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The cuisine of
the Western region of China is well-known for its spiciness, but
many Western palates overlook the complex interplay of savory,
sour, hot and sweet flavors that underlie the fiery spice of the
Szechwan pepper and other spices that give the Szechwan cuisine
its characteristic burn.
For decades, most of the world was familiar mainly with Cantonese
cuisine, and thought of it as 'Chinese cuisine'. In reality,
though, China is an enormous country that encompasses nearly every
kind of climate imaginable. The amazing variety of foods, spices
and climates have led to many distinct styles of Chinese cuisine.
Szechwan cuisine, originating in a steamy, sub-tropical climate,
includes smoked, pickled and spiced foods, as well as foods spiced
with a heavy hand for both preservation and flavor.
While the Szechwan pepper, a fruit that grows in the Chongging
province, has always been used in Szechwan cooking, most agree
that it wasn't until Christopher Columbus brought the chili back
from his travels. Besides the flavors that sear the mouth,
Szechwan cooking uses an interplay of flavors to create the full
impact of a dish. Hot and Sour Soup, for instance, when prepared
properly is neither exclusively hot, nor ultimately sour. Prepared
with sorrel, lemongrass, tofu and other spices, its first
impression is the heady, rich scent of roast meat and sour lemon.
That aroma is belied at the first touch on the tongue - the soup
is salty first, though not intensely so. The subtle blending of
flavors melds, changing in the mouth to mildly sour - the sorrel
and lemongrass making themselves known. It is not until the
mouthful of soup has been swallowed that the fire sets in as the
chili oil finally seeps into the taste buds.
This is not unusual for Szechwan cooking. The first mouthful of
Kung Pao chicken seldom brings tears to your eyes. It is only as
you chew and swallow and take yet another bite that the true heat
of the dish begins to assert itself. Double Cooked Spicy Pork
seems almost bland at first, with the flavors blending subtly in
the background until the intense fire of the chili oil in which
the pork is fried suddenly flames in your mouth.
There's more than fire to Szechwan cuisine though. Smoked meats
are common, and the smoking often makes use of unusual materials
and flavors. Szechwan Tea-Smoked Duck is a delicacy that combines
the flavors of citrus and ginger and garlic, juxtaposing them with
a long, slow cooking over a fire laced with oolong and green tea
leaves. The result is a succulent meat that melts in the mouth and
leaves behind a hint of gingered orange.
One tradition of Szechwan cuisine that is becoming more common in
the Western world is the Szechwan Hot Pot. Similar to a 'fondue',
a Hot Pot is more an event than a meal. Chunks and slices of raw
meat, seafood and vegetables are offered to diners at a table that
holds a 'Hot Pot' - a pot of chili oil over a flame. Each diner
selects their food and dips it in the chili oil until it is
cooked. Often, hosts will also offer a pot of simple broth for
those guests who prefer a more bland meal, or can't tolerate the
spiciness of food fried in chili oil.
Savory, rich and spicy, Szechwan cuisine is cuisine based on
intensity - intensely hot, intensely sour, and intensely
delicious.
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