The Sechuan Cuisine has an international reputation for being spicy and flavourful. The story of the chili pepper, a common ingredient in Sechuan cuisine (often used unseeded), is that it was introduced to China following Columbus's discovery of the New World. Chili peppers were possibly introduced to the remote Sechuan province by Western missionaries.

However, previous Sechuan cuisine was not completely without spice, since Sechuan people used the traditional Sechuan pepper. Nowadays, it is still a key ingredient in Sechuan food. This surprising emphasis on spice in the region may derive from its warm, humid climate.

Sechuan Pepper is an indigenous plant (fruit), also known as pepper flower, Chinese pepper, and fagara, but actually, Sechuan pepper is not a pepper at all. Instead, the reddish-brown fruit - one of the ingredients in the five spice powder - is a berry that comes from the prickly ash tree. While not as hot as chilli pepper, it does have a unique flavour, and it is famous for its numbing effect on the tongue.

Hot foods, like red chilli, stimulate the palate, making it more sensitive to all these flavours. In addition, they cleanse the palate in preparation for the next dish.

A common ingredient in Sechuan cuisine is beef. Possibly because of the widespread use of oxen in the region. It is a fact that Sechuan people tend to favour meat over fish. Some well-known Sechuan dishes include "Beef Sechuan", but surprisingly, also the mild dish "Kung Po Chicken".

You can try these (spicy) dishes at Sea palace! Please click here for online reservation.