10 Must-Try Sichuan Dishes
1. Fish Flavored Shredded Pork
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| Fish Flavored Shreeded Pork |
Chinese Name: 鱼香肉丝 yú xiāng ròu sī Flavor: sour, spicy, sweet
Fish Flavored Shredded Pork is a popular Sichuan dish which is seasoned with a fish flavored sauce. Before the dish was created, the sauce had been specially made using the liquid from cooking fishes, so named fish flavor sauce. Lean pork, agarics and lettuce are shredded, and then fried with the sauce of ginger, garlic, white sugar, soy sauce, salt, cooking wine, etc. Fish Flavored Shredded Pork is popular for its sour, sweet and spicy tastes. Read more: Recipe - How to Make Fish Flavored Shredded Pork
2. Kung Pao Chicken
Chinese Name: 宫保鸡丁 gōng bǎo jī dīng Flavor: sweet, aromatic and spicy
Kung Pao Chicken can be regarded as the best known Sichuan dish worldwide. Cooked with diced chicken, peanuts, diced cucumber, chili and other condiments, Kung Pao Chicken has multiple tastes: sweet and spicy. With a strong flavor, it is so delicious, that anyone would fall in love with it. Read more: Recipe - How to Make Kung Pao Chicken
3. Sliced Pork in Hot Chili Oil
Chinese Name: 水煮肉片 shuǐ zhǔ ròu piàn Flavor: numbing and spicy
Coming from Zigong, Sichuan, Sliced Pork in Hot Chili Oil is a hot and oily dish. Once sliced pork tenderloin, greens, cabbage and bean sprouts are boiled for the correct time, drain and place on a dish. Put some chopped shallots, ginger, garlic, peppercorns and dried chili on the top, then pour hot oil into the dish, and it is ready to be served. It raises appetite so much.
4. Sliced Beef and Ox Organs in Chili Sauce
Chinese Name: 夫妻肺片 fū qī fèi piàn Flavor: numbing and spicy
Usually, beef scalp, beef heart, beef tongue and beef tripe are the main ingredients. They are braised and then cut into thin slices, then chili oil made of pepper oil and chili powders is poured on the top. It is very palatable with tender beef and a beautiful color.
5. Ma Po Tofu
Chinese Name: 麻婆豆腐 má pó dòu fu Flavor: numbing and spicy
Ma Po Tofu is one of world-famous Sichuan dishes that has been popular in a number of countries. It can be easily made at home with soft tofu and thick broad-bean sauce. If you like meat, minced pork can also be added. When it is ready, it is tasty and looks red as the tofu dices are in a thick and spicy sauce. Read more: Recipe - How to Make Ma Po Tofu
6. Twice-Cooked Pork
Chinese Name: 回锅肉 huí guō ròu Flavor: salty and spicy
Twice-Cooked Pork has a long history and has been improved to taste better and better over time. Generally, the pork is initially quick-boiled and then sliced at first. Next, the pork slices are fried together with side ingredients like green chili, onion or garlic bolts, and what side vegetables to add depends on your own preferences. Fermented soya beans and thick broad-bean sauce are indispensable while frying. As the pork is cooked twice, this Sichuan dish tastes salty and spicy, with a little sweet aftertaste. Read more: Recipe - How to Make Twice-cooked Pork
7. Duck Blood in Chili Sauce
Chinese Name: 毛血旺 máo xuè wàng Flavor: numbing, spicy, hot
Fresh and solidified duck blood loaves are boiled with tripe and chili sauce, that is just Duck Blood in Chili Sauce. If you want to taste animal blood, it cannot be missed. It is numbing and spicy in hot and red soup, aromatic with strong flavor. Sprouts, pork, daylilies, squid and ham can also be added into the dish.
8. Braised Dongpo Pork Hock with Brown Sauce
Chinese Name: 东坡肘子 dōng pō zhǒu zi Flavor: sweet and salty
Braised Dongpo Pork Hock with Brown Sauce is a specialty of Meishan, Sichuan. It is said that the famous poet Su Dongpo taught a farmer to cook this dish, thus the name. The whole pork hock is braised with melted sugar and seasoned with soy sauce, cooking wine, ginger, and so on. The pork is quite soft and tender, chewy, fat but not greasy.
9. Chinese Cabbage in Supreme Soup
Chinese Name: 开水白菜 kāi shuǐ bái cài Flavor: salty, umami
The main ingredient is Chinese cabbage, which is boiled with soup made of chicken, duck and pork ribs. A little chicken oil is sprinkled before being served. Unlike most of Sichuan dishes, Boiled Cabbage in Chicken Soup is light and refreshing, not oily or greasy.
10. Boiled Chicken with Special Sauce
Chinese Name: 怪味鸡 guài wèi jī Flavor: aromatic, spicy, numbing
It is a cold dish popular in Sichuan and Chongqing. When boiled chicken cools down, cut it into loaves or dices as you like. Mix soy sauce, salt, vinegar, ground pepper and other seasonings to make the sauce, and pour over the chicken. Then sprinkle fried sesame seeds and chopped shallots over the chicken and mix well at last. The dish tastes spicy to whet your appetite, which is worth a try.