One of the special characteristics of Szechuan Cuisine among all the Chinese regional cuisine is its emphasis on the tastes. Using different ingredients and spices, master chefs in Szechuan created many dishes with unique tastes and flavour.

The tastes of Szechuan cuisine come from a combination of seven distinct tastes which are described individually below.

The taste comes from the peppercorn that was grown in the region. The combination of peppercorn and chili gives the unique peppery chili hot taste to many famous Szechuan dishes. A seasoning ingredient containing salt and peppercorn powder is a popular ingredient used in Chinese cooking other than Szechuan cuisine.

The different types of chilies grown in the region provide the hot taste to the food. The heat level of the chilies can be sweet, mild, hot or very hot depending on their varieties.

Szechuan produces its unique kind of salt. Hence salty taste is a dominant taste in Szechuan cuisine. The taste comes from the salt and the soy sauce made with the salt and soybean. The combination of salty taste and chili taste has created many home taste dishes.

White sugar, cane sugar, beet root sugar, rock sugar and fruit provide the sweet taste to Szechuan dishes. Using sugar and fruit with other ingredients, chefs created tastes such as fish taste, sweet & sour taste and Li-tze taste.

The taste comes from vinegar and pickled vegetables. Also, the different coloured vinegar enriches the presentation of the cuisine.

The bitter melon used to cook with vegetables or meat gives the food the bitter taste.

The taste comes from the many varieties of spices that are used extensively in Szechuan cuisine. Dried orange peel that has been stored for prolonged period of time is also used as a spice. It has provided several well-known Szechuan dishes with the unique Chan-pei taste.

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