川菜的哲学 The Philosophy of Sichuan Cuisine

很多hěnduō人rén以为yǐwéi川菜Chuāncài就是jiùshì“辣là”，其实qíshí川菜Chuāncài最zuì厉害lìhài的de地方dìfang是shì味道wèidào的de层次céngcì。

Many people assume Sichuan cuisine is simply "spicy," but actually its most impressive quality is the layering of its flavors.

上个月shàng ge yuè，我wǒ跟gēn一yí位wèi川菜Chuāncài师傅shīfu学xué做菜zuòcài，他tā第一dì-yī句jù话huà就jiù说shuō：“川菜Chuāncài不bù只是zhǐshì辣là，还有háiyǒu二十èrshí多duō种zhǒng味道wèidào。”

Last month I learned to cook from a Sichuan cuisine chef, and his very first sentence was: "Sichuan food isn't just spicy — there are more than twenty flavors."

他tā先xiān做zuò了le一yí道dào鱼香肉丝yúxiāng ròusī，奇怪qíguài的是de shì，这zhè道dào菜cài里li根本gēnběn没有méiyǒu鱼yú，却què有yǒu淡淡dàndàn的de鱼香yúxiāng。

He first made a dish of fish-fragrant shredded pork; strangely, this dish had no fish in it at all, yet had a faint fish-fragrant taste.

师傅shīfu说shuō，这种zhèzhǒng“鱼香yúxiāng”来自láizì泡椒pàojiāo、姜jiāng、蒜suàn和hé糖醋tángcù的de搭配dāpèi，不bú是shì真的zhēnde加jiā了le鱼yú。

The chef said this "fish-fragrance" comes from a combination of pickled chili, ginger, garlic, and sweet-and-sour seasoning — not from actually adding fish.

接着jiēzhe他tā又yòu做zuò了le一yí道dào怪味鸡guàiwèi jī，酸suān、甜tián、麻má、辣là、咸xián五wǔ种zhǒng味道wèidào同时tóngshí出现chūxiàn在zài舌头shétou上shàng。

Next he made a dish of strange-flavor chicken — sour, sweet, numbing, spicy, and salty, all five flavors appearing on the tongue at once.

还有háiyǒu一yì种zhǒng叫jiào“荔枝味lìzhī wèi”的de做法zuòfǎ，菜cài里li没有méiyǒu一yì点diǎn荔枝lìzhī，却què带着dàizhe水果shuǐguǒ一样yíyàng的de香甜xiāngtián。

There's also a preparation called "lychee flavor" — the dish has not a single lychee in it, yet carries a fruit-like sweet fragrance.

师傅shīfu笑着xiàozhe说shuō：“川菜Chuāncài的de哲学zhéxué，就是jiùshì用yòng不同bùtóng的de味道wèidào讲jiǎng一yí个ge故事gùshi，辣là只是zhǐshì开始kāishǐ，不bú是shì结束jiéshù。”

The chef said with a smile: "The philosophy of Sichuan cuisine is telling a story with different flavors — spiciness is just the beginning, not the end."

那天nàtiān以后yǐhòu，我wǒ才cái明白míngbai，真正zhēnzhèng懂dǒng川菜Chuāncài的de人rén，吃chī的de不bú是shì辣là，而是érshì层次céngcì。

After that day I finally understood: people who truly understand Sichuan cuisine are eating not for the spice, but for the layers.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

层次céngcìlayers

鱼香yúxiāngfish-fragrant flavor

怪味guàiwèistrange flavor

泡椒pàojiāopickled chili

荔枝lìzhīlychee

哲学zhéxuéphilosophy

Grammar note 语法点

不只是……还有……

'Not only... but also...' — expands beyond an assumed limit.

川菜不只是辣，还有二十多种味道。

根本

'At all; simply' — strengthens a negation, often with 没有.

这道菜里根本没有鱼。

不是……而是……

'Not X, but rather Y' — replaces a wrong idea with the correct one.

吃的不是辣，而是层次。

Check yourself 小测验

1. 师傅说川菜大概有多少种味道？

2. 鱼香肉丝这道菜里有没有鱼？

3. “荔枝味”的菜里有什么？

川菜的哲学Chuāncài de zhéxuéThe Philosophy of Sichuan Cuisine

Key words 生词

Grammar note 语法点

Check yourself 小测验

More HSK 5 reading practice