Yu xiang — "fish-fragrant" — is one of Sichuan's most important flavour profiles, applied to dishes that contain no fish. The name derives from the original use of these sauce elements in fish preparations; the combination became so recognized that its name transferred to the sauce itself regardless of the protein used. Yu xiang eggplant (the most common application) achieves the definitive character: simultaneously sour, sweet, salty, and slightly hot, with the specific depth of pickled chilli and ginger-garlic-scallion aromatics.
- **The flavour profile:** Sour + sweet + salty + hot in balance — with the specific depth of pickled chilli (pao jiao, Sichuan-style pickled red chilli) rather than fresh chilli or doubanjiang. - **Pickled chilli (pao jiao):** Whole red chillies pickled in salt water — different from Korean kimchi chilli or Vietnamese pickled chilli. Their fermented acidity is the specific sour component that defines yu xiang. - **The sauce:** Pao jiao (finely chopped), ginger, garlic, scallion (all three alliums) + soy, black vinegar, sugar, cornstarch — mixed before cooking. Added to the wok at the correct moment to produce the specific glossy, slightly thick coating sauce. - **Yu xiang eggplant:** The eggplant is fried (or steamed) separately before the sauce is made — the oil-fried eggplant absorbs the sauce differently from raw.
Dunlop