CHINA-SICHUAN-CHENGDU-SICHUAN CUISINE (CN)

Zhang Huiqiang R, deputy curator of the Chengdu Sichuan Cuisine Museum, helps as he teaches a tourist to cook Kung Pao chicken, a typical Sichuan dish, in the museum in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, June 9, 2022. Sichuan cuisine is one of the eight Chinese culinary specialties. Bean sauce, or Doubanjiang, is commonly referred to as "the soul of Sichuan cuisine." Doubanjiang is a spicy, salty paste made from fermented broad beans, soybeans, salt, rice, and various spices. The technique of producing doubanjiang was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. Sichuan cuisine, including doubanjiang, is a reflection of the distinctive and profound local culture. Cooking skills related to Sichuan cuisine integrate the wisdom of local people, as an important part of Bashu culture along with the Sichuan dialect and opera. The cooking skills to produce Sichuan cuisine made it onto the list of China's national intangible cultural heritage in 2021. (Photo by Tang Wenhao/Xinhua via Getty Images)