The Science of Spice

East Asia 61

The Silk Road introduced the Sichuan region to less

familiar spices brought by travellers from neighbouring

western and central Asia. The result was a wide blend

of flavour sensations, including sour, sweet, bitter, salty,

hot, and spicy, especially in the far-west region of

Xinjiang. Here, where the population is more than

50 per cent Muslim, spices such as cumin and saffron,

as well as dried fruits, feature heavily in lamb, chicken,

and vegetable dishes from Uyghur and Kazakh cuisine.

LOCAL SPICE BLEND

Chilli black bean sauce

This is a homemade version of doubanjiang,

the Sichuan fermented bean paste. Use as

a marinade, dip, or in stir-fries.

Shajiang is also

known as sand

ginger, and has the

same fresh heat as

ginger, with a mildly

medicinal edge.

200g (7oz) red bird’s eye

chillies, finely chopped

50g (1¾oz) fermented black

beans, rinsed and chopped

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp rice wine

2 tsp dark rice vinegar

1 tbsp sugar

3 garlic cloves

7.5cm (3in) piece of

ginger, chopped

Fry the chillies and beans in the oil for 1 minute. Add

the wine and vinegar and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the

sugar and simmer for 10 minutes. Then add the garlic

and ginger, and cook until the oil floats on the surface.

Store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

WEST CHINA

Fruity | Warm | Earthy

“

Western Chinese cuisine is

dominated by Sichuan pepper,

used in the region’s cooking for

more than 2,000 years.

”

SPICE

PALETTE

Signature

Bird’s eye chilli,

Sichuan pepper, garlic

In classic Sichuan dishes

such as beef in chilli broth,

this trio of spices often

dominates the flavour.

Supporting

Star anise, ginger, sesame,

black cardamom

Used in both Sichuan and

Xinjiang cuisine, star anise,

ginger, sesame, and black

cardamom add complexity

to dishes such as bang bang

chicken and hotpot.

Supplementary

Cumin, saffron, cinnamon

In Kashgar, the market

is filled with the flavours

that made their way to

this Uyghur region from

the Middle East, including

cumin, cinnamon, and saffron.

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060-061_South_China_West_China.indd 61 04/06/2018 15:46