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The most well-known characteristic of Szechwan cuisine is that the most unusual dishes can be made out of the most common materials. The taste is exclusive, numb and hot and good to promote appetite.
Szechwan cuisine is the spicy bombshell of China as chili is the main ingredient in all the dishes. The high chili quotient can be compared to Thai, Indian and Malay cuisine. I can vouch for this given that I can stomach all kinds of spicy food thus my nickname as the "Chili Queen" among my friends. A general rule about combating the effects of spicy food is the motto - "Oil and water don't mix". Drinking water doesn't help because spices are naturally oily so water rolls over the spice. Eat rice instead which absorbs the hot chili oil. Other alternatives like beer or milk will do the trick.
It is not known how the chili peppercorn crept into the Szechwan province. However, many locals believe that Indian missionaries brought them to this part of China during their journey along the Silk Route. Fiery Szechwan classics include the famous Kung Pao Chicken and Twice Cooked Pork.
Popcorn was very popular from the 1890s until the Great Depression. Street vendors used to follow crowds around, pushing steam or gas-powered poppers through fairs, parks and expositions.
During the Depression, popcorn at 5 or 10 cents a bag was one o
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