Yu xiang (鱼香, fish-fragrant) is a Sichuan flavour profile and sauce technique that, despite its name, contains no fish. The name refers to the seasonings traditionally used in Sichuan fish cooking — Pixian doubanjiang, pickled chilli, ginger, garlic, scallion, Chinkiang vinegar, and sugar — which together create a complex, slightly hot, sweet-and-sour, intensely savoury sauce. Yu xiang pork (yu xiang rou si, 鱼香肉丝) and yu xiang eggplant (yu xiang qie zi, 鱼香茄子) are the most famous applications.
The yu xiang sauce formula: 1 tbsp finely chopped Pixian doubanjiang, 1 tbsp finely chopped pickled chilli (pao la jiao), 3 garlic cloves minced, 2cm ginger minced, 2 scallion white parts finely chopped + green parts for finish. Sauce: 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp Chinkiang vinegar, 1 tsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp Shaoxing wine, 1 tsp cornstarch, 2 tbsp water. The cooking sequence: Fry the doubanjiang and pickled chilli in oil until red and fragrant. Add ginger and garlic. Add the primary ingredient. Toss to coat. Add the pre-mixed sauce. Toss until sauce thickens and clings. Balance: The defining characteristic of yu xiang is the balance of five elements — spicy (doubanjiang), sour (Chinkiang vinegar), sweet (sugar), salty (soy), and the deep umami of the fermented paste — none dominating.
Omitting the pickled chilli: The pickled chilli (pao la jiao) is not the same as doubanjiang and contributes a distinct acidic, fruity heat note. Both are required. Over-sweetening: The sugar in yu xiang is a background note, not a primary flavour. A common mistake in Western adaptations is increasing the sugar, producing a sweet-sour sauce rather than a complex yu xiang.
Fuchsia Dunlop, Land of Plenty (2001); Fuchsia Dunlop, The Food of Sichuan (2019)