Sichuan cuisine, Szechwan cuisine, or Szechuan cuisine (/?s?w?n/ or /?s?t?w?n/; Chinese: Sichuan cuisine; pinyin: Sìchuān cài or Chinese: Sichuan cuisine ; pinyin: Chuān cài) is a style of Chinese cuisine originating from Sichuan province in southwestern China. It has bold flavors, particularly the pungency and spiciness resulting from liberal use of garlic and chili peppers, as well as the unique flavor of the Sichuan pepper . There are many local variations within Sichuan province and the Chongqing municipality, which was part of Sichuan until 1997. Four sub-styles include Chongqing, Chengdu, Zigong, and Buddhist vegetarian style.