Mapo Dofu
Gong Bao Ji Ding Sichuan cuisine is spicy, smoky, pungent and sour, but it can also be sweet and fragrant. About 300 years ago, chili peppers were brought to China for the first time and Sichuan took a liking. Most outsiders think of Sichuan as just "ma la" which refers to the spicy, mind-numbing flavor that many dishes boast. However, there is more to it than that. Here are some of the dishes I look forward to the most:
You don't have to travel to Sichuan Province to get authentic Sichuan cuisine. It has traveled around the country, indeed around the globe, but not all Sichuan is alike. Get authentic and go to China with an expert. Join a Chow Fun tour today!
- Dan dan mian is a delicious beef or pork topped pile of noodles. The flavor is spicy, but also sweet with sesame paste and salty with soy sauce.
- Gong bao ji ding is better known as kung pao chicken in the United States. The original Sichuan version is magnificent. Gong bao ji ding is chicken cubes, peanuts, chilis in a sweet, sour and spicy sauce. By spicy, I mean just enough to make your lips tingle. Delicious.
- Ma po dofu, or tofu as we know it, is a hallmark of Sichuan cuisine. Cubes of tofu swim in a soup of spicy ma la sauce with ground pork or beef and black beans. I love this dish, but I need a cauldron of white rice to offset the spices.
- Dry sauteed string beans are a must-have for any Sichuan Province traveler. The beans are stir fried with a salty spice until crispy and crunchy. Some restaurants in the U.S. do a decent job with this recipe, but nothing beats the original.
- Sichuan dumplings, sometimes called Chengdu dumplings, are delicious meat filled packages covered in a soy sauce and garlic paste with just enough chili oil to give a little kick.
You don't have to travel to Sichuan Province to get authentic Sichuan cuisine. It has traveled around the country, indeed around the globe, but not all Sichuan is alike. Get authentic and go to China with an expert. Join a Chow Fun tour today!
Yu Xiang Qiezi
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