People immediately think of Sichuan food as being hot, sour, sweet, and salty, using fish sauce, or having a strange taste. Actually the hot pepper was introduced into China from South America around the end of the 17th century. Once it came to Sichuan, it became a favored food flavoring. Sichuan Province has high humidity and many rainy or overcast days. Hot pepper helps to reduce internal dampness, so hot pepper was used frequently in dishes, and hot dishes became the norm in Sichuan Cuisine. Sichuan food has become the common dishes for most people in this area, especially since the dishes go well with rice.

Sichuan cuisine also has many delicious snacks and desserts, such as Bangbang chicken, chicken with sesame paste, lantern shadow beef, noodles with chili sauce, and rice dumplings stuffed with sesame paste.