Hot, fiery, and laden with a mountain of dried red chillies: such is our preconception of Sichuan cuisine. As the regional cuisine is picking up on popularity in the city, the quest for upping the heat has dominated over the true side of what Sichuan dishes is all about. Last month, Jie Wang, an expert on Sichuan cuisine and a chef himself, visited Hong Kong as a guest chef to Yun Yan, and we had the opportunity to sit down with the Sichuanese expert as he breaks down the misunderstandings towards a rich and colourful cuisine.

“It is not just about the chillies,” claims chef Wang, who spent 40 years in the kitchen and is an expert in preparing Sichuan dishes. “Like all cuisines, Sichuan also relies on its basics, and it’s more than just mountains of chillies.”  Celebrated as “China Cuisine Master” by the China Cuisine Association in 2012, chef Wang has narrowed down five crucial principles to truly understand Sichuan cuisine.

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 Identity and Flavours

It is believed that each Sichuan dish has one single identity and every dish ranges and varies in terms of flavours and depths. Such may seem like a general observation, but dishes such as double cooked pork belly with aged chilli bean paste, as pictured, is arguably one of the most well-known dishes in the Sichuan repertoire. The dish itself features a number of standards – aged fermented bean sauce, thin slices of pork belly, angular-cut bell peppers, and a very hot wok to toss the ingredients in. The seemingly simple stir-fry reminds us that no matter how the style may vary, the form and flavours should remain the same.

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Douban – The Soul of Sichuan

Chilies may be the most featured ingredient, it is douban, or aged fermented bean paste that is the soul of Sichuan cuisine.  Made with a mixture of broad beans, soy beans, spices and salt, the best douban originates from the province of Pixian, where the temperature and humidity facilitates fermentation of the bean mix into a rich, complex paste that is best consumed after two years of aging. Douban is extensively used in a majority of Sichuan dishes, from stews to stir-fries to braises. An example, as pictured, is the Ma Po tofu with minced beef, the iconic dish takes a douban which has been aged for five years in preparation, yielding complexity built up from the beans and spices, coating each cubes of tofu and best served with steamed rice.

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Pickles

Sichuan has its own school of pickling principles ­— even their pickling vessels are specially designed for its geographical and climatic conditions. The traditional clay barrels are made with a ridge on its neck, which contains water to keep out of insects. Fresh vegetables and a spiced brine would be added into the barrels and aged for weeks, months, and even years to come, depending on the type of pickles made and their use in cooking. The brine would contain salt, lemon, salt, dried chilies, star anise, cassia bark, and the incomparable Sichuan peppercorns. Even though pickles are not made by every household today, they remain a staple at the Sichuan table.

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Fish Flavours

The province of Sichuan lies within a basin, surrounded by land with little access to water, and none to the ocean. The geographical feature allows little fresh fish featured in its cuisine. However, the “fish flavour" (yuxiang) is popular in Sichuan cuisine. This Sichuan signature is created with a masterful blend of pickled chilies, minced ginger, garlic, sugar, and vinegar. When prepared in a braised dish, the concoction infuses into meats and vegetables, offering a unique and mild flavour of fish without physically adding fish into the cooking process.

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Fine execution of culinary techniques

Deep flavours may reign supreme in Sichuan cuisine, but masterful techniques are not to be overlooked. The unique execution of chicken puree and egg white in supreme consommé is original to Sichuan with a faint resemblance to European cooking despite having little connection to the West. The meat of chicken breast is pounded with egg white and starch, sieved and simmered slowly until cooked but remaining feathery light. The chicken puree is served with a rich chicken broth. The preparation process is laborious and complex, and the dish features light and pure chicken richness.

Yun Yan, Shop 1001B, 10/F, Times Square, 1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay; +852 2375 0800

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