中国美食文化博大精深且富有地域特色

比如北京有炸酱面，上海有生煎包

天津有煎饼果子，广东有福建人

……

而四川有

夫妻肺片、麻婆豆腐、鱼香肉丝

宫保鸡丁、东坡肘子、跷脚牛肉

板栗烧鸡、灯影牛肉、开水白菜

钵钵鸡、豆瓣鱼、口水鸡

回锅肉、火锅……(此处省略八万字)

China has a profound food culture, featured with regional characteristics, and Sichuan food is one of the representatives of Chinese food. Hotpot, Mapo doufu, Twice-cooked pork,Fish-fragrantshredded pork... these were the famous Sichuan dishes.

众所周知，吃是四川人的头等大事

比方上回成都大风，公交站牌都被吹飞了

而成都人民的精神状态是这样的：

Sichuan people are famous food lovers. As the news said, in the windy day, the top issue of Chengdu people is to protect their food from the gale.

危险来临时第一时间保护食物

是四川人的传统美德了

也是这种“食比天大”的生活态度和环境

滋养出了一张享誉世界的中国名片：

中国八大菜系之一——川菜

Sichuan cuisine, as one of the eight Chinese major cuisines, has become a world-renowned name card for China.

源远流长、丰富多样的川菜文化

不仅征服了全国人民

更是走向了全世界

CNN 称川菜为”China’s trendiest cuisine”(中国最受欢迎的菜系)

The amazing Sichuan cuisine has not only been popular in China, but also known and liked by the world.

CNN金牌纪录片电视节目《安东尼·波登：未知之旅》(Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown)体验四川美食文化

说到川菜，人们的第一印象就是“辣”

CNN温馨提示：“在中国，你说要去四川，人们一般会问一句‘你怕不怕辣？’ ”

老外卑微发问：“我不会吃辣耶，可以去成都生活吗？”

今天，我们就来说道说道川菜的“辣”

为什么川菜会以“辣”而闻名？

When it comes to Sichuan cuisine, "spicy"will be an indispensable topic. Why is Sichuan food so spicy?

这个问题综合起来有以下几种原因

一、地理原因

四川盆地气候

阴冷潮湿，少见太阳

而辣椒有一定的保健功能

可以驱寒祛湿

自然成为川人的饮食选择

Geographically, as the weather in Sichuan israiny and moist, and pepper which can help prevent the cold and moisture become the best choice for Sichuan people.

(图源：国家地理信息公共服务平台)

二、经济原因

有学者认为

从经济成本角度看

民众会选择成本低的动植物作为食物

辣椒在种植、贮存和实用方面

具有便利性，综合成本低

因此被广为接受

Economically, people tend to chose the food ingredient with low cost. Pepper, which is cheap, and easy to plant, store, and cook, has become widely accepted.

三、历史原因

历史上，四川曾因战乱导致人口急剧减少

因此政府采取了一系列措施吸引外地移民

也就是“湖广填四川”运动

其中有不少来自湖南省

湖南人将爱吃辣椒的习惯带到了四川

并在这里发扬光大

所以四川人吃辣的源头原来是弗兰人？！

In the ancient time, Sichuan once experienced a decline in population, and the government then encouraged migration from Hunan and Hubei provinces to Sichuan. Hunan people who are fond of pepper brought their dietary habit to Sichuan.

川菜=辣？

但是如果你认为川菜等于辣

那就大漏特漏了！

在四川有一句著名的“八字箴言”：

“一菜一格，百菜百味”

However, is Sichuan food only about spicy? Not exactly.

Locals like to say "each dish has its own style; a hundred dishes have a hundred different flavors."

川菜讲究调味，并且味型多变

光是川菜的调料就有这么多：

葱、 姜、 蒜、 辣椒

胡 椒 、 花 椒 、豆豉

醋 、郫县豆瓣酱

醪糟、糖、 盐……

Seasoning is greatly emphasized in Sichuan cuisine, and the flavors are diversified. The commonly used seasoning in Sichuan cuisine are: green onion, ginger, garlic, chilli, pepper, Sichuan pepper, fermented soya bean, vinegar, thick broad-bean sauce, fermented glutinous rice, sugar, salt, etc.

据不完全统计

川菜最基本的味型共有24种

分为三大类

There are 24 kinds of flavors that can be classified into three categories in Sichuan cuisine.

第一类为麻辣类味型

有麻辣味、红油味、糊辣味、

酸辣味、椒麻味、鱼香味、家常味、怪味等

这里特别提示

鱼香味是川菜味型之一

成菜具有鱼香味，但其味并不来自鱼，

而是泡椒、泡姜、葱、蒜、糖等调味品调制而成。

换言之，鱼香肉丝里没有鱼

The first category is the numbing-and-hot, including the numbing-and-hot flavor, red-oil flavor, scorched chili flavor, sour-and-hot flavor, Sichuan pepper flavor, fish-fragrant flavor, home-style flavor, strange (Guai) flavor, etc.

Especially note: there is no "fish" in fish-fragrant dishes, but they produce a "fish flavor" through pickled pepper, pickled ginger, scallion, garlic, sugar and other seasoning.

第二类为辛香类味型

有蒜泥味、姜汁味、芥末味、麻酱味、

烟香味、酱香味、五香味、糟香味等

The second is the spicy, including garlic paste flavor, ginger juice flavor, mustard flavor, sesame paste flavor, smoked flavor, fragrant fermented sauce flavor, five-spice flavor, fragrant-boozy flavor, etc.

第三类为咸鲜酸甜类味型

有咸鲜味、豉汁味、茄汁味、

醇甜味、荔枝味、糖醋味等

The third is the salt-savoryand sour-sweet, including salt-savory flavor, lychee flavor, sweet-and-sour flavor, etc.

此外，川菜还有不同的流派

不同流派口味也不一样

主要有上河帮、下河帮、小河帮

What’s more, there are different schools of Sichuan cuisine, including Shanghe cuisine, Xiahe cuisine, and Xiaohe cuisine, each with different flavors and styles.

上河帮也叫蓉派川菜

以成都，乐山为代表城市

主要分布在川西地区

整体比较温和清淡

Shanghe cuisine, also know as Chengdu-style cuisine, is mainly in western Sichuan are and represented by Chengdu city and Leshan city. It's featured with mild and light flavor.

下河帮也叫渝派川菜

以重庆为代表

主要分布在川东和重庆

以麻辣著称

Xiahe cuisine, also known as Chongqing-style cuisine, is popular in eastern Sichuan and Chongqing. It'sdistinct for the spicy flavor.

小河帮菜也叫盐帮菜

以自贡和内江为代表

以味厚、味重、味丰为特点

最为讲究其调味

Xiaohe cuisine, or Yanbang cuisine, represented by Zigong city and Neijing city, is featured with the heavy and rich flavor. The seasoning is greatly emphasized in Yanbang cuisine.

由此可知

“辣”只是川菜味型之一

当然

9100万四川人也不是人人都吃辣

↓↓↓

In conclusion, it's not true that all the Sichuan dishes are spicy, and everyone in Sichuan is a spicy-lover.

CNN在文章中一语道出真相：“川菜最大的特色是辣，但其烹饪的核心还是在于万千滋味的巧妙调和。”

千变万化融于一滋一味

百菜百味中尽显包容品格

这就是川菜呀！

"Each dish has its own style;

a hundred dishes have a hundred different flavors"

This is Sichuan cuisine.