What was Sichuan Food before the chili pepper?

Date: 2026-10-08 23:40:15

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The chili pepper came to China in ~1591. Sichuan has been part of China since 300 BCE. What happened in the middle?

0:00 – sichuan food is newer than you think
1:55 – the ming qing rupture
12:17 – the creation of the new sichuanese
13:17 – the food of the old sichuanese
14:56 – spicy food in china before the chili
17:20 – ming cooking was different
22:19 – spicy fried chicken
24:50 – mustard pork salad
31:32 – taste test

FULL RECIPES

… and WAY more detail is over on Substack! Free as always, if it had to be said:

https://chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/what-was-sichuan-food-before-the

IF YOU’RE A DWEEB LIKE ME

… and want to learn more about Zhang Xianzhong and the Ming-Qing transition, definitely check out “On the Trail of the Yellow Tiger” here:

(not an affiliate link, just a good ol fashioned recommendation)
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And check out our Patreon if you’d like to support the project!

https://www.patreon.com/ChineseCookingDemystified

Outro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพ
Found via My Analog Journal (great channel): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHaL5H-VYRg&t=896s