Editor's Note:
Sichuan cuisine is the most widely served cuisine in China, and is enjoyed by food lovers around the world. Known for their hot and spicy taste, Sichuan dishes are ripe with spices including chili peppers, numbing Sichuan peppercorns, bean paste and garlic. Chengdu, capital of Southwest China’s Sichuan Province, was declared a "City of Gastronomy" by UNESCO in 2011, the first Asian city to be bestowed the honor. Photos: CFP
Yuxiang shredded pork, literally fish-fragrant shredded pork, in truth contains no fish or seafood. Instead the dish gets its name from the traditional Sichuan method for cooking fish, combining minced Sichuan pickled chili, white scallion, ginger, garlic, sugar, salt, bean paste, soy sauce and chili peppers. 
Boiled fish with pickled cabbage and chili is a common dish in Sichuan households. The spicy and sour sliced grass carp is both tasty and nutritious, and many prefer to take a sip of the soup before enjoying the fish itself. 
Spicy deep-fried chicken is a dish that looks as good as it tastes. Diced chicken is fried to achieve ideal tenderness, then stir-fried with dried chilies, facing heaven peppers and Sichuan peppercorns resulting in an irresistible flavor. 
Fuqi feipian, or couple’s sliced beef in chili sauce, is made of thinly sliced tripe dressed with chili oil. The cold dish has an irresistible aroma and delicate taste, which make it an excellent appetizer to enjoy before a main course. 
Spicy boiled skewers are popular Sichuan-style snacks that have spread throughout China. Meat and vegetables are sliced into irregular shapes before they are strung together on bamboo sticks and boiled in the spicy soup base. 
Mao xue wang, or tripe with duck blood curd, is a traditional Sichuan dish that is often served with duck intestines, loach, sausage, bean sprouts and mushrooms. 
Plain boiled pork with garlic sauce is a dish that stands out from its spicy Sichuan brethren. Thin slices of boiled pork belly and cucumber are hung on a miniature frame and served with a spicy garlic sauce. 
Liang fen, or cold starch jelly in chili sauce, is a popular summer food served with Sichuan-style chili sauce. The street snack is usually made from mung bean starch, which is cut into thick strips before being tossed with soy sauce, vinegar, crushed garlic and chili oil. 
Various Sichuan-style snacks can be found in Chengdu's Kuanzhai Alley. Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, has a rich gastronomic tradition, which visitors can learn more about at the city's museum honoring the culture of Sichuan cuisine. 
Spicy deep-fried lobster is a creative Sichuan course prepared in a similar method to spicy deep-fried chicken. Traditionally, Sichuan cuisine rarely used seafood as a major ingredient, yet today many dishes are being reimagined, as chefs put a modern spin on old favorites.
