Browse Techniques

La zi ji is Sichuan-Chongqing cooking taken to its dramatic extreme: a mountain of dried chillies in which nuggets of fried chicken are buried like treasure. The ratio is theatrical — the chillies vastly outnumber the chicken — and they are not meant to be eaten in their entirety, but to release fragrance and heat into the oil as the dish is assembled. The technique is a two-stage fry: bone-in chicken pieces (typically thigh and drumstick, chopped small through the bone) are marinated briefly in soy and Shaoxing wine, dusted in cornstarch, and deep-fried until the skin is crisp and the interior just cooked. The wok is then made intensely hot with a small amount of oil, dried Sichuan chillies (whole) and Sichuan peppercorns are bloomed until fragrant and beginning to darken, the fried chicken is added back, and the whole is tossed rapidly for under a minute — just long enough for every piece to absorb the chilli-fragrant oil and develop the characteristic dry, aromatic crust. Finished with sesame seeds and scallion, this dish is designed to be eaten slowly, digging through the chillies for each piece of chicken, building heat gradually rather than arriving all at once.

The Chinese cleaver (cai dao) is the universal kitchen knife of Chinese cooking — used for slicing, julienning, mincing, smashing, scooping, and tenderising. Unlike Western cleavers (thick and heavy for bones), the cai dao is thin-bladed and versatile. Chinese knife cuts include: slices (pian), julienne (si), dice (ding), mince (mo), and decorative cuts (carved shapes for banquet presentation).

Dou chi (豆豉) — fermented black soybean — is one of the oldest fermented condiments in China (documented Han Dynasty). Black soybeans are cooked, inoculated with Aspergillus or Rhizopus moulds, then salted and either dried (dry dou chi) or packed wet (wet dou chi). The fermentation produces rich glutamate complex that defines dishes from Hunan steamed fish head to Cantonese black bean spare ribs.

Wu xiang fen (五香粉) — five-spice powder — is the most widely used pre-mixed spice blend in Chinese cooking, anchored by five base spices but varying by region. Canonical composition: star anise, cinnamon/cassia, Sichuan peppercorn, cloves, fennel seed. Regional variants add dried tangerine peel (Cantonese), white pepper (Fujian), ginger (Shanghainese). The blend's function is to provide warm, sweet-spiced aromatic depth without any single spice dominating.

Wu xiang fen: the foundational Chinese spice blend — typically star anise, Sichuan pepper, cassia (Chinese cinnamon), cloves, and fennel seeds. The five spices correspond to the five flavours of TCM theory. Used in red braising, marinades, spiced salt, BBQ rubs, and as a flavouring for pastry. Each regional version varies: Cantonese uses more star anise; northern versions add dried tangerine peel.

Chinese culinary terminology distinguishes flavour dimensions that Western cooking conflates. Wei xian (鲜味) is 'fresh umami' — the specific taste of high-quality fresh ingredients. Xian xiang (鲜香) combines freshness and aroma. Ma (麻) is Sichuan numbing from hydroxy-alpha-sanshool in Sichuan peppercorn. La (辣) is chili heat. Understanding these distinctions is essential for seasoning Chinese dishes correctly.

The Chinese system of flavour classification (wei xing) goes beyond Western five-tastes model: the Sichuan culinary tradition recognises 23 distinct compound flavour profiles. Key categories include: salty-fresh (xian xian), sour-spicy (suan la), ma la (numbing-spicy), sweet-sour (tang cu), litchi-flavour (li zhi wei), fish-fragrance (yu xiang), home-style (jia chang wei), strange-flavour (guai wei). Each compound flavour has a specific sauce formula.

Gong bao ji ding (宫保鸡丁) — the most globally known Sichuan dish — is named for a Qing Dynasty official (Ding Baozhen, later given the title Gong Bao). The original Sichuan version differs significantly from its global descendants: diced chicken is stir-fried with dried chilies, Sichuan peppercorn, peanuts, and a sauce that includes Chinkiang vinegar — giving it a lightly sour-sweet note distinct from just spicy.

Huo guo: communal tableside cooking in simmering broth — possibly China's most beloved social dining format. Regional variations: Sichuan (ma la — numbing-spicy tallow broth), Beijing (clear lamb broth), Cantonese (clear stock with dipping sauces), Yunnan (mushroom or tomato broth), Chongqing (ultra-spicy tallow). Each region's hot pot reflects its culinary identity.

The Sichuan ma la hot pot broth is not a single recipe but a living, accumulating stock. The base is built from tallow (beef fat), doubanjiang, dried chilies, Sichuan peppercorns, black cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, and a dozen other spices — fried together before adding broth. The tallow carries and preserves the fat-soluble aromatic compounds through the meal. Understanding the spice chemistry explains why the broth improves as it cooks.

The Chinese cleaver (cai dao) is a universal tool performing every cutting function: julienne, mince, slice, chop, scoop, and pound. Unlike Western knives (each designed for a specific task), the Chinese cook uses one or two cleavers for everything. The technique is fundamentally different: the wrist does not rock; instead the full blade moves in a downward, slightly forward motion guided by knuckle contact.

Shaoxing Huadiao jiu: the essential rice wine of Chinese cooking. Made in Shaoxing, Zhejiang from glutinous rice, wheat, and local well water. Aged 3–10+ years, it develops amber colour and complex dried fruit, nutty, slightly caramelised flavour. Used for deglazing, marinades, braising liquids, and flavouring sauces. The 'cooking Shaoxing' sold in grocery stores is inferior — real Shaoxing is used for drinking and cooking alike.

Jiao yan (Sichuan pepper and salt): the quintessential Chinese dry dipping condiment for fried foods — toasted and ground Sichuan pepper combined with fine salt. Applied to: whole fried prawns, soft-shell crab, squid, deep-fried pork chops. The Sichuan pepper contributes floral numbing; the toasted salt provides deep savoury flavour. Different from table salt — the toasting transforms it.

Chinese sesame paste (zhi ma jiang) and Middle Eastern tahini are both roasted sesame pastes but are produced differently and taste distinctly different. Chinese sesame paste uses deeply roasted sesame seeds — producing a darker, more intense, bitter-sweet, nutty paste. Tahini uses lightly roasted or raw sesame — lighter in colour and more neutral. In Chinese cooking, they are not interchangeable.

The taxonomy of Chinese soy sauce: light soy (sheng chou) — thinner, saltier, used for seasoning and marinades; dark soy (lao chou) — thicker, sweeter, used for colour in braises; double dark soy — for deep lacquered colour; sweet soy (jiang you gao) — thick and caramelised; mushroom soy — infused with shiitake for extra umami. Each serves specific technical functions.

Chinese soy sauce exists on a spectrum: light soy (sheng chou) — thin, salty, for seasoning and marinades; dark soy (lao chou) — thick, sweet, for colour and braising; double dark or premium (shuang huang chou) — aged, complex; mushroom soy — infused with shiitake. Each variety serves a distinct culinary function and cannot be interchanged without fundamentally altering a dish.

A survey of regional Chinese vegetable fermentation beyond Sichuan paocai: Hunan duo jiao (chopped chili — lacto-fermented), Jiangsu/Zhejiang jiang cai (soy-pickled vegetables), Northern China yan cai (salt-pickled cabbage), Yunnan ya cai (Yibin preserved mustard — essential for dan dan mian), Fujian cai pu (dried and salted turnip). Each regional fermented vegetable has a distinct use case and flavour profile.

Velveting (guo you or shang jiang) creates the silky texture of restaurant-quality stir-fried meat by pre-treating with alkaline marinade or oil-blanching. Baking soda raises pH, breaking myosin cross-links and preventing protein contraction during high-heat cooking. The result is impossibly tender meat even from tougher cuts.

Chinese vinegar culture: four principal types each with specific culinary roles. Zhenjiang Chinkiang vinegar (zhen jiang xiang cu): dark, complex, malty — used for dumplings, cold dishes, braised dishes. Shanxi mature vinegar (shan xi lao cu): the most complex, aged 2–5 years — braises, noodles. White rice vinegar (mi cu): neutral, clean acidity — pickling, sweet-sour sauces. Red vinegar (hong cu): Zhejiang, used for seafood and crabs.

Wok hei (wok breath): the complex aromatic character imparted to food by rapid, high-heat stir-frying in a seasoned wok over a powerful burner. Scientific components: Maillard reaction from the iron surface; volatile aromatic compounds from the oil reaching smoking point; pyrazine compounds from the wok's carbon seasoning; and the rapid charring of sugars in vegetables and proteins. Cannot be replicated on a home gas or electric stove — the BTU output of a restaurant wok burner (150,000+ BTU) is 10x a home range.

The carbon steel wok's seasoning (开锅, kai guo) and maintenance: the process of building and preserving the polymerised oil layer that creates the wok's non-stick surface and allows wok hei. Initial seasoning: burn off factory coating, scour, then dry-heat and oil repeatedly. Ongoing maintenance: always heat dry before adding oil, never soak in water, re-season if rust appears.

Zhang cha (camphor and tea smoked duck): a Sichuan smoking technique that imparts complex aromatic character through camphor wood chips and Zhuyeqing tea leaves. Duck is first marinated and cured, then hot-smoked in a wok lined with foil and camphor-tea smoking mixture, then deep-fried to crisp the skin. The smoking wok technique uses tea, camphor wood, and sometimes rice, flour, or brown sugar as the smoking medium.

Chongqing kao yu (重庆烤鱼) — grilled fish — is a Chongqing specialty where whole fish (typically grass carp or bream) is first charcoal-grilled over open flame until lightly charred, then placed on a bed of vegetables in a cast iron tray over a table brazier. A fiery sauce of Sichuan doubanjiang, dried chili, cumin, and fermented black beans is poured over the still-sizzling fish, and the whole arrangement continues cooking at the table.

Mao xue wang (毛血旺) is a Chongqing specialty: a volcanic dish of coagulated duck blood, tripe, pig intestine, luncheon meat, bean sprouts, and sliced beef, all submerged in a deeply spiced broth of Sichuan peppercorn, dried chili, and doubanjiang. The name 'mao xue wang' references the duck blood and the flooding (wang) of the ingredients. A test of nose-to-tail commitment.

Xiao chao qing jiao (小炒青椒) — dry-fried green chili peppers — is the quintessential Hunan preparation of chili as a primary ingredient rather than a seasoning. Long green chilies are dry-fried in a wok without oil until blistered, then pushed aside while garlic and preserved vegetables are fried in oil, before being combined. The technique creates a smoky, intensely flavoured dish where chili is respected as the star.

Gan guo (dry pot) technique is Hunan's alternative to hot pot — a sizzling dry cast iron vessel arrives at the table over a flame, without broth, loaded with charred-edge vegetables and pork, deeply seasoned with dried chilies, garlic, and doubanjiang. Cauliflower is the most popular vegetable variant — it chars beautifully at high heat while maintaining structure.

Duo jiao zheng yu tou (剁椒蒸鱼头) — steamed fish head with chopped fermented chili — is Hunan's most iconic restaurant dish. A large silver carp head is split, placed cut-side up, covered with a thick layer of duo jiao (Hunan fermented chopped red chili), ginger, garlic, and fermented black beans, then steamed for 12–15 minutes. Hot oil is poured over at the table.

Gong bao ji ding: diced chicken stir-fried with dried chili, Sichuan pepper, peanuts, and a sweet-sour-savoury sauce made from vinegar, soy, sugar, and Shaoxing wine. Named after Ding Baozhen, a Qing Dynasty official. Authentic version uses small, loose chicken pieces, not cubes — and the peanuts should be roasted in the wok before the chicken.

Ma po dou fu: soft tofu cubes in a fiery sauce of doubanjiang, black bean paste, ground beef/pork, Sichuan pepper, and chili oil. Named after an old pockmarked (ma) woman (po) who allegedly invented it. Technique secrets: the tofu must be blanched in salted water first; the sauce must be built in sequence; the dish must be served trembling-hot.

Bang bang ji (棒棒鸡): cold shredded chicken dressed with a complex sesame-chili sauce — the name comes from the bamboo stick (bang) used to tenderise the poached chicken before shredding. One of Sichuan's most celebrated cold dishes, originating in Leshan. The technique of beating the poached chicken breaks the muscle fibres for better sauce absorption and easier shredding.

Bang bang ji (棒棒鸡) — Leshan style — is a Sichuan street food where poached chicken is literally beaten with a wooden stick (bang) to separate the fibres, then dressed with a complex sesame-chili-vinegar sauce. The smashing tenderises and creates rough, sauce-catching surfaces. Distinguished from the modern 'bang bang chicken salad' that bears no resemblance to the original.

Shui zhu niu rou (water-boiled beef): thin slices of velveted beef and vegetables poached in a seasoned chili-doubanjiang oil-broth, then the whole bowl covered with dried chili, Sichuan pepper, and garlic, and finished with a pour of smoking-hot oil. The 'boiling' is gentle poaching — the fiery character comes from the final hot oil bloom, not the cooking medium.

Liang ban niu jin — cold-dressed beef tendon — is a Sichuan cold starter that showcases the transformative power of slow braising followed by chilling and dressing. Tendon is braised in master stock with aromatic spices for 3+ hours until gelatinous and yielding, chilled until firm, then sliced thin and dressed with chili oil, vinegar, sesame paste, soy, and fresh aromatics.

Zhai mian (斋面) — Buddhist vegetarian noodles — is a Chengdu street food tradition on temple visiting days and festivals. The noodle has all the Sichuan flavour complexity (sesame paste, chili oil, vinegar, garlic) but no meat. Instead, the umami comes from ya cai (preserved mustard vegetable), broad bean paste, mushroom stock, and sesame paste. A test of Sichuan flavour-building without animal products.

The making of Pi Xian dou ban jiang: broad beans inoculated with mould, then combined with dried chili and salt in clay crocks to ferment for months to years in the sun and rain of Pi Xian county. The longer the fermentation (1–3 years optimal), the deeper the umami, colour, and complexity. The soul of Sichuan cooking.

Sichuan liang mian (凉面) — cold noodles — are the summer staple of Chengdu, sold from street carts and eaten for breakfast, lunch, and snacks. Fresh noodles are cooked, spread on trays and fanned dry, then chilled. Dressed at service with sesame paste, soy, Chinkiang vinegar, chili oil, garlic, sugar, scallion — the dressing is assembled in the bowl and noodles tossed through. The ratio of sesame to chili is the cook's signature.

Sichuan liang mian: cold wheat noodles dressed with sesame paste, chili oil, Sichuan pepper oil, black vinegar, soy, sugar, and garlic. Served in summer as a cooling dish — despite the heat from chili and pepper. The sesame paste is the binding agent; chili oil the fire; Sichuan pepper the numbing floral note.

Suan ni bai rou (蒜泥白肉) — garlic-pasted white pork — is one of Sichuan's most refined cold dishes: pork belly is poached in lightly seasoned water until just cooked, chilled, then sliced paper-thin and arranged on a plate. A pungent garlic paste (suan ni) dressing with chili oil, soy, and Chinkiang vinegar is drizzled over. The contrast between neutral white pork and aggressive garlic sauce is the point.

Liang ban dou fu: cold silken or soft tofu dressed with Sichuan chili oil, soy, sesame oil, garlic, spring onion, and dried shrimp. An essential element of the Sichuan cold dish spread — the tofu provides neutral creaminess against which the complex sauce performs. Requires no cooking beyond boiling the tofu briefly if using silken, or simply draining firm tofu.

The authentic Chengdu dan dan mian (担担面) bears little resemblance to its Americanised versions. Traditional dan dan mian is served in a small portion as a snack, almost dry — just enough spiced pork and sauce to coat the noodles without making them soupy. The name derives from the dan dan (shoulder pole) vendors carried through Chengdu streets. Served in a small bowl with less than 2 ladles of sauce.

Dan dan mian: street food noodles named after the carrying pole (dan) vendors used to sell them. Thin wheat noodles in a complex sauce of sesame paste, Sichuan pepper oil, chili oil, preserved vegetables (ya cai), ground pork, and soy. The sauce has contrasting layers: nutty, numbing, spicy, savoury, preserved-vegetable tang.

Yu xiang qie zi (fish-fragrance eggplant): eggplant stir-fried in the yu xiang (fish-fragrance) compound sauce — doubanjiang, garlic, ginger, spring onion, soy, vinegar, and sugar — that contains no fish but replicates the aromatics used to cook fish in Sichuan. One of the definitive Sichuan vegetarian dishes.

Yu xiang qie zi (鱼香茄子) — fish-fragrance eggplant — uses the yu xiang sauce (fish-fragrance flavour profile) which contains no fish at all: the name refers to the condiments traditionally used in Sichuan fish cooking — pickled chili, garlic, ginger, scallion, vinegar, sugar, and soy. Applied to eggplant that is first deep-fried or wok-fried until silky, the sauce creates a complex, multi-dimensional dish.

Xiang su niu rou: Sichuan beef strips marinated in soy, Shaoxing wine, ginger, and five spice, then coated in cornstarch and deep-fried until intensely crispy. Finished in the wok with Sichuan pepper, dried chili, sesame seeds, and spring onion. The double-fry creates a crispiness that survives a brief toss in the spiced aromatics. A banquet dish that showcases Sichuan textural cooking.

Gan bian (干煸) — dry-frying — is a Sichuan technique where ingredients are fried in a wok with minimal oil over high heat, stirring constantly, until all moisture evaporates and the surface dries and caramelises. Most famous in gan bian si ji dou (dry-fried green beans) and gan bian niurou si (dry-fried shredded beef). The technique concentrates flavour dramatically.

Suan ni bai rou: sliced cold poached pork belly with a raw garlic-heavy dressing. A Sichuan cold dish showing raw garlic at its most assertive — the garlic is not cooked, not tempered, not mellowed. Thin-sliced fatty pork belly (or sometimes chicken skin) poached until just cooked, chilled, sliced, and dressed with raw garlic paste, light soy, chili oil, Chinkiang vinegar, and sesame oil.

Fu qi fei pian (husband and wife beef offal): thinly sliced beef offal (heart, tongue, tripe) and lean beef, dressed in a complex ma la sauce — sesame paste, chili oil, Sichuan pepper oil, black vinegar, soy, sugar, and garlic. Served cold. Named after a Chengdu couple who sold the dish from a street cart in the 1930s. One of Sichuan's most celebrated cold dishes.

Jian bing (煎饼) in the Chengdu context is a spiced street crepe: mung bean and wheat flour batter spread on a large circular griddle, egg cracked over and spread, then toppings applied — hoisin or tian mian jiang sauce, chili paste, crispy wonton skin (guo ba zi), fresh coriander, scallion. Sichuan version adds more chili and Sichuan peppercorn. Folded and served within 2 minutes.

Lazi ji: a mountain of dried chilis with small chunks of crispy-fried chicken buried within — you search for the chicken through a haystack of chili. Named for the dried chilis (la zi) that dominate the dish visually and aromatically. A quintessential Chongqing and Chengdu dish representing the maximalist end of Sichuan chili use — the chilis are flavouring, not food.

Mala xiang guo (麻辣香锅) is Sichuan's dry version of hot pot — a stir-fry using the same ma la spice base as hot pot but without the broth. Customers select from dozens of raw ingredients (offal, seafood, vegetables, tofu, noodles) that are then wok-fried together in a blazing ma la sauce. The result is intensely flavoured, oil-coated, deeply spiced — more concentrated than broth hot pot.