Chinese western cuisine is proudly spicy. Its distinctive flavor comes from red-hot chili peppers, an ingredient first brought to China by Spanish merchants in the 17th century.

Sichuan cuisine was hot and spicy long before the Spaniards arrived. A collection of poems from the ancient state of Chu entitled Elegy to the Soazth reveals that natives of the area have been cooking with Sichuan pepper, cassia (local cinnamon), wormwood and other spices since 300 BC, Texts unearthed from Han Dynasty (206 BC -AD 220) tombs also describe rich, diverse and exquisite dishes flavored with exotic spices.

Today, chili and garlic have supplanted some of the spices from former times, but Sichuan pepper, cassia, star-shaped anise, five-spice powder and coriander still feature in local Sichuan cuisine.