Guaiwei (), literally "exotic taste" or "strange taste", is a seasoning mixture in Sichuan cuisine of China. Although it is popular in the

Sichuan province Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...

, it is seldom used outside the region's cuisine, unlike yuxiang, another seasoning mixture of the region. The guaiwei seasoning exists in several forms but can be viewed as the combination of ''yuxiang'' and '' mala'' seasoning with a high proportion of sesame and

sour The gustatory system or sense of taste is the sensory system that is partially responsible for the perception of taste (flavor). Taste is the perception produced or stimulated when a substance in the mouth reacts chemically with taste receptor ...

ingredients.

Preparation

The ingredients of guaiwei always consists of either some or all of each group of: *''Sesame'': Using either ground sesame,

sesame oil Sesame oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. The oil is one of the earliest-known crop-based oils. Worldwide mass modern production is limited due to the inefficient manual harvesting process required to extract the oil. ...

, or

sesame paste Tahini () or tahina (, ) is a Middle Eastern condiment made from toasted ground hulled sesame. It is served by itself (as a dip) or as a major ingredient in hummus, baba ghanoush, and halva. Tahini is used in the cuisines of the Levant and Eas ...

*''Sour'': Using either lemon juice or more traditionally, dark

rice vinegar Rice vinegar is a vinegar made from fermented rice in East Asia (China, Japan and Korea), as well as in Vietnam in Southeast Asia. It is used as a seasoning, dressing, and dipping in many dishes, including sushi, jiaozi, and banchans. Some of i ...

(香醋) *'' Yuxiang'' *''Piquant'': Using Sichuan peppercorns, occasionally without chilis *''Savoury'': Using soy sauce or

salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quant ...

and less commonly,

doubanjiang Doubanjiang (, pinyin: ''dòubànjiàng'', IPA: ), also known as douban, toban-djan, broad bean chili sauce, or fermented chili bean paste, is a hot and savoury Chinese bean paste made from fermented broad beans, chili peppers, soybeans, salt ...

*'' Sugar'' *''

Huangjiu ''Huangjiu'' (), meaning yellow wine, is a Chinese alcoholic beverage, and is most popular in the Jiangnan area. ''Huangjiu'' is brewed by mixing boiled grains including rice, glutinous rice or millet with qū as starter culture, followed by ...

'' (Chinese rice wine) may be used occasionally Preparation of the seasoning mixture can be done cold or hot, with cold mixtures being richer and heavier and hot mixtures lighter in taste.

Dishes

Dishes that use guaiwei as the main seasoning has the term affixed to its name. For instance: *Guàiwèijī (怪味鸡): Chicken braised in guaiwei *Guàiwèidǔsī (怪味肚丝): Pork tripe braised in guaiwei *Guàiwèiniújiàn (怪味牛腱): Guaiwei

beef shank The beef shank is the leg portion of a steer or heifer. In the UK, the corresponding cuts of beef are the shin (the foreshank), and the leg (the hindshank). Due to the constant use of this muscle by the animal, it tends to be tough, dry, and ...

*Guàiwèidòu (怪味豆): Guaiwei

fava bean ''Vicia faba'', commonly known as the broad bean, fava bean, or faba bean, is a species of vetch, a flowering plant in the pea and bean family Fabaceae. It is widely cultivated as a crop for human consumption, and also as a cover crop. Var ...

s, eaten as a snack

References

{{Sichuan cuisine Sichuan cuisine Food ingredients