1、Sichuan CuisineSichuan Cuisine， which is called Chuan Cuisine for short， is one of the eight major cuisines. It is also the most internationally known cuisine in China， and has the largest number of dishes， as well as many special foods. In spite of its particularity， the way of cooking the Sichuans
2、tyle dishes is not complicated so that everyone could make them. So it is also called the cuisine for ordinary people. The Sichuan Cuisine might be the most popular dishes in China， since restaurants with typical Sichuan foods could be seen everywhere in China ? and a lot can be found in the world ?
3、 with the seats mostly taken on most days of a year. The Sichuan Cuisine was originated from Sichuan and Chongqing and is known to the world for its spiciness and pungency. The materials used for Sichuan Cuisine include mountain animals， aquatic animals， vegetables and poultries， which are stir- fri
4、ed， sauted， cooked， pickled and braised. The Sichuan Cuisine could date back to the time before the Warring-State period. At that time， the Sichuan Basin and its surrounding areas were rich in wild animals， fruits， vegetables and fishes， and the salt and pepper. The tableware and cookware unearthed
5、in Sichuan revealed that the initial form of Sichuan Cuisine was established about 3，000 years ago. But there was no term of “Sichuan Cuisine” at that time and it did not happen until the end of Western Han Dynasty， when a lot of immigrants moved from the central plain of China to Sichuan. They pros
6、pered the economy in this area along with the food culture. The immigrants brought the livestock and new cooking methods to Sichuan， which were combined with local cooking style and improved throughout the past 2，000 years. The current Sichuan Cuisine was divided into three main subsections： the upr
7、iver section， the small river section and the downriver section. The upriver section is mainly seen in Chengdu and Lesahn. The dishes taste comparatively milder than the other two sections， say， they are not that spicy. Most of the high-class dishes of Sichuan Cuisine that used to serve royals and n
8、obles came from this section. Presently， the standards of making real Sichuan-style dishes are based on this section. Apart from the high-class dishes， the refreshments， which are considered an important part of the Sichuan Cuisine， are also a part of the upriver section， including the pickles， bean
9、 jelly， Tofu padding， rice crust， snacks and sausages. The small river section comes from and centers on Zigong. It is known for its weird combination of materials and high-class level. Apart from owning the base features of Sichuan Cuisine， which are “one hundred flavors for one hundred dishes that
10、 are cooked in one hundred methods”， the small river section also boasts the “intense， spicy and exciting” flavors. The small river section gave birth to the method of “poaching in chili oil”， which is an important cooking method in the Sichuan Cuisine. The beef and fish poached in chili oil are kno
11、wn to the world for their delicacy and deliciousness， as well as its function to fight against the cold. The downriver section centers on Chongqing and surround- ing areas. Compared with the other two sections， the dishes of downriver sections are less delicate and carefully prepared， but they are k
12、nown for the bold use of materials and the fast upgrade of menus. In addition， the famous Chongqing spicy and pungent hotpot is also a part of the downriver section. The Chongqing hotpot usually satisfies people who want to experience one of the most exciting flavors in the world， and the variable m
13、aterials that are suited for hotpots determine that the flavors will vary greatly. No matter which subsection is， the spiciness is always the prominent feature of the dishes in Sichuan Cuisine. Sichuan is a place with abundant peppers and capsicums. So are the dishes with them as ingredients. In add
14、ition， the moist climate in Sichuan requires people to eat something spicy to resist the moisture and coldness. The spicy food Sichuan people favor matches their characteristics， hot-tempered， direct and frank. Apart from peppers and capsicums， gingers， chili oil， garlic， mustard and specially-made
15、sauce and so on are also used to make out the spicy flavor. As said before， “one hundred flavors for one hundred dishes that are cooked in one hundred methods”. This requires most of dishes to have at least two flavors： spicy and the others. Of course， not all Sichuan dishes are spicy， but even the non-spicy Sichuan food has its own features.
