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The origin and characteristics of Sichuan cuisine
Ok, Sichuan cuisine is one of the eight major cuisines in China. Named after its origin in Sichuan (including Chongqing now), it is characterized by hemp, spicy, fresh and fragrant. The emergence of Sichuan cuisine can be traced back to the Qin and Han Dynasties, and it has formed a genre in the Song Dynasty, and its influence has reached the Central Plains. In Song Dynasty, Meng Yuanshen wrote "Tokyo Dream China" Volume 4 "Restaurant", which recorded that in the Northern Song Dynasty (now Kaifeng), "when there was a Sichuan restaurant, there were meaty noodles, large and small meaty noodles, cooked pork, miscellaneous fried events and cooked rice".

After the capital of Beijing was established in the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, with the increase of officials in Sichuan, a large number of Beijing chefs settled in Chengdu to 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 "spicy" formed in Bashu period. During the Qianlong period of the 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, boiling, scalding, boiling, pasting, brewing, rolling and frying. There are many famous dishes, both official and local. Since the late Qing Dynasty, Sichuan cuisine has gradually formed a kind of cuisine with extremely strong local flavor, which has the characteristics of extensive materials, diverse seasonings and strong adaptability. A complete flavor system consists of five kinds of dishes: banquet dishes, popular leisure dishes, home-cooked dishes, nine-button three-steamed dishes 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-Guizhou. Now, the traces of Sichuan cuisine have spread all over the country, even overseas.

Sichuan cuisine is represented by Chengdu and Chongqing cuisine. The condiments used are complex, diverse and distinctive. In particular, pepper, pepper and pepper, onion, ginger and garlic, as well as soy sauce, vinegar, Pixian bean paste and Yongchuan lobster sauce, 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 smell" are inseparable from these condiments. If a substitute is used, the taste will be discounted. Sichuan cuisine has the saying of "seven flavors and eight flavors", that is, sweet, sour, hemp, spicy, bitter, fragrant and salty; "Eight flavors" are fish, sour and spicy, pepper and hemp, strange taste, spicy, red oil, ginger juice and homely. There are as many as 38 cooking methods. In terms of taste, Sichuan cuisine pays special attention to "one dish, one style", which is excellent in color, fragrance, taste and shape. Therefore, there is a saying in the international culinary world that "food is in China and taste is in Sichuan".

Sichuan cuisine is dominated by delicacies, fresh ginger, wild vegetables and livestock. Make good use of cooking methods such as frying, dry frying, dry burning, soaking and stewing. Known for its "taste", it has a wide variety of tastes, especially fish flavor, red oil, strange taste and spicy taste. The style of Sichuan cuisine is simple and fresh, with strong local flavor.

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Sichuan cuisine is mainly divided into two categories: Rong School and Chongqing School. Rong Pai Sichuan cuisine emphasizes the fine and accurate selection of ingredients and strictly follows the traditional classic recipes; Chongqing-style Sichuan cuisine is mainly based on bold materials, not limited to ingredients, and updated techniques.

It is generally believed that Rong Pai Sichuan cuisine is a traditional Sichuan cuisine and Chongqing Sichuan cuisine is a new one.

Taking Sichuan-style pork as an example, the ingredients in Rong Pai's practice must be third-line pork (the upper part of pork belly), mung bean sprouts, Pixian bean paste and sweet noodle sauce, all of which are indispensable; Otherwise, all kinds of pork with skin can be used, green garlic seedlings can also be replaced by other vegetables, and sweet noodle sauce can be replaced by sucrose. The specific stewing methods of the two factions are basically similar. The difference is that Rong Pai follows the tradition, and Chongqing School brings forth the old and brings forth the new (though not necessarily better than the traditional practice).

[Editor] Rong Pai

Rong Pai Sichuan cuisine is exquisite and delicate, mostly traditional Sichuan cuisine with a long history.

Rong Pai Sichuan cuisine pays attention to the fine and accurate selection of ingredients, strictly follows the traditional classic recipes, and has a mild taste and a long fragrance. It is usually suggestive.

Famous dishes: Mapo Tofu, Sichuan-style pork, kung pao chicken, salted pork, steamed pork, husband and wife's lung slices, ant on the tree, Deng Ying beef, white meat with garlic paste, Zhangcha duck, white oil tofu, shredded pork with fish flavor, spring tofu, fried pork, fried eel slices, Dongpo cuttlefish, steamed sauce ball, etc.

[Editor] Chongqing School

Chongqing-style Sichuan cuisine is generous and rough, which is famous for its fast renovation, bold materials and not sticking to materials, commonly known as Jianghu cuisine. Most of them originated from citizens' family kitchens or roadside shops, and gradually spread among citizens. Chongqing-style Sichuan cuisine has been popular all over the country in recent years, and many Sichuan restaurants mainly focus on Chongqing-style Sichuan cuisine.

His representative works include pickled fish, Maoxuewang, saliva chicken, stewed series of dried vegetables (mostly sweet), boiled meat slices and boiled fish series, chili spicy chicken series, chili snail and chili fat sausage series, dried spring chicken series, roast chicken, taro chicken and beer duck, pickled chicken series, pickled squid and pickled rabbit, dry pot ribs and pepper.

Spicy hot pot (or hairy belly hot pot, hot pot), which is popular at home and abroad, originated in Chongqing. Because its connotation has gone beyond the scope of Sichuan cuisine, it is usually regarded as an independent diet system, not a part of Sichuan cuisine.

[Editor] Snacks

Snacks from all over Sichuan are usually regarded as part of Sichuan cuisine. There are mainly Dandan Noodles, North Sichuan bean jelly, spicy noodles, hot and sour noodles, Yeerba, hot and sour tofu, and Lai Tangyuan, Long wonton soup, Zhong jiaozi and Wu wonton soup named after the founder's surname. , reference: zh. * * */wiki/%E5% 9b% 9b% E5% B7% 9d% E8% 8f% 9c Because Sichuan is located in a high place and there are many miasma in the mountains, eating spicy food can drive away miasma, and because the geographical environment is conducive to putting herbs and medicinal materials, dishes are mostly seasoned with herbs or used as side dishes. ,