Pantry and ingredient guide
Sichuan Pantry Guide
Use this page when a recipe mentions doubanjiang, Sichuan peppercorn, chili oil, vinegar, soy sauce, aromatics, or a substitute you are unsure about.
Core Pantry Items
A useful Sichuan pantry needs ingredients with clear jobs: fermented depth, chili aroma, numbing fragrance, acidity, salt, and fresh aromatics.
Fermented base
Doubanjiang
Gives mapo tofu and many sauces their red color and savory fermented depth.
Mala aroma
Sichuan peppercorn
Creates the numbing fragrance that separates mala flavor from plain chili heat.
Finishing oil
Sichuan chili oil
Adds aroma, heat, color, and a restaurant-style finish to noodles, tofu, and cold dishes.
Match Ingredients To Recipes
Check the recipe before buying substitutes. Heat, fermented depth, acidity, and aroma are different jobs.
- Mapo tofu sauceDoubanjiang, chili oil, peppercorn, tofu, garlic, and ginger.
- Dan dan noodlesChili oil, vinegar, soy sauce, and savory topping.
- Kung pao chickenDried chilies, peanuts, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and scallion.
- Sichuan hot potBroth base, peppercorn, chili oil, dipping sauce, and sliced ingredients.
Substitution rule: substitute by function, not by name. If an ingredient brings fermented depth, replace savory depth. If it brings numb aroma, do not pretend black pepper is the same ingredient.