Treating your Palate to
Szechwan Cuisine
Originating in the southwest part of China, Szechwan Cuisine has kept Westerners guessing on the exact ingredients of these bold and uniquely flavored foods. Over twenty different techniques can be found in the preparation of these fiery meals making it even more difficult to pinpoint the varieties used.
Szechwan, often referred to as Sichuan by the Chinese, is a blend of many different components of fruits, spices and seasonings that are found in different regions of the vast country of China.
Sub-Styles
There are different sub-styles of Szechwan depending on a particular region. The most noted styles are Chongqing, Chengdu, Zigong and Buddhist vegetarian.
Beef is popular for using Szechwan flavorings since oxen are raised in these regions but seafood and chicken are also prevalent. Mainly marinated in spectacular sauces, the preparation never stops there. Next comes a famous Szechwan blend then topped with a sauce of yet other ingredients.
Sichuan Pepper
Almost every type of Szechwan contains the Sichuan pepper that is not a pepper at all but a fruit that grows in many Asian regions. The outer pod is widely used by crushing, making into powder or using as a paste.
Actually lemony to smell and taste, the Sichuan pepper contains an alkaline pH that numbs the lips and brings a wonderful tingly sensation in the mouth without being overbearing.
Together with garlic, ginger, onion and a special blend of Asian spices, several different cuisines can be created with their own distinct flavor. It is one of the main ingredients in the popular five-spice powder associated with Chinese cooking.
Art of Szechwan Cuisine
Szechwan Cuisine is truly an art with the knowledge of how to use the vast array of ingredients to produce just the right flavor.
The Szechwan Spicy Beef is marinated in a simple potion of gingers, peppers and wine but treated with a separate sauce of scallions, sesame, sugar and soy sauce that is measured just right to deliver a mouth-watering experience with sweet and sour, hot and mild.
Smoking is also a trait of the Chinese that is second to none. The tea-smoked duck is incredible with luscious toasted peppercorns and a combination of tea leaves and spices sprinkled throughout a marinated duck breast. A unique taste all its own, a warm, sensuous feeling replaces a regular meal.
Another feat of the Szechwan methods is the mixture of seafood, chicken and vegetables that cannot be compared to anything except an adventure of the senses when seasoned with different herbs, plants and spices.
Christopher Columbus could never have known what he was actually bringing to the Western World when delivering the Sichuan pepper.
Together with the amazing ability to combine Szechwan spices with chunks of meat, chicken and seafood, the Chinese have introduced us to a tantalizing ecstasy in cuisine pleasure through recognizing the ability of providing our taste buds with a complete fantasy in a savory, sour, hot and sweet combination that no other type of food can provide.
