鱼香茄子
A classic Sichuan-Hunan dish where eggplant is braised in a savory, slightly sweet, and spicy sauce. Despite the name 'fish-fragrant,' it contains no fish—the term refers to a traditional seasoning blend of garlic, ginger, pickled chilies, and fermented broad bean paste (doubanjiang) that was originally used for fish dishes. The eggplant becomes meltingly tender with a rich umami depth.
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Foundational understanding of the four elements of good cooking
Whole Sichuan peppercorns — the tingling "ma" of mala cuisine
Wide, deep, two-handled — braising, fond, large-batch sears
Stainless saucepan for sauces, reductions, emulsifications
Single-bevel knife for clean fish slicing — sashimi and sushi prep
A staple of Sichuan-Hunan home cooking, often served with rice to balance its bold flavors. The 'fish-fragrant' style (yuxiang) is one of China's 23 official culinary flavor profiles, showcasing the region's love for pungent, mala (numbing-spicy) tastes.
1) Salt eggplant to draw out moisture, then shallow-fry until tender. 2) Stir-fry aromatics and doubanjiang until fragrant. 3) Return eggplant to wok, add sauce ingredients, and br...
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Often includes wood ear mushrooms and a heavier hand with Sichuan peppercorns
Sometimes includes ground pork for extra richness
Fuchsia Dunlop — The Food of Sichuan
Eileen Yin-Fei Lo — The Chinese Kitchen
China Sichuan Food — Yu Xiang Eggplant (Fish Fragrant Eggplant)
As an Amazon Associate, Foodgeist earns from qualifying purchases.
Foundational understanding of the four elements of good cooking
Whole Sichuan peppercorns — the tingling "ma" of mala cuisine
Wide, deep, two-handled — braising, fond, large-batch sears
Stainless saucepan for sauces, reductions, emulsifications
Single-bevel knife for clean fish slicing — sashimi and sushi prep
As an Amazon Associate, Foodgeist earns from qualifying purchases.
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