page_title: Chinese regional cuisine
section_title: Sichuan
hierarchical_section_title: Chinese regional cuisine / Eight Great Traditions / Sichuan
caption_attribution_description: English: Kung Pao chicken dish served at a Sichuan restaurant in Shanghai. (Although I am not Chinese myself, I have some reason to believe that this is a reasonably authentic version of the dish: the restaurant was recommended to me by a professor originally from Sichuan, and I was accompanied by at least one student from Sichuan who pointed it out specifically as a famous dish.)
context_page_description: Chinese regional cuisines are the different cuisines found in different provinces and prefectures of China as well as from larger Chinese communities overseas.
  A number of different styles contribute to Chinese cuisine but perhaps the best known and most influential are Cantonese cuisine, Shandong cuisine, Jiangsu cuisine and Szechuan cuisine. These styles are distinctive from one another due to factors such as availability of resources, climate, geography, history, cooking techniques and lifestyle. One style may favour the generous use of garlic and shallots over chilli and spices, while another may favour preparing seafood over other meats and fowl.
  Jiangsu cuisine favours cooking techniques such as braising and stewing, while Sichuan cuisine employs baking, just to name a few. Hairy crab is a highly sought after local delicacy in Shanghai, as it can be found in lakes within the region. Peking duck and dim-sum are other popular dishes well known outside of China.
  Based on the raw materials and ingredients used, the method of preparation and cultural differences, a variety of foods with different flavors and textures are prepared in different regions of the country.
context_section_description: Sichuan cuisine (Chinese: 川菜; pinyin: chuāncài; spelled Szechuan or Szechwan in the once-common postal romanization) is a style of Chinese cuisine originating from the Sichuan Province of southwestern China, famed for bold flavors, particularly the pungency and spiciness resulting from liberal use of garlic and chili peppers, as well as the unique flavor of the Sichuan peppercorn (花椒; huājiāo) and Facing heaven pepper (朝天椒; cháotiān jiāo). Peanuts, sesame paste and ginger are also prominent ingredients in this style.
caption: Kung pao chicken is a famous Sichuan dish
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