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？

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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

Reading is the easy part. Speaking is where you get stuck.

More HSK 5 reading practice