SICHUAN - Fall 2025 (Oct-Dec) Cuisine of the Quarter

[biondanonima]

You HOs were clearly feeling the heat this quarter, making SICHUAN our big winner for COTQ! Sichuan is my favorite regional Chinese cuisine so I am really looking forward to this one. Bring on the mala!

[Phoenikia]

Which dishes do people like or recommend most?

I don’t eat very much Sichuan food.

I have tried around a dozen Sichuan restaurants over my lifetime. I have an uncle who loves Sichuan food so it’s often when he chooses the restaurant that I’ve tried it. He chooses the dishes, too.

I don’t know if I haven’t tried the right dishes, or if it just isn’t my jam.

I have made Sichuan Green Beans. I like them, but not enough to make them or order them more than once or twice a year.

Sichuan Dry Fried Green Beans

and I like some restaurants’ Ma Po Tofu.

Mapo Tofu Recipe: The Real Deal - The Woks of Life

[linguafood (Natascha)]

I look forward to inspiration here! I own Fuchsia Dunlop’s Land of Plenty, gifted to me many moons ago by @buttertart, but have not taken many peeks inside…

Would love to expand my repertoire beyond mapo doufu, gan bian si ji dou, and various hot pots

[linguafood (Natascha)]

Er Jing Tiao Peppers

While mentioned in the 2025 Food Gardening section, it’s worth putting a spotlight on this famous Sichuan hot pepper. This is perhaps the most important variety in Sichuan for a reason: the color and flavor are very good. As a dried chile, it imparts deep red color, a lot of unique flavor and a mild pepper heat, compared to, say, cayenne. It’s used in fermented fava/chili paste (doubanjiang), chili oils and chili crisps. It’s fermented and pickled. There are at least two varieties, which prima…

[biondanonima]

Twice-cooked pork belly with leeks is one of my absolute favorite Sichuan dishes: https://thewoksoflife.com/twice-cooked-pork/

I also love anything cooked dry pot style: https://thewoksoflife.com/ma-la-xiang-guo/

And dry-fried: https://thewoksoflife.com/sichuan-beef-dry-fried/

Bang-bang chicken (poached and served cold in a spicy sauce: https://thewoksoflife.com/bang-bang-chicken-sichuan/

Chongqing chicken: https://thewoksoflife.com/chongqing-chicken/

And that’s just scratching the surface!!

[Phoenikia]

Thanks!

I have to cook very low sodium at home these days for my DCs (low as in no added soy sauce) . I’m pretty sure the soy sauce and salty fermented ingredients are a pretty big part of making Sichuan food taste like Sichuan food.

I will try ordering some of the dishes you have mentioned soon, so I can try them.

I had no idea Bang Bang chicken was a Sichuan dish. I’ve never tried it.

[linguafood (Natascha)]

Do you have any good recipes for cumin beef or lamb to share?

[linguafood (Natascha)]

Dan Dan Noodles: Authentic Sichuan Recipe - The Woks of Life

Looks like WoL is going to be a good source for Sichuan recipes

[shrinkrap]

Forgive me if this is a duplicate. I missed it back in “the day”.

Sichuan/Szechuan pepper

I’ve been using Szechuan pepper, aka Prickly Ash, aka Zanthoxylum simulans for years. Until recently, it has been purchased at the local Asian market, but I read reviews about Soeos, being fresher, better quality. so, I picked up a 4 oz, bag. [soeos] Any package of this spice should be closely examined for sticks, black seeds and thorns! The red husks, on the right, are what one uses. [szpepper1] Indeed, despite the small amount of debris, the spice had a superior, fresher aroma than other s…

Some interesting references to recipes and cooking.

[backyardchef (matt)]

I really like this site and the recipes

Real-Deal Xinjiang Cumin Lamb (孜然羊肉)

[Phoenikia]

I made this Cumin Lamb in 2021. I liked it but my DCs didn’t like it enough for me to make it again

CHINESE - Cuisine of the Quarter, Winter 2021 (Jan-Mar)

My attempt [20210112_191155]

Cumin Lamb Stir-Fry Recipe

My cousin had sent me a really generous gift from the Mala Market. High quality ingredients , for sure.

Collections - The Mala Market

[biondanonima]

@linguafood

Do you have any good recipes for cumin beef or lamb to share?

I love cumin lamb but have never been happy with any recipe I’ve made at home - probably because I have never been able to source lamb shoulder and always end up using leg, which is much leaner. I really want to try this though: https://thewoksoflife.com/cumin-lamb-biang-biang-noodles/, as the cumin lamb noodles from Xi’An Famous Foods are truly divine.

[biondanonima]

Love me some dan dan noodles. And Ants Climbing a Tree. Mmmmmmmm. https://thewoksoflife.com/ants-climbing-a-tree/

[linguafood (Natascha)]

Those sound amazing

[biondanonima]

@Phoenikia

the soy sauce and salty fermented ingredients are a pretty big part of making Sichuan food taste like Sichuan food.

Yes, those things plus sichuan peppercorns/Facing Heaven chiles. I imagine the flavor profiles would be very difficult to approximate without sodium. Hopefully you can get your fix by dining out!

[backyardchef (matt)]

X’ian has a shop right by my office. Addictive.

[Phoenikia]

I also don’t handle sodium that well, but I can handle it in small amounts.

I’ll have to figure out where I can order good versions in downtown Toronto. Most of the better places are in the burbs , and I never go to the burbs anymore.

[biondanonima]

@backyardchef

X’ian has a shop right by my office. Addictive.

Yeah, my old office was right around the corner from their short-lived 54th St. location. It was good (bad for my waistline, but good!) while it lasted!

[linguafood (Natascha)]

Do the biang biang noodles count as Sichuan? I thought they were Shaangzi.

Berlin has an amazing biang biang noodle place (4 locations now) that makes an incredible version with cumin lamb. I can almost taste it

[biondanonima]

@linguafood

Do the biang biang noodles count as Sichuan? I thought they were Shaangzi.

I guess technically not, but the provinces are neighbors so I would assume there is some crossover of ingredients and flavor profiles. If not, we can save the biang biang for next quarter!