. There are as many as 38 cooking methods. In taste, Sichuan cuisine pays special attention to "one dish, one style", and its color, fragrance, taste and shape are all excellent, so there is a saying in the international culinary world that "food is in China and taste is in Sichuan". There are more than 300 kinds of famous Sichuan dishes, such as Dengying beef, Zhangcha duck, hairy belly hot pot, husband and wife lung slices, Dongpo cuttlefish and steamed Jiangtuan. Among them, the production method of "Dengying Beef" is different and its flavor is unique. The method comprises the following steps of: slicing the roe meat on the hind legs of cattle, sprinkling salt which is parched to dry, wrapping the roe meat into a cylinder to dry, laying it flat on a steel wire rack, drying it in an oven, steaming it in a steamer, taking it out, cutting it into small pieces and steaming it thoroughly. Finally, stir-fry thoroughly in a wok, add seasoning, take the pan to cool, and pour sesame oil on it. This dish is translucent, as thin as paper, red and glossy. When placed under a lamp, the red shadow of beef slices can be reflected on paper or wall, as if it were a lantern show. "Husband and wife lung slices" is a well-known flavor dish in Chengdu. According to legend, in the 1930s, there was a vendor named Guo Chaohua, who made cold beef and lung slices with his wife, walked around the streets and carried baskets to sell them. People jokingly call it "husband and wife lung slice", which is still in use today. Dongpo cuttlefish is a delicacy related to Su Dongpo, a great writer in the Northern Song Dynasty, in Leshan, Sichuan. Cuttlefish is not a cuttlefish in the sea, but a kind of cuttlefish with small mouth, long body and much meat in the Minjiang River at the foot of Lingyun Mountain and Wulong Mountain in Leshan City, also known as "cuttlefish". According to legend, when Su Dongpo went to Lingyun Temple to study, he often went to Lingyun Rock to wash the inkstone. The fish in the river ate its ink, and its skin color was as thick as ink. People called it "Dongpo cuttlefish". And it, together with Jiangtuan and Feihuan, is called the three famous fish in Chuanjiang, which has become a special dish of Sichuan cuisine. "Steamed Jiangtuan" is called Jialing's delicious food. During the Anti-Japanese War, the famous chefs of Yunliu Restaurant in Chengjiang Town, Sichuan Province, such as Zhang Shijie and Zheng Zuhua, cooked dishes such as "barbecued pork dumplings" and "steamed dumplings". General Feng Yuxiang also went to Yunliu Restaurant to taste Jiangtuan before going to the United States to inspect water conservancy. After eating, he praised "Sichuan Jiangtuan, which really deserved its reputation". Authentic Sichuan cuisine has its own characteristics and wins by taste, which is closely related to the condiments used. For example, it is difficult to appreciate the "authentic" taste of Sichuan Pixian watercress and pickled peppers if you don't use them to make Sichuan-style pork and fish-flavored shredded pork. Some chefs from other provinces and cities learn Sichuan cuisine, although they have mastered some cooking and seasoning techniques, but when they return to the local area, the cooked Sichuan cuisine is always not "authentic" because there are no necessary condiments for cooking Sichuan cuisine. It can be seen that to cook Sichuan cuisine, important condiments such as Sichuan salt, pepper, Pixian watercress, pickled pepper and so on are absolutely indispensable. Sichuan's Sichuan restaurants, which are opened outside Sichuan, also transport the special main ingredients, auxiliary materials and condiments from Sichuan. Its purpose is to maintain the authenticity of real Sichuan cuisine.