Sichuan fish features pieces of fish that have been cooked until they are tender and infused with the rich, reddish-brown sauce that is characteristic of Sichuan cooking. The broth is rich and oil-based, common in this type of dish to carry the flavors of the spices (Macau). I always smile taking the first bite of the fish, remembering the savory, umami flavor the rich sauce gives, the sourness from black vinegar to help balance the heat, the fresh aroma of the green onions and ginger, and of course, the pungent spice that the various peppers provide that make my mouth water for more.

One of the most important ingredients in this dish is Sichuan peppercorns, named after the fifth largest Chinese province Sichuan. This province is famous for its liberal use of hot peppers and is one of if not the most popular regional cuisine in China today (Wang). However, the province hasn’t always loved spicy food. In the middle of the 18th century, many peasants consumed peppers as a substitution for salt, making the pepper seen as the “meat of poor” (Wang). Despite this, in the early 19th century, Chen Mapo won great fame from locals after cooking this dish, and it very quickly occupied the tables of both ordinary and elite families (Wang). As a result, a new cuisine of spicy food became popular within both the rich and the poor, blurring the boundaries between the different social groups and helping strengthen a shared Sichuanese identity (Wang).