Guaiwei

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

Preparation

The ingredients of guaiwei always consists of either some or all of each group of:

Sesame: Using either ground sesame, sesame oil, or sesame paste
Sour: Using either lemon juice or more traditionally, dark rice vinegar
Yuxiang
Piquant: Using Sichuan peppercorns, occasionally without chili
Savory: Using soy sauce or salt and less commonly, doubanjiang
Sugar
Huangjiu 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 strongly use guaiwei are named as such. For instance:

Guàiwèijī : Chicken braised in guaiwei
Guàiwèidǔsī : Pork tripe braised in guaiwei
Guàiwèiniújiàn : Guaiwei beef shank
Guàiwèidòu : Guaiwei fava beans, eaten as a snack