Sichuan food history: from Ming to McDonald’s – and Rick and Morty

  • Bernice Chan and Alkira Reinfrank analyse the cultural appropriation, and fascinating history, of Sichuan cuisine
  • They delve into the chemistry of the Sichuan pepper and unpack the components of a traditional meal

Yang Yangin Hong Kong,Bernice Chanin VancouverandAlkira Reinfrankin Hong Kong
The Eat Drink Asia podcast hosts explore the fascinating history of Sichuan cuisine.

When the animated film Mulan was released in 1998, McDonald’s launched its SzeChuan Sauce, marketed as an accompaniment to their chicken McNuggets.

Almost 20 years later, the long-forgotten sauce regained its mainstream popularity thanks to adult cartoon Rick and Morty. But there is no such thing as SzeChuan Sauce in Sichuan province, China.

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